A Colorful Thread: November 2019
Weaving together my life as a maker and what’s happening in other spheres of life.
Best of Stitched in Color
on my Mind
Experimenting:: with Pimsleur Dutch. Brandon and I have decided to stay in The Netherlands for the foreseeable future, giving Liam a chance to graduate from high school in the new language he is quickly learning. Originally we thought we might move on to Germany for Brandon’s masters; but, we’re so happy here, and staying is the practical choice. Since we’ll be sticking around, it’s time for me to commit to learning Dutch. I know the Pimsleur learning style works for me, so I’ll start there and then move onto a class in my community which begins in February.
by Jolene of Blue Elephant Stitches
Following:: Jolene of Blue Elephant Stitches (blog + Instagram). She’s back and better than ever! If you lost track of Blue Elephant Stitches over the past few years, you should know that she’s back to sewing and quilting and inspiring us again. I consider Jolene an “old” quilty friend, so I was really thrilled when her work starting popping up again online. And, yes, she blogs too!
Reading:: 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos* by Jordon Peterson. When this book came across my path, I wasn’t drawn in by the title or the cover. Good thing I gave it a chance! The book combines psychology and philosophy to give practical advice on walking the creative balance between chaos and order. Many times I have no idea where he is going until the chapter ends, as the connections he makes to literature, biology and religion are surprising and fresh. If you like to think, this one’s for you. *affiliate link
Anticipating:: Christmas gift-giving! I love choosing gifts for my children, especially for young ones like Elora. She is ready for lots of fun things! I have some handmade gifts to make for Elora in the next few weeks, yay! I’m also really stoked about a pile of English picture books that just arrived. The libraries here don’t have many English books, so I decided to invest in a hefty stack for Christmas. Come see!
Here are a few of my favorites:
A River - a simple book with descriptive language and beautiful illustrations. Imagine where a river might take you.
Bear Says Thanks - sweet story about gratitude for the friends and food we share. It fits with Thanksgiving, but isn’t directly about the holiday.
Sophie’s Squash - This one hits all the right spots - creative, funny, real. A trip to the farmer’s market begins the journey. I’m going to enjoy reading it!
The Boy and the Bear - a new release about a boy who discovers a new friend in an unlikely form. Even the way they end up playing together is not what the boy expected. The hardcover has metallic snowflakes!
Bear Feels Scared - addresses that big emotion in a way so relatable to little ones, gently and with candor. Thanks for the recommendation!
If I Had a Little Dream - a dreamy book in rhyming language valuing the simple things in life: home, chair, pond, bike, brother, etc. My favorite for illustrations! And the last page says it all.
Note: all books are affiliate links.
We won’t be with family for the holidays, so that makes this first year in The Netherlands a bit of a blank slate. I have a feeling the Christmas week is going to feel strangely quiet. Hopefully over time we’ll develop some new traditions to fill in the gaps. We have put up our tree, trimmed with a quilt-as-you-go skirt, and this weekend I’ll hang our handmade stockings. (Both patterns included in the Stitched Holiday pattern pack). It’s nice to have these familiar markers of the season, at least, to punctuate our new life.
