2025 has been a year of gentle highs and testing lows, and it certainly kept me paying attention. Behind the scenes of The Maker’s Stash — beyond the stitching, the flowers and the cups of tea — there were moments that felt heavy, along with times of stress and uncertainty. I had days where I wanted to retreat, days where frustration bubbled over, and days where everything felt a little too much. It was very much a rollercoaster of emotions, but somehow, each time, I found my way through to the other side.
There were moments when the weight on my shoulders felt especially noticeable, yet I carried it — and in doing so, I’ve realised I’m a little stronger and a little taller for it. At times the wider troubles of the world felt distant, and at others they landed close to home, reminding me that rose-tinted glasses don’t always soften life’s sharper edges.
And yet — threaded through it all — there were so many moments of joy. Moments of wonder, creativity and quiet magic. There were adventures, beauty in unexpected places, and long stretches where I let imagination take the lead. I learned to listen more closely to the rhythms of my mind, body and soul, and in doing so, I learned a great deal about myself — who I am, how I move through the world, and who I’m becoming.
Throughout it all, my natural optimism stayed close by. Even when stress or overwhelm tried to steal the spotlight, that hopeful outlook continued to nudge me forward. It’s not perfect — it sometimes pauses for procrastination — but it’s resilient, and it tends to find its footing again.
Now, as the new year unfolds, I feel a sense of quiet calm settling in. I’m meeting this year with an open heart, steady hands and a desire to move with grace. As always, my head is full of ideas and plans for 2026 — for The Maker’s Stash, for our home and garden, and for myself. But before I rush ahead, it feels important to pause, breathe, and look back at the year that was…
A Year in Stitches
This year I truly threw myself into experimenting with slow stitching, and I loved every moment of it. Working with treasured pieces of vintage fabrics, linens and doilies, blended with modern patchwork fabrics, I feel I discovered my own slow stitch style — something deeply personal and uniquely mine. Along the way I created textile bowls, needle books, pouches, bookmarks, pincushions and small artworks. Looking back on what I made, mindfully and slowly, stitch by stitch, is such a joy. My imagination gifted me so many ideas, reminding me that creativity is a special spark of light that lives within us all. This year I was open to letting it guide me, stitching in the moment and following whatever was calling to me.
- Christmas Mobile
- Love you Mum Heart
- Snippets and Stitches Bookmarks x 4
- Little Patches Pincushions x 6
- Pouches x 3
- Little Patches Folded Needle Book
- Needle Books x 2
- Textile Bowls x 3
Still in Progress:
- Joyful Embroidery Textile Collage
- Blooming One Textile Artwork
- The Roses Needle book
- Little Patches Folded Needle Book
Let’s Not Forget EPP – I stitched on…
- Jewel Hearts Quilt
- Vintage Patches Quilt
- Gosling Quilt
- Jumbled Hexie Flowers
- Half inch Jewel Hearts – to become a pouch
- Half Hexie Pouch and Haf Hexie Flowers
- Pentagon flowers and butterflies
- 8 point star
- 5 Point star cushion
- 10 point star
- Half hexie double flowers – to become a mini quilt
- Spring fling rosette – to become a mini quilt
- Half hexie panels – to become…something?!
Patterns Released in 2025
I’m so proud of all the patterns I released this year, even though it may not have been as many as I would have liked. Somehow it still amazes me just how long a pattern can take from idea conception to making a sample, writing the instructions and preparing it for sale.
Garden Lattice Cushion – part of the Maker’s Bundles
Hexie Christmas Tree Ornaments
I also shared these free patterns and tutorials:
Five Point Star tutorial – and how to turn it into a coaster
Snippets and Stitches Bookmark
A tick of the Bucket List
I was thrilled to tick something off my bucket list this year — having a pattern published in a magazine. Amazingly, it turned into not one, but two patterns featured in Homespun Magazine: The Octagon Flower Tote and Hexie Heart of Hope, which also graced the cover. I was also delighted to have a small feature in Homespun, sharing my free pattern, The Dahlia Rosette.
Expanding my Studio
This year, the product side of my business really grew, and I quickly ran out of space in my studio to store both shop stock and my personal stash. I was tired of keeping everything in boxes under tables and constantly dragging them out to fulfil orders, so I decided something had to change. If I couldn’t open a physical shop just yet, then I’d open a “pretend” one in our dining room instead.
The dining room sits just off my studio, up a small flight of stairs, making it easy to access while I’m working. I pushed the table against the wall, added some Ikea shelves, and set up my own little shop, styled much like my market stalls. Walking in there genuinely makes me happy — it feels like stepping into a real shop, even though I already am one. Decorating it for Christmas was especially fun, and it’s only strengthened my motivation to open a bricks-and-mortar shop for real in 2026.
Shows I Attended in 2025
I was able to set up my little shop up at five shows in 2025. I enjoy attending shows as I love interacting with like-minded stitchers, sharing my joy and enthusiasm for what I do as well as giving out hints and tips. It’s so nice to see my regular customers and fans in person and get to chat like old friends.
February – Craft Alive Sydney
June – Craft Alive Canberra
August – Camden Quilters Exhibition
September – Quilt NSW Exhibition
November – Craft Alive Orange
In the Garden
I admit that when it comes to our garden, I am still finding my way, still trying to work out how to balance what needs to be done to maintain and grow it while also running the household, looking after the kids and managing my business. There are always weeds to pull, and sometimes it feels as though life conspires to make it difficult to find the time to get out there and tend to what needs doing. The scale of our garden can often feel overwhelming and I’m constantly wondering if it will ever be finished.
I am learning though that no garden is every really ‘done’. It is constantly growing and evolving. Plants and trees come and go, some because it is their natural cycle, some intentionally, and some due to unfortunate reasons such as pest and disease or weather. The garden reminds me of how resilient nature can be, how un-concerned it is with things outside of its control. My garden reminds me to seek the wonders that exist in this world, like finding a little pink grasshopper with my son and marvelling and all the little insects that call our garden home.
Despite the challenges, the constant battle with weeds, my garden gives me so much joy. Flowers bloom filling my heart and soul with pleasure and happiness. I love their colours, their shapes, the way they bloom without a care in the world. Working in the garden gives me such a sense of accomplishment, growing a new plant from seed or cutting, installing a new garden bed or feature, and seeing what I plant grow and thrive.
This year I hope to make more time in the garden, both working in it, but also just being in it. I hope to grow and preserve more food this year. I want to develop new garden beds and re-develop old ones. I would like to plant more trees and even more flowers. Mostly I want to nurture nature and in turn let nature nurture my own soul and mind.
Intentions for 2026
I don’t do new year resolutions, and I don’t pick a word for the year, though I have in the past. I like to make intentions instead. Little promises I make to myself to try and achieve things mindfully and without enormous expectations.
This year I intend to look after myself better, to be healthier in my body and mind. My IBS got a little out of control last year, so I want to build up my gut health through eating a better diet and ensuring I am getting all the minerals and nutrients I need. I am going to exercise more regularly and remind myself that housework and gardening, though a good work out, is not enough. I need to move my body more to build up my strength and fitness.
This year marks thirteen years in our house, and there is still so much I want to do — walls to paint, rooms to refresh, and things that need fixing or replacing. I want to make, thrift and gather pieces that help our home feel inviting, cozy and beautiful, while nurturing our home and garden, reducing waste, and being more mindful about what we bring into our space. I’m also focusing on living more sustainably financially, making thoughtful choices that support both our present needs and our future.
This is where my procrastination tends to show up. I have plenty of ideas, but too often they stall before they begin, crowded out by busyness, stitching, or everyday housework. This year, I want to gently let go of the negative self-talk and overwhelm, and start doing the things I want to do — alongside the things that need doing too.
I want to spend more time with friends and family, nurturing the relationships that mean the most to me. I want to embrace creativity in myself and in others. I want to feed mine and our kids’ imagination through books, art and adventures. I intend to walk through this year as calmly as I can, sharing kindness and joy, with grace and gratitude in my heart, and embrace the beauty that life has to offer.
I hope that you can reflect on the past year with kindness for yourself, knowing that not everything always goes to plan and that’s ok. We can be so hard on ourselves, I am certainly guilty of that, but at the end of the day we are all trying our best. We all face challenges, some we overcome and some we don’t, but if you show up each day with kindness in your heart, you’ll get through it.
Look for the glimmers in life, seek out the good news stories, train yourself to look for the beauty in things, be mindful and give gratitude. Don’t give up hope, remember to love, to let your light shine bright and we will all be ok.
I hope 2026 brings you wonderful things.
Love Miss Leela x