Happy February! (And a belaaaaaated happy new year!)
Gosh it has been a hot minute since I last wrote! Have I really left this blog for that long?!? How has the new year treated you so far? I think I’ve more or less settled into the year; we’re back to our normal, day-to-day routine, and I’ve stopped mistakenly writing “2023” instead of “2024” in my dates - which is usually a sign that I’ve crossed the threshold and firmly planted both my feet in the current year.
looking back on January…
January went by pretty quickly: we spent New Year’s day at home, school started, and then two-thirds of my household caught COVID - which meant a quarter of the month was gone, spent in quarantine. I was the one-third that somehow didn’t catch it. Thankfully we’re all good now, and after coming out of quarantine and gradually getting back into the swing of things, it was already the end of the month.
new year, new me?
Since we’re still in the new-ish part of the year, thought I’d ask whether you have any new year’s resolutions? Do people still do resolutions? I don’t, to be honest. I did try, back in the day, but I’d forget all about them pretty quickly. What I did do last year, though, was an idea that a friend had suggested, which was to have a running list of new things to try over the course of the year. It didn’t have to be big, project-like endeavours, but small things, like try a new restaurant or a new cuisine, go to a place you’ve never been before, or read books and watch shows in a different genre… that kind of thing. I had a pretty long list of things to try in 2023, and I did manage to cross some items off, so I think I’ll just carry the list over into 2024, adding new items and crossing stuff off along the way. It’s so much more realistic (and fun!) than having grand resolutions. For me, at least.
the story behind the riceflower pattern
The month of February showcases my Riceflower pattern.
New month, new page on the calendar. The pattern gracing the month of February is my Riceflower pattern, which is one of the two patterns in my Tuesday Blooms series. This pattern (and the Tuesday Blooms series) was born back in 2021, when we still had to stay at home under the MCO (Movement Control Order). For a brief period of time during the MCO, I subscribed to a weekly flower bouquet delivery service. It was a nice little luxury I treated myself to, since we were all stuck at home. It was also a nice way to support a business that may have been adversely affected by the MCO.
The riceflower was one of the bouquet fillers often used in their arrangements, and I loved how the structure of the branches and the way the tiny white flowers sat atop them made it look like delicate little trees. Since flowers wither and die, I decided to immortalise the riceflower into a pattern; and since the bouquets were delivered every Tuesday (or was it every other Tuesday? I can’t remember exactly), I named the series Tuesday Blooms. I suppose my intention back then was to add more patterns derived from other flowers and other bouquets, but somehow I managed only two designs. I didn’t add any more. I think I stopped subscribing to the service shortly after that (because the MCO was lifted), or maybe life just got in the way. Still, I at least have something to remind me of the little moments of happiness during that period of time.
busy bees
There will be a significant change in my household happening very soon, so this month will be a pretty busy one for us. February is already a short month, and with the Chinese New Year holidays and the school holidays just around the corner, it will feel shorter still. So much to do, so little time… yikes!! When the time comes, I’ll write about it - or at least design a pattern inspired by it :-)
That’s enough from me I think… I’ve rambled on for long enough. Before I sign off, thought I’d share some messy sketches of what I’m currently working on…
Rough sketches for a design
Thumbnail sketches
IThey’re for a client commission, and I’ll share more along the way. For now, toodles from me!
-A-