Looking back, looking forward
a year in review
Unexpected - that is what comes to mind when I think of 2025. I’m not a stranger to big changes, but this year they took me by surprise. From buying a dream house with my boyfriend to the demise of our relationship, the shape of this year was completely unanticipated. Now at the year’s end, I find myself still catching my breath, feeling for solid ground.
Looking back on 2025…
11 Quilts
Scrap Cabin quilt, Rainbow Over Head baby quilt, Sugar Plum Twirl quilt.
the Rainbow Pas de Deux quilt, Crossweave quilt, Parsnips in Thistle.
Summer Crush quilt, Deco Bloom quilt, Under the Maple Tree in Soft Teal.
Under the Maple Tree in Autumn tones, and Tapestry Garden quilt.
4 Sew-alongs
Scrap Cabin Sew-Along, Rainbow Over Head Sew-Along, Parsnips Sew-Along, Under the Maple Tree Sew-Along.
3 Houses
Two to live in with my ex-boyfriend and then buying a new one, all my own. Even though I don’t have the third one yet (I’m getting the keys in March), the emotional shift has already happened. Three houses to call home.
148 Blog posts
Including 5 Midlife Musings: on motherhood, on freedom vs. security, on changing names, on failure and on Dutch men.
7 Book Club Meetings + 6 Ladies Nights
You know what I treasure? Intimate social gatherings with my women friends. These days I am blessed to be part of two groups, which regularly meet to share our lives, laughter and advice. One group centers around books (in theory, at least) and the other is anchored by poke bowls and prosecco, haha! Here’s to even more meetings in 2026!
5 Getaways
I’m surprised that there are so many, when I count them up. I rang the year in at a small German town, to escape the Dutch fireworks fiasco. Then there was the big trip with my children to Corsica, France via Strasbourg. That vacation was a total flop for me, because of relationship drama, but my kids had a fantastic time. I spent a weekend in Haarlem, a lovely Dutch town and went twice to the quiet Drenthe region, to rest in nature.
2 Amazing Sewing Rooms
This year I’ve had the pleasure of sewing in two lovely spaces. The first, the office warehouse, took some getting used to. The second, in this palace of a home, is surely the finest I will ever sew. I will miss it!
Lessons learned
about love, forgiveness, humility and self-reliance? Countless.
Looking forward to 2026…
Artistically, I sense the need for therapeutic quilt-making. This year I will be producing Tapestry Garden as my year-long sew-along. This is less demanding than organizing multiple sew-alongs, so I expect to have time to go on creative tangents. I need to sew for myself, as in making a quilt for my very own bed. I also need to sew for no reason at all and without a destination in mind. This may come out in improv patchwork, or perhaps not. But I sense I need that open-ended feeling now, to help me process the intense changes of the last years.
As a person, what I need most in 2026 is stability and rootedness. I’ve taken big steps in this last decade to shape a beautiful and exciting life. I’ve let go of what didn’t serve me, and I’ve let go of the mothering that used to stand central in my life. These have been painful shifts, creating so much freedom and possibility. Sometimes too much for me to handle.
I hope that as 2026 unfurls I will find my grounding in this midlife season. Maybe I’ll make new little traditions that create familiar rhythms; things like camping in the summer, going to the Amsterdam ballet for my birthday, taking Elora to the theater in December, autumn in Drenthe, plus a host of ladies nights and book clubs. All of these pleasures involve others, because sharing love and joy is what makes life worthwhile. Vulnerable, but worthwhile.
And, of course, I will be making my own nest in an apartment in Enschede. I trust that it will be beautiful and cozy, if a bit cramped. The stability of my own place, one that I don’t have to leave regardless of relationship status - that is what 2026 promises. I’m finally ready.
a Happy New Year to you all!
xoxo,
Rachel
Since you left stateside, you’ve made so made changes and adjustments to your life. That’s a lot for any person. You always seem to navigate the changes and work through your emotions. You are a strong resilient lady and seem to handle it all with grace, at least from what I read on your posts. And foremost, you’re a wonderful mother to your children. We are all like books with chapters in our lives. Who knows what will happen in your next chapter, but I’m sure you will embrace it and hopefully enjoy the passage. On top of all of that, you are a fabulous, creative fabric artist, which I admire as well. Wishing you an excitingly normal 2026!
I so appreciate your honesty in sharing these parts of life. I think the honest way you embrace discomfort and growth creates a pathway for others to connect to those feelings and also meet them head on. I think it is a very women-centric quality, to attach so much weight to "failure" and mistakes, that we hold ourselves to an impossible standard....but the more people share !- that they even have these feelings, and 2- how they manage those feelings/that mindset while still pushing onward, I think it chips away at any shame or resistance we might feel to try ourselves. I've been a big fan of yours for about a decade, and I continue to cheer you on as you create your beautiful life! Thank you for being such a light.