Introduction blog

Good Afternoon Everyone

It has been a while - almost 16 months since I returned from my epic journey around the world, carting with me, an extra bag containing a heap of goodies related to Feltmaking. Be it already felted, wool tops, soaps, templates, notes and a whole lot of memories of the various people that I visited, classes that I taught, classes that I took and learned from, sights that I saw along the way, and the heartfelt good wishes of the many friends that I had added to my network.

Since being away, I have now settled into a new job, trying two others before finally finding something that suited my needs, and have a small unit with a lovely small garden to care for (another of my passions), living not far from my parents, whom I tell everyone I take care of. Really......who am I kidding? It is them that take care of me!

In November last year, I had an unfortunate accident at work, breaking the 5th Metatarsil bone in my left foot. I was off work and my feet for a couple of weeks without so much as a plaster on my foot, so my parents waited on me hand and foot them, and also watered and cared for my little loved garden. Then, the Orthopedic Surgeon decided that I should be in a plaster and on crutches, so another 7 weeks of being off my foot as much as possible. In the meantime, my employers took pity on my bored state of mind, because I could not make my felt which took a lot of being on my feet, let me come back to work on light duties, installing me at a desk, gave me a phone and put my foot up on an upended trash can under the desk. I then continued to survey people by telephone and input data into the computer, did lots of filing that could be done sitting down, and in general, had all and sundry at my beck and call for drinks, food, etc (all except for when nature called.)

Now I am happily back at my normal duties at work, but due to the fact that my foot is still in the process of mending, I am only driving automatic vehicles and doing desk jobs. I now have a shoulder and arm that has been severley damaged by the use of crutches for such a period of time, and to that end, it is still weekly visits to the physio and monthly visits to the doctor.

BUT happily, I am back doing a little bit of feltmaking. I have a lot of prefelts, which I have begun to collate and make into wall hangings and collages. Photos will have to wait until I get them all done. I am busy with the sewing machine, embroidering some felts, adding some special touches. I did make a few Christmas tree decorations with my Huskystar Embellesher for a Christmas Exchange with the Aussiefeltmakers group, and on reading all the talk on blogs on the discussion group with feltmakers in USA, I decided that it is time to get the ball rolling with a blog myself.

;Cheers til next time
Jaruleeli (Julie)