family life

A Postcard from June 2025

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Hello there, how are we at 14th July already? Almost at the midpoint of the month! I hope it’s been a good one for you – it’s been a decidedly warm one for us, with temperatures in the 30s (which for those of you in hotter climes probably doesn’t sound too hot but we felt it was!).

Last month was a rather special one for me in my blogging life, this little blog celebrated its 10th birthday. Never in all my imagination did I think, it would still be going after all this time when I first started out. I can vividly remember going out for a walk one evening (about a decade ago) along the winding streets and passages of Gibraltar taking photos of bougainvillea to illustrate one of my earlier blog posts and thinking, ‘is there anyone out there who will want to read this?’. I’m thrilled to say there was, and I’m still here knocking out posts (a little less frequently these days due to work commitments) and you’re still out there reading them! Thank you!

That bougainvillea from 10 years ago!

Anyway, here’s a quick look back at June in my world:

International Stitch Day

What a way to kick off the month, and what an amazingly on-brand event for Making Stitches! I was thrilled to be able to attend International Stitch Day on 1st June at the opening of Woven in Kirklees Festival in West Yorkshire. It was a brilliant day hosted at Oakwell Hall in Birstall. There were stalls, workshops (including one I had a play at), lots of interesting things to look at, and the most amazing thing I have experienced this year so far, the Red Dress was on display in the old hall itself. 

I have been aware of the Red Dress for quite a while now through social media and blog posts I have read, but to be able to witness it myself in real life was quite something. As I arrived early at the start of the event, I was able to go and have a look once the initial flurry of visitors had been in and at one brief point, I was the only person in the room (apart from the staff standing discretely at the back). The atmosphere was amazing and I felt truly privileged to witness it for myself. 

To see the intricate stitching and the countless hours of work by 380 different embroiderers, both professional and amateur, and to learn about some of the stories of the people who have stitched onto the dress was just amazing. After seeing it for myself, I was able to go and hear the ‘creator’ of the dress, Kirstie Macleod, give a talk about how the project had come about and a snapshot of some of her adventures as she has traveled around the world with it. It’s just mindblowing how big this project was and the complexity of the logistics involved. 

I was delighted to be able to sit down briefly with Kirstie after her talk to record a short chat for a future episode of Making Stitches Podcast and I’m thrilled to say that she agreed to a longer chat with me for a special ‘Red Dress’ episode which will be out in autumn.

A weekend away

Unfortunately one of us had to take the picture – but there were 5 of us!

I was so lucky in June to experience not one, but two brilliant weekends – first came Woven and next came a weekend away with four very special ladies who I have known since University days (one even since primary school!)

One of them lives in the Lake District and we have been trying to arrange for us all to spend a weekend together at her house for years. Each time we thought we had a date in the diary, something would come up and we were determined to do it with us all there. Persistence paid off and we had the most amazing couple of days reconnecting, walking, eating and drinking.

True old friends are just the best. They hold you up in the worst of times, share the best of times and, no matter how long passes between your meetings, when you are back together it’s as if you were never apart. 

I feel truly blessed to have them in my life.

10 years of this blog

Back in June 2015, after years of reading other people’s blogs, I decided to have a go myself. I thought the chances of anyone reading it were slim, but I thought I could use it as a kind of diary to record our life as a family living in Gibraltar. In its first iteration as Postcard from Gibraltar, it really surprised me – I found people around the world all reading it and sending me lovely messages. 

In the intervening years, our family has changed, has moved back to the UK, I’ve gone from being a full-time stay at home Mum to a working Mum Postcard from Gibraltar morphed into Making Stitches and the Making Stitches Podcast was born too! If you missed my post about the anniversary, you can find it here.

First strawb of the year!

I don’t know what happened to my strawberry plants over the winter – but I went from having about six containers full last year to just having three weedy looking specimens. My parents felt sorry for me and sent me over a new container filled with healthy plants and this was my first strawb. I am giving the new pot a lot of attention – especially during this very hot and dry weather so that it survives beyond the first month in my possession!

Soccer Aid

Honestly, trips to Old Trafford are like buses, you wait for years to go and then get two trips straight after each other! After going to the last match of the season for Manchester United in May, I went back with my Dad and Youngest to watch Soccer Aid on Father’s Day.

It was a great evening’s entertainment and really quite funny at times. There was even a musical interlude at half time which included a grand piano on the centre circle!

Making Stitches 2025 CAL : June

Summer Solstice Square
Bonus Birthday Square

June saw not one, but two new squares for the Making Stitches 2025 CAL. The main reason for me doing this CAL this year is because of the special anniversary, so it seemed appropriate to mark the occasion with a bonus square in addition to this month’s main square. The Summer Solstice square was launched on 1st June and the Bonus Birthday square pattern was released on my blogiversary. 

I am thrilled that I have managed to reach the mid-point of the year with people still discovering the crochet along and joining in along the way. The more the merrier! If you would like to have a go at any of the Making Stitches 2025 CAL patterns, you can find them all here!

Podcast News

There was just one episode of Making Stitches Podcast released in June as series 9 drew to a close ahead of the summer break. My guest this time was Micah Clasper-Torch a punch needle designer who has taught thousands of people the craft through her online platform. She has a new book out and is hoping to reach an even wider audience through her wearable punch needle designs. You can listen to the episode with Micah here.

Before I go…

This Postcard is almost at an end but before I head off, just a couple more things…. I have been so busy with crochet designs and recording new episodes for the next series of Making Stitches Podcast that I am well and truly ready to have a bit of a breather as life shifts down a gear and we hit the soon-to-be-upon-us school summer holidays. 

Before the holidays hit though, I am looking forward to sharing a bit of lovely news with you very soon. Keep your eyes pealed for that please – because I am going to need your help with something very special and worthwhile. 

Also, when my boys break up for their school summer holidays I will be launching my Summer Craft Challenge 2025 when I do something creative every day during the school summer holidays. I would love it if you would join in too! I love doing it each year and carving out a little bit of time each day to do something creative (it’s a real sanity saver amongst the chaos). As one of my boys finished for the summer on Friday this week, so I am going to be starting day one on Saturday (19th July) and posting a social media post each day to share what I have done, which will keep me focused on maintaining the challenge. 

The thing about a Summer Craft Challenges is that it’s always better when you’re not the only one doing it. So… please do join in and share your makes this summer on social media with the hashtag #SummerCraftChallenge2025 so I can see what other creativity is going on – just like the Making Stitches 2025 CAL – it’s better with friends and it would be great to build a Summer Craft Challenge community!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

Lindsay x

 

Sunday Sevens #213 22.12.19

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Hello and seasons greetings on this Christmassy Sunday Sevens. I hope you are well, and not too frazzled by the pre Christmas prep.

Sunny Sunday

The weather last Sunday was truly glorious, even the cold blooded ones among us came out of from indoors to enjoy some December rays!

No, it’s not our tree

On Monday, I found myself in a beautiful Colonial building in town for a meeting. I was bowled over with this lovely tree in the entrance hall. It looked very much at home in the grand entrance.

Keep on running…

I’m on week two of my running plan, attempting to get a bit fitter. I only managed one run this week, which I’m annoyed with myself about, I was busy at the start of the week but by the end of the week the weather was pretty grim – think gale force winds and driving rain. This was taken on Wednesday morning on my walk down to the sea shore to begin my run/stumble along!

Sharing on behalf of a friend

A good friend of ours was staying over on the East side of the Rock this week and she sent me this lovely photo of the sun rising up over the horizon. What a spectacular start to the day!

Decorations are up – at last!

After much nagging from the Little Postcards, I finally got round to putting up the Christmas decorations and the tree. I wasn’t really feeling Christmassy at all and I couldn’t bring myself to put the tree up when I hadn’t completed all my pre decoration jobs, like tidying up and washing the windows. On Thursday I made a promise to Littlest that I would get the tree up and ready for him to decorate while he was at school. He was happy with that! I treated myself to some little star lights for the hallway – they are battery operated and I think they look rather nice over the mirror.

Carol singing

Also this week, we had a few of the obligatory carol singing events for school choirs. It was lovely to see Littlest singing with his school at the Artisan Christmas market in town.

Friday morning rain

That bad weather I told you about… it was a bit grim. In a break in the rain on Friday I popped quickly into town to pick up a few Christmas things I needed, before school finished at lunch time – my last proper opportunity. I just took the photo to make those of you reading this up north in the UK who might be experiencing a bit of bad weather too, realise that you are not alone! Also, that while I was feeling smug last Sunday watching the gecko sunbathing over on the East side of the Rock, that gorgeous weather was short lived!

And that, as they say is that. Sunday Sevens done for another week. Not the most inspiring set of photos I’ll grant you, but it’s been a good week for us with some fun times and a few meetings with lovely friends, which I forgot to capture in photos – probably because I was too busy talking!!

If you are celebrating Christmas I hope it is a very happy one for you. I send every good wish from Gibraltar for a lovely time with friends and family, and thank you for stopping by!

Sunday Sevens was first created by Natalie from Threads & Bobbins.

Sunday Sevens #194 30.6.19

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Greetings from a rather warm and sunny Gibraltar. All the schoole broke up for the summer break here on Friday, so we’re now officially ‘on holiday’ (well the young people are at least!). Here’s this week’s Sunday Sevens:

San Juan

It was the festival of San Juan along the Spanish coast from Gibraltar on Sunday evening last week. Mr Postcard popped over to have a walk and see some of the traditional fires which are lit on the beach. He took this photo (I was at home with the Little Postcards).

Tranquil evening light

I found myself in town at ‘golden hour’ as the sun was going down on Monday evening, it looked so tranquil looking out at the Upper Town from the multi-storey car park, and at odds with the crazy busy day I had had beforehand.

End of term at Dressmaking class

This week was the end of term for my dressmaking class, and I’m really pleased to say that I finished my top!! It’s been four years now that I’ve been attending Dorcas Hammond’s fashion academy and it’s such a highlight in my week. I shall miss it over the summertime. Here’s the finished article…

I’m watching you!

We have some rather large waspy type creatures in Gib in summertime. The Little Postcards get crazy when they arrive in our home with their long dangly legs. I haven’t been able to catch one in flight yet to take a photo. We did find one of them in their own home this week though.

One was spotted in our back patio and it headed to our bug house which is made of short lengths of bamboo in a box. I caught him watching me!

Beautiful sunny weather

We have enjoyed some beautiful sunny warm weather this week. It’s been a pleasure during calm shady moments, but rather hot and sweaty while trying to get things done. I do appreciate that our highest temperature so far has been around 30 degrees Celsius rather than the mid 40s like some of our European neighbours have experienced – that would be a whole lot hotter!

School’s out for summer!

So, here were are, mojito time – school has finished for another academic year – which is ever so slightly frightening as that means my boys are getting older. As of September I will have no children in first school and two in secondary, which is a bit mind-blowing.

Armed Forces Day

It was Armed Forces Day yesterday and that had significance for me this year as a few weeks back I made a ‘Flag of Thanks’ which will be currently being displayed in a church in Salisbury for Armed Forces Day, and which will eventually be added to other flags to make bedding for homeless veterans. (Look for #flagsofthanks on Instagram)

In Gibraltar, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment had a ceremony yesterday to mark a ceremonial changing of the Governor’s guard. It was quite a spectacle, and something for the unsuspecting tourists to enjoy.

That’s it for another week, I hope it’s a good one for you!

Sunday Sevens was first created by Natalie from Threads and Bobbins.

 

The Postcard from Gibraltar Podcast Episode 005: Finding community online with Polly Lavarello

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In this episode of the Postcard from Gibraltar Podcast I catch up with Gibraltar based blogger and founding editor of parenting e-magazine Mum on the Rock, Polly Lavarello.

After moving to Gibraltar from the UK, Polly set up her blog Polly Mixtures and soon found herself climbing the UK parenting blog charts as she documented her experiences of having her first child. A problematic pregnancy meant Polly had to be hospitalised in Cadiz, miles away from friends and family.

After her blog took off, Polly decided to turn her attention to the wider parenting community in Gibraltar and created Mum on the Rock. Now into it’s second year, the online magazine is a valuable resource for parents in Gibraltar. It offers a ‘What’s On’ diary for family friendly groups and events along with features written by locally based parents and grandparents.

****To hear the podcast click here!****

You can also listen and subscribe to the Postcard from Gibraltar Podcast on iTunes. I would love it if you would also take the time to leave a review as that means more people will be able to find me in future. This Podcast is also available on the PodOmatic App for Android and iOS devices.

Useful links:

Mum on the Rock

Polly Mixtures

You can find Polly on Twitter as @Polly_Mixtures and on Instagram as @pollymixtures

PodOmatic
Theme music is Happy Me by Twisterium

School’s out for summer!

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My word, it’s been quite a week; 2 birthday celebrations, a graduation and a flight in sole charge of 3 children. There were several other events in between as well. I’m well and truly in need of a holiday!

End of term craziness means end of term gifts for my kids’ teachers and as usual it was a last minute affair. I’m very conscious that after 7 years of buying teachers gifts it’s a tough one to decide what to get. Do you follow the crowd with mugs and pens or take the easy option and buy chocolate? This year, despite just giving myself a day, I chose the homemade option. I settled on personalised book bags – every teacher needs book bags surely?

  

My first dabble into the world of handicrafts as a child was embroidery, so it was nice to be able to dig out my embroidery cottons and get some chain stitch going!

  

I used some cotton bags I had in my crafty store cupboard, added a charm square to each one from the ‘Lucy’s Crab Shack’ collection by Moda fabrics and finished by an initial, crocheted using the Moogly Blog Crochet Alphabet.

  
I’m quite proud I managed to complete 5 on the penultimate day of term! There was some pool-side embroidery undertaken. I just hope the teachers liked them!

That’s all for now, next time I’ll have a postcard from England for you…

Looking ahead

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In just five days time I’m going on holiday. I’m so excited to be heading back to England to see my family and friends back at ‘home’. However, I have such A LOT TO DO before then, and I don’t just mean packing! There’s Mr Postcard’s birthday, an early birthday party for Mini Postcard as his big day’s when we’re in England, a nursery graduation, beach days with school, pyjama day at school, a night out with Mr P and a sad goodbye to a friend, who’s leaving Gibraltar for good. Wow – that’s quite a busy schedule – not sure when I’ll find the time to get packed!!

  
Fortunately, before our hectic time ahead we’ve had a great few days here. There have been several trips to the community pool to cool down and even a trip to a water park over the border in Algeciras, what a treat that was for the kids. Not sure I’ll be hopping onto an oversized tyre and throwing myself down a curly wurly chute again in a hurry though! I still feel dizzy thinking about it!  

 
Several weeks ago Mini Postcard came home from his school nursery with a beanstalk in a plastic cup complete with a beautifully coloured giant’s castle. They have spent much of the term studying Nursery Rhymes. 

  
Over the ensuing weeks, he’s taken great care to keep it watered and it’s repaid his hard work with some flowers!

  
It’s now Mr Postcard’s job to keep it going while me & the kids are away in Blighty – no pressure then Daddy! Will we get a crop of giant’s beans do you think?

  
Last night we decided to head out for dinner as a family for a treat, as it’s our last Saturday night together for a few weeks. After our meal we took a scenic walk home through the Alameda Botanical Gardens, and stumbled upon the start of the Miss Gibraltar 2015 beauty pageant. The crowds were gathering in the Open air theatre waiting for the show to start. We tried to sneak a peak but just saw some oversized glitter balls! 

  
We watched most of the show when we got home on GBC TV, the local TV channel. The glitter balls revolved later on to reveal the contestants! The outgoing Miss Gibraltar 2014 was actually one of my children’s former teachers, so we had an interest in seeing who would replace her and compete for the Miss World title.

I have to say, prior to living here I had a rather low opinion of beauty pageants, but I fear I’ve been caught up in the excitement over the years. After all, shortly after we arrived, Kaiane Aldorino won the Miss World contest for Gibraltar. The excitement and pride in Gibraltar at the time was incredible. As the result was announced, fireworks went off, the nearby City Fire Station let off it’s sirens and car drivers hooted their horns into the small hours of the morning. It was a real coup for Gibraltar on the world stage and Kaiane was a great ambassador. Good luck to Hannah Bado, who won the Miss Gibraltar 2015 title last night.

  
Our walk home through the Alameda Gardens coincided with a beautiful sunset. 

Well, that’s all from me for now, I hope you’ve had a good weekend. A big thank you to those of you who have liked my posts and are following my blog, it’s lovely to know there’s someone out there actually reading my ramblings! Goodbye for now!