Layered memories of summer..

As today is the last day of September, it feels like it is time for another blog post and I also realised that I wrote my first blog post about my journey as a full-time artist exactly a year ago today, so it feels even more appropriate to spend my time writing and looking back on the summer this afternoon.

I have enjoyed this “new” writing challenge even though I have not managed to keep up with my promise of writing monthly posts. However, it often helps me to appreciate everything I have done since the last post. I probably set too unrealistic goals to write monthly, but I suppose I should choose quality over quantity, so I will write when the feeling is right from now on!

My daughters listening to the concert in the Tallinn Song Festival ground.

So, it was my first spring and summer since quitting my teaching job and it was definitely not as relaxing as I thought it would be.

Spring came with busy lambing time and it feels like it never calmed down, so summer felt even more hectic somehow..

In July, it was the biggest national "party" here in Estonia, with our Singing and Dancing Festival taking place in Tallinn.

We visited the opening concert along with almost 60,000 people and with plenty of rain..

More than 32,000 people were singing together our national songs despite being wet and cold.

But still, it is one of these moments which stays with you for a very long time or until the next festival.

So, the hectic summer continued on many fronts. The children were at home, the garden and polytunnels were blooming and needed lots of attention..

In July, we opened our little self-service farm shop, and my creative practice took a back seat for most of the summer.

We are selling our free-range pastured chickens` eggs, some seasonal vegetables and also some little gift ideas for the local customers, who have shown us so much support over these last months.

It feels great to be more involved in the local community and we are truly grateful for every visitor!

We have already found plenty of new ideas to try out next summer!

Some of my smaller products can be found in our little shop now.

We also had some group visits and open days here and that always takes up time to set up and prepare. As our life here is very seasonal, I do feel overwhelmed from time to time with so many different responsibilities and it is so important to slow down, take a break and take time for yourself and appreciate little everyday moments.  Always worth reminding myself that this time, where everything is growing, thriving and blooming, is so short and worth enjoying and cherishing. 

A moment in our polytunnel this summer.

Despite the crazy summer, we did manage to go for a few hikes with the kids and we did a sailing trip to a very interesting Estonian island - Kihnu, with my father being the captain! This was one of my highlights this summer, as Kihnu is famous for its unique cultural heritage and especially for its craftsmanship and textile skills carried on by the local women. The island is small enough to bike around in a few hours and the local museum is a must-visit place to visit.

Kihnu Museum is the forefront of the local cultural heritage.

Kihnu is also recognised by UNESCO for its intangible heritage. If you are ever visiting Estonia, it is truly one of the most interesting places to visit! 

Kihnu women are famous of wearing their traditional "triibuseelikud" even nowadays.

My second highlight was attending the Forssa Textile Week in Finland at the end of August. It’s a textile festival focused on high-quality design, sustainable production, and textile art and this year their focus was on the Baltic States countries. I was honoured to make a presentation about the sustainable values in my creative practice, where I talked about the importance of the materials I work with and the traditions I try to carry on with my work. 

Forssa has its rich textile history, having one of the first industrial spinning, weaving mills and printing factories in Finland. 

The town was full of exhibitions, artist talks, and pop-up shops; the creative energy was everywhere!

It was a really nice experience to visit Forssa and its textile museums during this time and it was a nice end to the summer. 

The Forssa Pattern Museum holds many colourful printed memories together.

September moment in our garden.

And just like that, summer was gone and autumn brought even more mixed emotions.

Part of me did not want to spend any more time outside in the garden and I could not wait to get back to my studio, but another part of me is already missing the time when everything is so green and alive around me..

Our oldest daughter also started her studies further away from home and we are still getting used to not having her at home during the school weeks.

But I suppose, this is part of life and children need to spread their wings and follow their dreams, don't they.. 

The first frosts are here and everything is falling into winter sleep slowly..

Finally, I do have more time for my creative practice and my calendar is full of plans until the end of the year! I am about to launch a new course, and I have a few exhibition works to create, as well as workshops to plan.

One of the first frosty mornings..

I am very grateful for my students who are taking my “Textures & Surfaces” online course and my new course is based on the same course, but the different format offers more guidance and support in general.

So, my new course “The Art of Felting - design & make a wall hanging” is a 6-week guided course, which helps you through the journey of making a wall hanging with weekly instructions and tasks. This is not a sample making course, every participant will design their own wall hanging, felt it, finish it and install it - all in 6 weeks! 

New online course opens its door very soon!

So, if you are interested in learning new design skills, felting techniques and generally everything about turning your craft skills into artwork, this course is for you. You will find more information on my website. We start on the 20th of October, and the doors will be open soon. Stay tuned!

Now I have to return to my course preparations, so until next time,

Reena

30.09.2025