Today is Australia’s national holiday, so we hope all our friends there have a chance to catch up on their sewing between the surf, barbeques, lamingtons, and other traditional Aussie pastimes. This is very similar to the 4th of July or Independence Day celebrations in the USA. It’s mid-summer in Australia and it’s suddenly very hot according to my friends there, so the beach is sounding pretty good.
Australia Day commemorates the anniversary of the First Fleet of British Ships arriving at Port Jackson in Sydney way back in 1788. Since then, Australia has grown and developed into one of the most modern, peaceful, and welcoming societies anywhere.
You may not know it, but Australia is one of our largest communities of readers. With well over 31,000 active users per month in the country, Australia is our fourth largest market after only the US, UK and Canada.
Something You May Not Know
Although I currently live in Chile and I grew up in Panama, I have had the pleasure and the privilege to call Australia home for over 20 years. My husband and I moved to Melbourne and then to Sydney, Australia in 1996 and I became an Australian citizen in 2000. Both my children were born in Sydney in 1999 and 2001 so it's fair to say Australia and Sydney hold a place near and dear to my heart.
So to all my fellow Australians, I wish you a Happy Australia Day!
I have to admit the sparkling blue water and the blue skies still make my heart happy every time I land in Sydney. I will not bore you with the many times we have moved in and out of Australia over the years (many…), but today at least we still hold a small foothold in the Hunter Valley in the small town of Dungog in the state of New South Wales and about three hours north of Sydney.
It's been pretty hard to travel to Australia over the last year do to the pandemic travel restrictions but I really hope to be able to go back soon to visit.
Announcing The Upcoming Australiana Series
Consider this one of my first New Year's resolutions. I am going to talk about me a bit more in my articles and about the readers a lot more too. I am one of those people that love what they do. I love to meet anyone and everything that has to do with creating, drawing, textiles, traveling and of course SEWING!
I've been collecting a lot of new and interesting content from my many past visits to Australia and I'm planning to publish these in a series of posts about the wonderful sewing and crafting communities in Australia, particularly in the small towns. There will be articles on quilting, felting, fabric dying, and interviews with local textile artists. I hope you'll find it interesting so stay tuned!
Thank you from Queensland, Australia and from one “Aussie” to another. Your ideas and patterns are great .
Thank you, Margaret, Hope to meet you one day.
I enjoyed the history. Thanks for sharing.
My Pleasure, Emma!
Hello there, I’m not in sunny Australia or snowy Canada but in wet and cold Northern France. Thank you Mayra for all the nice patterns you post on this website! Even though I don’t have much time for sewing during term time, I try my hands at some of your patterns during the school holidays. You’ve helped me along greatly as I started sewing a few years ago….
Hi Laura, your comment made my day, thank you. Northern France, although rainy holds such history. I was in Calais a long time ago to visit one of the oldest lace factories in the world I have forgotten the name, I have a diary written about this and will look for it to write an article. Indeed the region has a great legacy on needlework perhaps the weather had a lot to do with it. What do you think?
Hallo there.
Happy Australia Day
About the Lamingtons. I live in South Africa and Lamingtons are a favorite.
We dip the small sponge cake squares in a thin chocolate sauce and then roll it in coconut.
Yummy!
It does sound yummy, I will try!
Happy Australia day from the near of Hamburg, Germany
I love reading your articles. I am also from PTY, but have been living in many places too. Currently, I am in the US. I don’t remember how did I find your site, but I look forward every Sunday to read the newsletter. I have done some of the projects you published and have learned a lot of techniques with you. Keep the good work.
Thank you for this article, I for one will be looking forward to more posts regarding Australian crafting of all kinds. I also get to celebrate Australia Day as well as your 4th of July albeit slightly different, as 4th July is my Birthday. I’m so glad you, as our adopted Aussie still clearly appreciate our celebrations & traditions as well as our beautiful country with all it has to offer. Cheers P.
Hello from Snowy Canada! This looks exciting! I look forward to all the posts from So Sew Easy…..Question…What is a Lamington?
Hi Sharon, a Lamington is a kind of sponge cake with coconut that was invented in Queensland, Australia. I’m not sure they’re really available anywhere outside Australia but you should really give them a try sometime!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamington
Hi. are you writing as Mayra or Debbie? there was no ID in your post. Who ever you are, I am so pleased you have lived in our beautiful Australia !!! Thank you for writing about you, I was very interested and it certainly strengthens the ties between us Aussies and you !
Hi Roz, it’s Mayra writing. Thanks for your comment and support for Australia!