After the review, the good resolutions for 2026; it's a must, right?

As you may have read, 2025 was rock and roll and I aspire to a bit more calm in 2026... even if I think you are starting to know me, and you know we won't just sit on our laurels 🤣!

Nevertheless, 4 major resolutions clearly stand out and those we will definitely stick to!

Let's go! 

1. Stabilize and empower our new team

In 2025, we hired 6 people! It's crazy!

It's a real challenge when in 2024, there were still only three of us: Céline, Marie-Hélène and me in the store with Gaëtan providing administrative support behind the scenes. 

In 2025, in view of the opening of a second store, we hired: 
- Vanessa in January with the aim of having an experienced person who could help us set up a second space (currently absent) 

and then when we had confirmation of the opening of Woluwe: 
- Ségolène in September (sewing, pattern making and sales teacher)
- Noémie in September (sewing and sales teacher)
- Céline De. in October (sewing and sales teacher)
- Justine in November (sewing and sales teacher / replaces Vanessa for classes)
- and Rose in October who took over Vanessa's hours to help me in the store. 

By the way, you can find some of the team portraits here.

In 2026, my role and objectives are to stabilize our new team; and above all to help it grow. A major goal for me is to work on delegation and empower our new recruits for routine tasks. 

The life of a workshop and a store is dotted with repetitive tasks (as in any profession) and I want the team to be able to manage them without my own intervention. The goal is also for me to be freed from these daily tasks to focus on the "manager" and development tasks. 

For that, of course, you have to train, explain, but also evaluate, correct... I can no longer just say and Céline and Marie do... Today, we are 8 working on two sites and that requires team coordination, finely tuned schedules, structured class planning... I who had thrown my team leader hat to the wind; I had to go get it back... obviously it stings a bit but I'm getting back to it 🤣!

By the way, Gaëtan and I are currently doing the 3-month evaluations of our new... 

We evaluate:

- their technical and pedagogical skills to give classes,
- their advisory skills in the shop, 

- integration into the team and their motivation / commitment to projects

- ease of work (speed of execution of simple tasks, understanding priorities...) 

- knowing how to be with customers and students with respect for everyone. 

In the 2026 resolutions plan, we have also decided to hold a team meeting every 6 weeks or so to share crucial information and coordinate as best as possible.
These moments are also important for Gaëtan and me because we like to exchange, share around a nice team meal... we want everyone to feel good and find their place within "our little family". 

We are demanding for the good of the company but that does not mean we cannot work while having fun! Marie would not say otherwise especially during our photo sessions! 

These moments of sharing are also an opportunity to celebrate birthdays together and this January it is Gaëtan (the 2nd) and Noémie (the 9th) who will be honored 😊. 

2. Expand the offer of wools and the ranges of available products 

 Bigger space means more room!

I who complained about the space in the Ixelles store and was looking for room, I am served with our second store, we will be able to increase the offer.  

We are very proud to be able to offer you since the end of 2025 the products from the Fonty spinning mill and our goal is to offer you even more yarns during the year 2026. It is clear that for the wool it will be for the winter 2026 collection even if the summer will hold some surprises for you 😉 in terms of yarns but hush... it's still a surprise because I am still working on the summer collection! 

We will also strengthen our ties with Japan and our current and future partners because I already have prospects for 2026... both in threads and fabrics! 

On the fabric side, don't worry we are working to offer you a constantly renewed range with original, quality fabrics, as natural as possible while keeping in mind an excellent quality/price ratio. We will continue to choose different fabrics for Ixelles and Woluwe so that you have as much diversity as possible even if the basics will be available in both stores.

Finally, on the embroidery side, I will continue to look for partners to offer you new things both in sashiko and in classic embroidery. 

Note that I link this here with resolution 1 because to find new suppliers, go to trade shows, travel to see producers... I need both shops and workshops to run without me; at least with some autonomy for a few days or even weeks... so girls, I'm counting on you!

3. Propose new course themes

New recruits mean new ideas even though frankly I don't lack any! 

We have plenty of ideas for summer and for winter 2026! 

Note that the course schedule is already made until mid-April so don't hesitate to take a look now and to suggest the course themes you would like to see on the agenda. 

I want to thank Marie who has developed plenty of new knitting courses for the beginning of 2026... and you know knitting takes time! So if you want to manage increases and decreases like a pro in circular knitting, the new course will please you! 
We still have plenty of ideas for knitting but a little patience! 

Céline has also worked hard and we are offering you introductions to Tunisian crochet 😊 and there will be other crochet themes coming... stay tuned! 

Finally, when it comes to sewing, ideas are not lacking and our first team meeting of this year will be dedicated to preparing the summer themes. 

Ségolène, Noémie and Céline have already shared quite a few ideas with me... we're excited! 

4. Taking care of oneself and others: finding balance

Clearly in 2025, I drew from my reserves and my batteries need recharging... let’s not kid ourselves!

The opening of the new store, managing Vanessa’s absence, recruitments, reorganizing the management of schedules and class timetables (we had to create a software tool for that; thanks again Gaëtan!)... have cost me a few new white hairs 😂! 

First goal to recharge my batteries and this is reserved: I will go to Japan this year and it will do me good to reconnect with my country of heart ❤️. Landing in Japan is like coming home for me and leaving it makes me sadder each time... of course we will see our suppliers but it’s a different pace and I love that!

Gaëtan and I will also take more time off in 2026 (at the same time, that one won’t be hard to achieve because in 2025, we didn’t take any real vacations). 

Secondly, resolution 1 has to work because I cannot start 2026 thinking I will continue to work more than 65 hours a week... that's not good for me, nor for the team, nor for you! 

But that's not all because I want C'est du Joly to keep its family values: "we work hard but we have fun!" Everyone will have to adjust, find their balance, and I know we will succeed! 
One thing is certain: I must delegate of course but also plan further ahead whether it's the editorial line, communication,... I have to look at the schedule over several months... not easy for me as a resolution but I know it will save me time so I will get started! 
I have somehow become the control tower of C'est du Joly and I think I will do that well. 

For 2026, I also have the goal to sew for myself and others, embroider, and learn many other techniques. 

I will continue to devour books, listen to music, but I will add spending more time with Gaëtan, discovering new restaurants, sharing great moments with friends, going to the cinema or theater, and tidying up 😂 my apartment... putting order in your life and belongings, that's quite a program! 

And you, have you made any resolutions this year?

I find that it feels good to write them...

So this week, get your pens ready to write a new chapter!