Ready , Set, Go !

Today I am heading off to AQM (Australian Quilt market) to set up. This is my last crafty commitment for the year and I am looking forward to getting into the sewing room over the next few weeks for some serious sewing time. I have so many almost finished, half-started, ready to try projects that I seem to be in a state of constant distraction.

An email question yesterday reminded me that I may have forgotten to mention that Elsie Cabbage is ready !  Arthur got held up but is a Bee’s whisker from completion…

Sometimes I mention things on Bookface and tick it off in my brain and forget that I have not mentioned it here or vice versa.

My newest Creative Card (how I love making these cute but useless things) is also ready, and is called Owl Post . This guy is about 4 inches high. His post bag will hold a teeny felt letter that you can embroider, or you could just write a little note on regular paper and pop it into his bag.

Let me know who you would be writing a note to, and what it would say and I’ll pick a winner and send out a few creative cards next week.

(half way through the library move, my note might just be to my boss and trust me , there would only be two words)

Warracknabeal, the low-down

If you are playing along at home, you will know that Leanne Beasley, Rosalie Quinlan and I headed off up to Warracknabeal on Friday. Leanne picked me up just after a little misread-the VCE-Exam-timetable drama (that's another story) and we jumped in the car and chatted ourselves to Warracknabeal.

(Rosie, me, Leanne)

I was lucky enough to be invited by Del and Shirley of Quilters Harvest to be a part of the their Christmas Spirit retreat . I’m not sure where to start…with the hospitality? Dinner at Del’s with all the gang and a tour of the most exciting shed I have ever seen. (You know I realised that even if I know nothing about another person’s topic of passion- just the fact that they are so passionate about it carries me along with them). There are more photos on Bookface if you want to go and like the Quilters Harvest page.

Leanne’s work

The retreat itself was wonderful-Absolutely the BEST bunch of people in attendance ever, there were young women, mature women and vintage women, there were mums of little babies, big kids, and fur babies,  aunts and grannies and nanas, teachers, farmers, nurses, carers, shop owners. I talked a blue streak and laughed and apologised for the odd naughty word. I demonstrated the rag rug and heard the most amazing wonderful varied stories from a room full of new friends. I have made plans to catch up with as many of the Ballarat Visitors as possible.

Rosie’s work

It really was just so much fun. people came from all around and some women travelled a really long way to join us. There were door prizes and beautifully decorated tables, and goody bags

Thanks Shirley and Del, (and Rosie and Leanne) for one of the best weekends I have had in ages.

It was a wonderful weekend to be part of.

I hoped I could write this blog post

But you know that feeling, when you really want something you can convince yourself it won’t happen, or you are not good enough or it is all too hard and you should never have even hoped…

This morning over my Saturday bacon and eggs, I received an email from the International Quilt committee, telling me that my application has been successful and in May next year I will be attending Spring Quilt Market in Portland Oregon – like in a ‘whole nuther country’ people !!!!!!!

I just had to tell you , and now I need to take a few deep breaths…..

Perspective

 

Next weekend  I am off to Warracknabeal for a weekend of stitching with Leanne and Rosalie and the girls from Quilters Harvest.

The weekend after that I will be attending AQM with the whole gang from creative Abundance….

and sneaking in between now and then I (and helpers)  will be moving the whole school library into a new building. Shelves have to be emptied and dismantled, carried and reassembled. The room that is become the library office needs to be cleaned out and filled with my officey stuff.

Everything needs to be moved and dusted and reordered (in correct DDC please) and assembled and looking beautiful by the time the Grade twos have their school sleepover.

From go to whoa, we have eight working days…..and about thirteen thousand books. I have written emails and drawn up timetables and spoken to the stakeholders and entered everything in triplicate. I expect it to go off without a hitch.

I guess you can assume that skills and talents I use in my workplace don’t tend to come home with me.

PSST

They’re telling secrets.