Christmas Cheers!

Well what a year 2008 has been. For my family and I it has been quite a ride.

2009 brings new adventures and opportunities. I have new classes planned for next year starting with "Arty Farty Sunflowers with Vincent Van Godden"..( do you know her?) which is scheduled in for 1st term at Hobbysew Belconnen. The class combines painting a background, raw edge applique, free motion stitching and some embellishment and then a bit more painting....is a lot of fun with surprising result.

 2nd term includes adventures to Coffs Harbour where I have been invited back to "Be Creative by the Sea"...such a lovely venue and an amazing line up of tutors to select from. I have a new class called "Walk on the Wild Side" for students that have been Liberated from the Ditch and want to explore more possibilities of free-motion freedom. I am looking forward to catching up with some students from last year...it really is a great way to meet like minded woman and have an exhaustingly fun week....and guess who is coming with me ...my dear mum to join in the fun! Talking of mum, my daughter is making a quilt for Gran for Christmas (with a little help) so we better get it finished as its now 9 am  Christmas Eve. I do love a good deadline. As my Chicago Quilting Sister tells me, just like the warning written on the side mirror of a car, "Deadlines may be closer than they appear!" So whilst the wise words are being handed out...here is mine for a quilty Christmas.....Capture IT!

What does that mean? Capture any inspiration, any image, any idea. It can be quite frustrating or distracting when you are doing the family quality time and cooking and shopping and paying bills and not getting into the studio....if your muse strikes, you have to capture the moment....write down the thoughts, photo the scene with your phone, rip out the page from the doctor surgery magazine (yes that's me) write down the words that won't leave your head, jot down those song lyricks that keep spinning around....write the emotions you feel, write down the colours it inspires.....whenever the muse strikes you have to capture it for later reference, cause in amongst the bill paying and shopping and dealing with the dog...you can forget the feeling, the image, the colours. Then when you do have that day of relief, when you can escape the relatives for 3 hours in your sewing room.....you have the input right there ready to ignite the idea into action again. So my advice is to Capture IT!

So ask Santa for a journal for 2009 so you can capture those muse no matter what time they drop in.

 Cheers to all and have a safe relaxing Christmas with family and friends and I will see you back in the sewing room in 2009!