Thank goodness for Quilting

Hi Everyone,

It seems like such a long time since I have sat here at the computer and done my blog and Newsletter.

I have been away for quite a while up in Northern New South Wales with my sister Chris. I was with her when she passed away from this world into the next, in November, aged only 58 years. She died from lung cancer and it is just the most terrible way to die.

I feel that my world will never be the same without her in it and my heart goes out to Shane and Tim; Chris’s husband and 17 year old son. Thank you to my wonderful friends and family everywhere who have given me the most heartfelt support.

But life goes on. The sun will surely rise tomorrow and we left to grieve must, in some way, take care of ourselves and nurture each other when and where we can, so that we can survive this.

Thank goodness for quilting. I had never entered any of my quilts in an exhibition before this November. We had our biennial 3 day quilt show in Geelong in November. It is an exhibition of work of the Geelong Patchwork and Quilters Guild members. I put 3 quilts in and a small quilt in the challenge.

I won equal 3rd place in the challenge, Best of Show, Viewers Choice 1st and Viewers Choice 2nd. I am still in shock about this.

It just demonstrates how, during life, we can experience the most exhilarating highs and the most soul crunching lows in a very short space of time. I find it difficult to explain how one can feel shattered and heart broken whilst on cloud 9. But that is surely how I have felt for a while.

I have a small wall hanging pattern and profile in the January edition of Homespun magazine which has been something to look forward to. I have just completed another quilt to go into another fabulous Australian quilting magazine next year. But I will tell you more about that when it happens. It really is very exciting.

I hope you are all enjoying your quilting and/or other hobbies. I hope, too, that your Christmas is full of good news, good health, good friends and family. I wish you all the very best for the New year and, God willing, I will be back here in 2010.

Happy quilting,

Robyn