Back in the Steeplechase

With the demise of our PC last week we took the plunge and bought an imac that is most beautiful. I am glad we decided to make the change. However, it has meant some other major changes that have created some hurdles I need to find my way over. Whilst there is a Mac version of the Microsoft programs Word and Excel, there is not one for Publisher, the program I have always used. I've had to buy a Mac compatible desktop publishing program and having installed it I sat down for a play. Nothing is going to come easily to me with this one and I find I am quite overwhelmed by the task ahead of me. Having chosen the date for my book launch I now have a timeframe to work within and it's going to be tough.
Further to all that, I still have a lot of tidying up to do on the manuscript and I find myself avoiding it each day. This is just the usual 'fear' problem, and once I work out what I'm afraid of I can overcome that hurdle too.
So, it's going to be a steeplechase this week.

P.S. I haven't worked out how to add photos to my blog either!

Another thing ticked off the bucket list

We have just returned home form our annual holiday which was around the western district: Camperdown, Warrnambool, Portland, Mount Gambier, Penola, Hamilton, Ballarat - home. Naturally being winter it was very wet and extremely cold, but we did what we could between showers and managed to see most of what was on my list of things to do. It would be easiest to share a little at a time, so beginning with our first day:
We made it a slow start by arriving early at our accommodation, the beautiful Purrumbete Homestead. Purrumbete was settled by the Manifold family who were originally squatters in the district and became quite successful. The homestead was refurbished and brought into its current magnificent state in about 1901 (I think) and is an excellent example of the art nouveau style. Gorgeous. Every room is BIG. And the detail in the woodwork is a joy to see (and quilt designs in my head).
We spent our time there winding down in readiness for the rest of our holiday. I sewed hexagons while hubby read and we received superb attention form our host.

Learning to let the little bird fly

It's nearly a week since my baby girl hopped on a plane and headed for Germany. It was a very emotional time, having been sick with a cold, busy working the Craft Fair, doing talks and fitting in the 'paid' work I also do. So I suppose the emotions were everywhere. I didn't go to the airport, prefering to say goodbye and go to work just as we would on a normal day.
We had major communication difficulties during the first 24 hours, meaning we did not hear of her safe arrival as soon as expected. We still can't receive texts from her, but we have facebook and email working.
All is fine her end. She has had to deal with travel sickness, missing the tour and a booking not being made as she thought it was, but has come through with flying colours. And all this in a country that speaks another language. Thank heaven for those wonderful Germans who speak English - I applaud you. You make people feel welcome in your country.
The first couple of days my girl was away I felt sick in the stomach, constantly. Letting the baby bird fly from the nest is not as easy as I thought it would be, but I'm glad it has happened, because now she is soaring like an eagle. The world is her oyster (mine too, for that matter) and she is grabbing it with both hands.
I'm so proud.

Way too much going on in my life

Naturally I meant to blog immediately after the Craft Fair but I have to say, so much has happened I feel like I'm running but not going anywhere.

The radio interview was fine - there was plenty of room for improvement on my part. I didn't even mention the titles of my books! However, I did learn plenty about the process and what I will and won't do next time around.

The Craft Fair was fantastic. Again, I did have a down side, which was that I was very sick with a cold. It came on the first day, Thursday and on Friday the headache was quite bad. I did manage to see the doc and get antibiotics, because of course, I had ears and throat infections. I was so chilled to the bone it took me 5 hours with the heater on full, doors closed and a quilt over me before I warmed up.
Enough of that. The gals at Blue Willow Cottage looked after me very well and I met and spoke with so many people. I did my talk every day, mostly winging it, and felt quite happy with how it all went. I get very nervous about speaking to numbers of people. That's why I chose writing as a career and not public speaking. On the last day my husband taped my talk and looking at it later that night was extremely surreal. The way I appear on the video is not one bit like the way I feel on the inside. It's not how I see myself at all. But it must be how others see me. It's quite a strange feeling. The fair was great, and I wish I could have seen more of it for myself, but I concentrated on meeting my readers. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat with me, and those who purchased my books. Enjoy. Have fun. And don't forget to work on your bucket lists.
If anyone missed out you can email me direct to buy the books at rowekeys01@optusnet.com.au

This week we put our baby girl (age 20 mind you) onto a plane to Germany for a holiday. It is her first time overseas, and her first trip alone. She was met in Germany by a male friend (thankfully), but I was anxious about the flight with a stopover in Dubai for a change of plane. Her instructions were to text us as soon as she arrived so we knew she was there safely, but 24 hours more passed by before we knew anything, and that came via someone else. SO we are having problems with our phones receiving text from Germany and one phone company is blaming the other provider. Aaagh. We rang our daughter and spoke with her so know she's fine, but she was very sick on the flight over. Poor kid. It's hard being a mum. Now I know how my own mother felt when I went overseas on my own age 23 (a couple of years ago, lol).

So with all this happening and fitting in my paid work hours (as opposed to writing hours which are as yet quite unpaid) I received news this morning that an auntie is in palliative care.

So many emotions.

By the way, The Caroline Challenge Quilt was finished last week, and this week I have gone over it to make any alterations and corrections. Today I will send it to my friend for editing. Even that didn't go according to plan - the printer wouldn't do as commanded despite half and hour and several pieces of paper attempting to make it print on both sides. Technology! aaagh.

Gotta laugh.

Going on Radio!

Wow! This rollercoaster ride has some real hot spots. Last week I was interviewed by a lovely young journalist at the Leader newspaper and had my photograph taken for an article that will be in the paper coming out tomorrow. Yesterday I was contacted with a request to go on radio. How exciting ... and a little bit nerve-wrecking.

I will be on 3RRR, 107.2FM at 10:00 am Wednesday 21 July.

Speaking at Melbourne Craft Fair

I have been very fortunate to have two wonderful things happen to me: The lovely ladies, Chrissie and Rhonda at Blue Willow Cottage have again invited me to be a guest at their stall at the upcoming Craft Fair in Melbourne. Through these good ladies I have also been given a spot in the workshop programme to give a talk at 12:30 each day. I will be in Workshop 3, 12:30 pm each day Thursday to Sunday the 22-25 July, Craft Fair, Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Before and after my talk you can catch up with me at the Blue Willow Cottage stall, E35, where I will be doing book signings. You will be able to buy both The Maria Challenge Quilt and The Elizabeth Challenge Quilt, as I recently had both books reprinted. They sold out at the Quilt Convention in April! Wasn't that great! Thanks for everyone's support.
Now, time for me to go and do something with these buckets - they will be at my talk at the Craft Fair. See you there!

Do People Change?

Recently I have been confronted with the concept that 'people change'. It has had me thinking very deeply about whether or not I believe this statement. Initially my heart wanted to believe it is true, that people can and do actually change. Sometimes it is even possible to provide what appears to be evidence that change has occurred. In the end I came to a conclusion:
People do not change - but life provides experiences that reveal a person's essence.
The basic essence of a person doesn't change. What occurs is a layering of events as one travels through the multiple experiences of life and these experiences allow us to reveal our essence. For example, someone who survives a major traumatic event does so because they essentially have the ability to do so. They reveal to themselves and others the power to overcome, which was within them all the time, untested. What we see as positive events, like being shot to stardom as a singer, for example, will also reveal the essence of a person in how they handle the experience. The result will always come from whatever was within that person anyway.
So no, I don't believe people change. I believe what we are capable of will unravel naturally when faced with different experiences; that we can only react to things in ways that come from deep within us; that we can even surprise ourselves with the way we pull through a situation, calling on energy from deep within that we didn't know we had, until we were tested. This can be perceived as change, but it is not change, it is something that was there all the time and just needed the right 'experience' to bring it out. I don't believe people can do more than they are capable of doing, but most of us don't know the depth of that capacity.
But it's all semantics.

Weekend away

The view of the Otways from where we were staying

It's always nice to get away from the city for a break, even a short one. Three days in the Otways, even in winter, is a superb place to be. The weather was very cold, but I have to admit I did not go outside at all, preferring to stay indoors and sew, knit, read and eat. Bliss.
I wish I could show you the project I am working on but it is a surprise for the eventual recipient. It feels like I am carrying a lot of secrets this year - all nice ones though. I do like to make things for people and see the joy on their faces when they receive them. More bliss.
This week it's back to work and I am extremely busy now. Every day is full to the brim with something to do. Most important to me is my writing, which is going well enough at the moment. The third novel in the Australian Challenge Quilt Series is half way there.

Fear Passed

My recent fear of sitting down at the computer to write seems to have finally passed. Thankfully. Now I can move forward and complete the novella I am working on.

This tree is at Fernshaw, at the bottom of the Black Spur, where a pleasant barbeque area is located. The tree was planted in commemoration of a visit to Fernshaw by the Duchess of York on 15 May 1901 - we were there on 15 May 2010. Love serendipity.

Writer's fear

Writer's fear. What is it?
Lately I have had immense difficulty in making myself sit down at my computer to write. I will do anything to avoid it - clean the bathroom, clean the toilet, loads of washing, washing floors. Then there are the more damaging, less useful ways to avoid writing - play computer games, watch TV. I haven't even avoided my writing by sitting and sewing! There is a serious problem afoot!
In trying to work out what my problem is, I can only conclude that I am fearful this third book in the Australian Challenge Quilt Series will not be as good as the first two. I'm afraid I will let my readers down. Anything I do type I feel unhappy with.
So I asked my husband to read what I have written to date and give me an opinion. He said it was as good as everything else I have written. Why don't I believe him? How do I overcome this immense brick wall in front of me?
I should take a leaf from the gum tree I photographed at Marysville last weekend. Despite the raging firestorm of Black Saturday last year, and even though the outside of the trees are all charred black as night, the leaves are growing wherever they can, strong and green. I need to be like the burned trees, and the people of Marysville - fight back with confidence and cheerfulness; keep on going and in the end I will succeed.

AQC at Royal Exhibition Building

I spent three days at the Australasian Quilt Convention at the Royal Exhibition Buildings in Melbourne and met lots of wonderful women who came to talk to me and buy my books.

It was an honour to sign everyone's copies and I do hope they enjoy the stories I tell. There was no point in me attending the convention on Sunday - I sold out of books!

Thanks to everyone for their support. And a big thank you to all the gorgeous ladies from Blue Willow Cottage who looked after me.

Isn't the Exhibition Building beautiful? I think they have done a wonderful job of doing it up and it is one of Melbourne's jewels.

Day at the Convention in Melbourne

It's a happy kind of tired I feel as I sit to write this. I've had one of those days indulging in the pleasure of the quilters' world and it fills my heart. Coming home, it is difficult to concentrate on driving when my head is spinning with a multitude of possibilities - that quilt kit I'd like to buy; that book I'd like to purchase; those threads all displayed in wonderful rainbows of colour that draw you in. Isn't the Convention just SO inspiring?
Speaking of inspiring - I spoke with Jinny Beyer today. I am sitting at the Blue Willow Cottage stand (194), directly opposite Mrs Sampsons Drapery where Jinny is busy talking to people about her fabrics and her new book. I decided to give her a copy of each of my novels, The Maria Challenge Quilt and The Elizabeth Challenge Quilt, as a way of thanking her for being inspiring and taking the time to come out to Australia and share her knowledge with us. I'll tell you a secret: one of the reasons I've chosen to be an author is because I am pretty good with the written word ... and hopeless when it comes to speaking. I think I blurted out something barely intelligible to Jinny before scurrying away. This is called "stepping way out of one's comfort zone." I know she's a regular person like you or me, but speaking to someone you admire, and who is well known, is not so easy for me.
So to all those wonderful people who talked with me today about my Aussie patchwork novels, thanks for taking the time and making me feel good. I hope you enjoy your books and look forward to catching up with you again some time.
Meanwhile, I'm back into the Exhibition Building tomorrow (May-day).

P.S. My daughter has just walked in the door with some lovely news. She works at Angus and Robertson and reports that a customer came to the store in a state of excitement about The Maria Challenge Quilt and was desperate to buy the second novel, The Elizabeth Challenge Quilt. She said she couldn't put the first one down and even though she hadn't quite finished it, she needed the sequel immediately, and had to know when the third one was coming out. Wow! That makes me feel fantastic. Thank you.

Korowa Quilt

Way back last October I told you all about a new project I was working on for the 120th birthday celebrations of my old school and felt it was about time you got to see the finished result. This quilt is a replica of a large mural we painted on the wall of our common roomm but which was pulled down only a few years later when the school expanded.

The project proved to be one of those where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and I subsequently spent a solid two weeks trying to finish it in time. I had trouble printing on the fabric (headmistresses photos in the stars; Korowa crest on the sun; 120 memories of my time at Korowa on the orange strip of land). The fabric kept catching in the printer, messing up several pieces. However, as each problem presented myself I simply had to work through it and resolve it. The quilt is certainly not perfect, but it's done. I hope you like it. It's different.

Don't forget I will be doing book signings at the Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne for the next three days. Find me at Blue Willow Cottage, stand 194. See you there!

Book Signing at Australasian Quilt Convention

I will be attending the Australasian Quilt Convention for three days to do book signings, and am really looking forward to the whole event. You will find me at the Blue Willow Cottage (stand 194) with Crissie and Rhonda. Hope to see you there.

Book Signing at Angus and Robertson

I will be doing a book signing at Angus and Robertson, Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre, Canterbury Road, Forest Hill VIC, this Saturday 27th March 2010 from 11:30 am until 1:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to come and chat with me about my novels. The store is having a children's day as well, so there will be entertainment for the kids.
See you there.

Manuscript Rejected

Prattle House 1415 was rejected by Harper Collins. However, the rejection letter was an extremely good one in that they told me why they felt it was not suitable. Now I have the option of taking that information on board and changing it.
I always need some time to sulk when I receive a rejection. That has been done now, and put in the past. The important task ahead is to decide what my next proactive step will be. I always find it difficult for a while, because there are so few publishers to approach. All the best publishers are either not taking manuscripts at this time, only accepting manuscripts through agents, or I have already been rejected by them. This then leaves the not so good publishers to approach, and I have approached some of those too. Finally there are tiny publishers that have little clout in the competitive world of book selling - do I really want to go that route? Probably not.
I have an idea but I will have to step a mile out of my comfort zone and do something dramatic!

My Book at Angus and Robertson!

I am extremely happy. My first experience of having my book in a real book shop - here is a photo of The Maria Challenge Quilt on the same shelf as Philippa Gregory. It is the Staff Recommends section at Angus and Robertson, Forest Hill, VIC. I'm stoked!

Book Signing at Quilters Bazaar

My, the days and weeks fly so quickly. There is so much to do - I need to slow down to enjoy it all more. It's just that I'm frightened I might miss something!

Sunday 7 February I went to Quilters Bazaar in Gisborne to help them celebrate their 1st birthday, which owners, Jim and Lorraine did with great style - and plenty of fantastic bargains for their shoppers. The shop is full of candy for quilters, with many different styles of fabric to appeal to all tastes and beautiful displays to catch the eye. They looked after me very well indeed, and I had my own spot near the front door where I was able to meet and talk with people, some who had already read my books, others who were learning about them for the first time. It's really nice to be able to chat with other quiltmakers and share ideas - I took quite a few ideas home myself.

Many thanks to Jim and Lorraine for looking after me and giving me the opportunity to share their birthday celebrations and meet lots of new people.

And as a post script, it was also the anniversay of Black Saturday which did not go unthought of in my mind.

No picture today. I've popped into bloggers' world to let you know I will be at Quilters Bazaar at Shop 5, 50 Aitken Street, Gisborne Victoria this coming Sunday, 7 February 2010 from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon for a book signing. I will take both my Maria and Elizabeth challenge quilts to display, and for those purchasing the books on the day you will receive a special Glenvale Patchwork and Quilting Guild instruction sheet for the Elizabeth Challenge.
For more info check out the shop's website at http://www.quiltersbazaar.com.au/
Hope to see you there.

The applique quilt

I'm back after quite a break beause I have not been particularly well, ever since I had blood poisoning last November - things went downhill from there. But now I feel better, and rattle like a pill bottle (is that supposed to be a sign that I'm okay?). It has been all I could do to get the basics done. Now it is a new year with new plans and new hopes, plus a lot of old ones still in the dream mixer. I keep adding things to my bucket list. How is your bucket list coming along?

I thought today I would share with you the photo of the completed applique quilt top that I teased you with so long ago. This was a secret project at that time, being a gift for a friend's 50th birthday. Now she has been presented with it I can reveal it to you. The quilt was made by 4 of us who patchwork together and is currently being quilted by the 5th person in the group. As the birthday girl was originally from South Africa, where so many flowers are quite similar to Australian natives, and as she is now very much an Aussie, we decided Australian native flowers would be the best choice. I designed the quilt and each of us completed one strip. The centre strip is actually narrower now, and will be filled with quilted gum leaves and gumnuts. The outsde strips of foundation pieced blocks represent waratahs. The brthday girl was very surprised, and very happy with her new quilt.