Annies Crazy World

 
 
 
  • About

    This is Annie Whitsed's Crazy World a world where I stitch the joys and chaos of life into beautifull crazy quilts. email annie@loopylace.com
May 2004
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Taking Stock May 31st, 2004

This morning I was shaking with excitment when I woke up and realized that it is only 1 sleep to departure day….Still working from lists, In the last few days I have done all I need to for the Retreat and the exhibition rosters and handed over the books to those that are going to keep them while I am gone. I have piles around the room of the things to be packed to be booked through and things to carry on….

the last few days have been full on, alternating (or doing things a few at a time) between doing the things that I have got to do , packing and having a good time as friends have visited or phoned to whish me well…I have assured them all that a great time is garanteed….Off now to pack the cloths

My New Sewing Machine May 23rd, 2004

Yesterday I went to Sydney to attend the Singer dealers conference dinner, where I was sat at a VIP table and after a lovely dinner, presentations, awards, talks and entertainment, I was presented with My new Singer Quantum 9940 sewing Machine, my prize for winning the nostalgic block competition.

My New Sewing Machine

The machine has a silver front and looks really space age. I haven’t had much time to test it but I do love that it threads its own needle…lol

I was recruited to be corner for Jan T’s presentation.

Being a corner

It was great to see my quilt again although I must say that it looked much, much Smaller hung in the motel ballroom than it did when it was hung in my studio.

With my Winning Quilt

It was a late night but we only had to go upstairs to find our beds….And this morning Jan T and I where first down to breakfast…I have never before in my life been First to breakfast…..

Before leaving to catch my train home I got to sit in on a tour of Singers New Release under $2,000 embroidery/sewing machine,,,,,Possabilities for CQ…..And I have organized for Jan T. to demonstrate the embroidery machine at the first National Crazy Quilt Retreat In October. Below is the Quilt that Jan made from the nostalgic blocks.

Singer Fan made by Jan

And I was saved from the train when the Canberra singer dealer offered me a ride home. Now home safe, tired and excited with my head whirling with sewing machines, quilts, retreats and all the wonders that await me in England…DD trying to bring my attention back to the real world of blocked toilets (why tonight?), shopping and food told me that I was a Funny Girl….I don’t know about that but I am definitely a girl having FUN.

Working from lists May 21st, 2004

In order to get everything done I have been working from lists, it is the only way to be sure of remembering to do everything.

List

Thus Far I seem to be going quite well to the point that I am getting a few extra things done like, last night and this afternoon I have got the embroidery done on a very long overdue RR, the delay wasn’t because I havn’t had time but because I have been low on Creativity and this piece was a particular challenge colour wise, it is green, gold, orange and purple…green and orange my least favourite colours but now that I have so much to look forward to my brain is stimulated and my creativity is coming back, I did have to scratch to find enough threads of suitable colours but was able to decide on what stitches to do and like how they turned out.

On a block for Adrienne

I did the hearts below and the stitch to the right of the butterfly both from Carol Samples stitch book and I did the wheat stitch above the butterfly…and then I added the shi shas.

It is Nice to have friends May 19th, 2004

It is nice to have friends that encourage you and give you a nudge when you need it…Tonight my dear friend told me that it was time to start my blog, now when I can learn how it works and get in the swing of writing Before I travel to England on the Ist of June…Thank you Sharon…I have Started.

For the last 25 years I have been Mum to my 2 children, carer for my disabled daughter and for 24 of those years I have also been a Quilter…they have been long hard years, years when I was often heard to say ‘that being a crazy quilter saved my sanity’ somehow sitting stitching balanced the chaos and termoil that surrounded me. You can see some of my sanity saving quilts on my website ….Those years are a story unto themselves, I do mention them here because they are what has made me who I am, have strengthened me as a person and are the backgound that makes this year so very Wonderful.

This year began with a quilting Frenzie, at the end of November I designed and started making a quilt for the Singer sewing machines Nostolgic Blocks Contest and the quilt, which I called Another World, it was very exciting to make and took over My life until I finished it on the first of Febuary (one of the few times in my life that I have finished anything well ahead of deadline)

In the meantime, just to set the seen, my car was run into on new years eve, a friend had it while I was out of town, the driver that hit him took off leaving my car a right off….and my computer went on the blink, an intermitant fault so sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t, very frustrating but I persisted with it until some weeks later it just stopped working forever, fortunatly I had recent backups so did not lose to much stuff and kind friend set me up with a new computer system…whilst without car or computer I was starting to feel bitter and twisted but I heard on the radio that optamists live an average 7 1/2 years longer than pesamists, So I have to remain an optamist…also found it interesting to realize that I can live without a car easier than I can live without a computer…

On Tuesday 13 April I had a visit from a friend who I have known since college Days, He has been working in England for the last 3 years and is here for a holiday before going back….He knows the family history and I was telling him my tail of woe, no car, no computer when he said to me that I need a holiday why don’t I go and visit him in England for the summer…yea I said, In my dreams, it costs money…Not a problem he says….whilst I sat there assimilating that he was offering me a trip to England and picking my jaw up of the ground, my sister was sitting on the other side of the table telling me to say yes but could I get away, there is DD to think of and I am coordinator of the canberra quilters Exhibition roster and coordinator for a crazy quilt retreat in October, and, and…my sister tells me to Just say Yes…at which point I came to my sences and said YES PLEASE…I now have a passport and a ticket and I am going to England on the 1st July for 8 whole weeks….A DREAM come true, I am so EXCITED and did I tell you that it is Nice to have friends…

…As it turns out my buts took care of themselves…regarding DD I had already realized that she was ready for the next stage of her development and had recently contacted ACT Therapy to find out what supported independant living may be available to her, they are going to supply a support worker for her and it will be a good chance to do an independant assessment of her capabilities…as for the roster I will be back in time to do the final allocations and I found a willing volunteer to be enquries contact and do the stuff that needs doing while I am away….likewise for the retreat, friends have volunteered to cover for me while I am away and with such wonderful backup I have been able to get everything very up to date and organized so that it will run smoothly, it is amazing what can be achieved when the incentive is great enough….

…And if life wasn’t good enough, 3 days later on Friday 16 April, I got the news that Another World had won the Singer quilt Competition…Another DREAM come true and if I wasn’t already on cload nine, I am now….

And that is life in Annie’s Crazy World on this the first Day of Annie’s Blogging life…The other thing that you will quickly learn about Annie is that she is a night owl….Annie signing off and heading for bed at 4.20am……