After recently divorced Rose McHugh leaves Sydney to start a new life in the Southern Highlands area, she finds a roll of film buried in her backyard. She has the film developed (I’m not sure many people would do that but she’s an historian and also nosy, which helps make her actions more believable), and […]
Welcome
Hello! I’m Erica Spinks and I’m glad you are here. I write mostly about gardening, reading, writing, quilt making and creativity.
Check out my ABOUT page to find out more. You can sign up for my Creative Dabbling newsletter here to be delivered to your inbox.
I’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment on any of my posts if anything resonates with you.
Newsletter: frost and cosiness
Hello! It’s early afternoon here and I’m gazing out my window at the cloudy sky and the trees moving in the wind. The weather app tells me it feels like 0.9 degrees outside so I won’t be venturing there. Yes, I’m a wuss. I like to stay cosy. We’ve had three frosts this month. Yesterday’s […]
The power of stories
For four years, I was Editor of an Australian quilt magazine. A few years after I left, the business was sold and the magazine subsequently shutdown. Until then, the magazine showcased a wide range of stories about the Australian patchwork and quilting community. I was proud of the hard work I put into nearly 50 […]
Smashed windflowers
Isn’t it frustrating when you look forward to particular plants flowering and then the weather spoils the occasion? That’s what happened with my Japanese windflowers. I love to see the blooms of my windflowers sway in the breeze. I have several patches of them throughout the garden and, when they are out of season, the […]
When a quilt is a challenge
The challenge was to make a quilt that measured 50 inches square. Sounds straightforward, right? No such luck – my quilt had other ideas. It simply did not want to be that size and fought me all the way. The quilt won. It has always been difficult for me to make a quilt to a […]
Creative inertia
This is nothing new to me. Creative inertia – a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged – usually occurs when I am overwhelmed or my subconscious is processing something. I don’t think it is a negative thing, at least not for me. It’s simply a part of life’s ebb and flow. I took […]
Newsletter: bulbs and projects
Hello Creative Dabblers! Welcome to this month’s newsletter. Quilts As usual, I have several hand piecing and appliqué projects on the go. I’ve also started hand quilting one quilt. I like having several pieces to work on. As someone who gets bored easily, the ability to choose which project I stitch each time is a […]
Join me on Substack Notes
Finally, a great alternative to Twitter has arrived. Substack Notes launched today and it feels more like a group of chatty friends already. I’d be happy to give Twitter the flick if Notes works out – standby! Would you like to join me on Notes? My account name is Creative Dabbling and you can subscribe […]
Crepe myrtle: a tree for all seasons
There’s a crepe myrtle tree in my garden that was planted by the previous owner. It needed some love so, last year, I cut the branches back heavily to promote a better shape and encourage new growth. Now it is in full flower and looks splendid. I love crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia). They are the ultimate […]
Book review: The Gardener
This is the first novel by Salley Vickers I have read and, after finishing it, I am keen to read her others. It transported me to the Welsh Marches, that area along the border between Wales and England. Any writer who can evoke such a strong sense of place engages me. Hassie Days, an illustrator, […]