One of the beneficial side-effects of travel restrictions and the desire to stay home as much as possible is that I have attended many more events than I would have pre-pandemic. Have you taken advantage of this? I’m grateful to the many organisations that have redesigned their programs for digital participants instead of in-person ones. […]
Welcome
Hello! I’m Erica Spinks and I’m so pleased you are here.
I’ve recently moved from my Creative Dabbling blog to this shiny new online space. Welcome to readers who have followed me from Creative Dabbling and to all of you who have just found me.
I write mostly about gardening, books, making and creativity.
How to simplify life
Sometimes pulling together all the threads of our lives seems totally overwhelming. I know I often have so many decisions to make – some large but mostly small – that I become paralysed with indecision. That’s not how I want to live my life. So, on a regular basis, I simplify and pare back. It’s […]
Ruth de Vos: three questions
Welcome to the fifth in my Three Questions series, where I ask makers about their creative practices. I became aware of Ruth’s quilts over 10 years ago, when I was editor of a now-defunct quilt magazine and I have followed her work since. Ruth stitches together lots of little pieces of fabric to make bold […]
How to explode quilt block diagrams
When I’ve been writing patterns for my quilts in the past, I’ve often thought it would be useful to include diagrams that show how the pieces of a block join. I have low-level skills with graphics programs and I don’t have expensive software. I use EQ8 for my diagrams but never knew a way to explode […]
In my garden column: November 2020
Now it’s November and that means my latest gardening column is in the local newspaper. It’s a pleasure and privilege to write about the happenings in my garden, even though there’s so much to be done out there. As I sit at my desk, gazing out the window, I can see plenty to keep me […]
On kindness
Many of my friends are interested enough in their exercise programs to count the distances they walk. Technology has aided them; I see regular updates, direct from their Fitbit activity trackers, on Facebook or Twitter. We all love aids that assist us to reach our goals, keep track of our progress, or record our productivity. […]
Siobhan Rogers: three questions
Welcome to the fourth in my Three Questions series, where I ask makers about their creative practices. I first saw Siobhan’s quilt designs many years ago and have enjoyed following those and her other creative pursuits since then. For the last ten years Siobhan has created content for print, predominantly sewing and patchwork but also food and […]
What a difference a year makes
One year ago today, the removalists packed all our possessions into their van and drove over 100 kilometres to our new home. We each drove our cars, packed to the limit with (mostly) my pot plants and followed them south, away from Sydney to the Southern Highlands. After everything had been off-loaded and the removalists […]
My book of the month: October 2020
I don’t know how Louise Penny consistently writes fabulous stories in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series that keep on developing a core group of characters. All the Devils are Here is the latest in the series and it shows a completely different aspect of Gamache’s family dynamics than in earlier books. Set in Paris […]
Ellie Beck: three questions
Welcome to the third in my Three Questions series, where I ask makers about their creative practices. I’ve been receiving Ellie’s newsletters for some time and I always feel uplifted after reading them – you may, too. Ellie is a textile artist, writer, creative coach and explorer of self. She works with natural dyes, hand stitching, improv […]