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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Celebrating UFOs
Most quilters have Unfinished Objects (UFOs) stored in cupboards, boxes or under the bed. This is usually seen as a Bad Thing, but let’s stop this negative thinking right now, because it’s very draining and we don’t need that in our lives, do we? Let’s examine the positives of UFOs. The fact your UFO exists […]
Revive: national cultural policy
What a relief it is to have a government that accepts and supports our Australian stories, past and present, no matter the format or medium. After many years of being ignored (and whittled down), creation and access to our stories is recognised as a critical part of a healthy society. Today the Australian Government launched […]
The telephone
Inspired by this photo, here’s a story I wrote. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Dear Lucy, I enjoyed chatting with you today. It’s always great to hear your voice and share what’s new in our lives. It reminded me of this family story, which you may not have heard before. Last century, […]
Here’s how to read my newsletters
“This weekly newsletter is written by me, Erica Spinks, so I can share stories about books, gardens, quilts and other interests with you.“ These are words from the footer of my weekly newsletters and, hopefully, gives you an idea of what to expect. I write a newsletter each Sunday and, if you subscribe, it will […]
In my garden column: February 2022
All my friends know that blue is my favourite colour, so it’s no surprise I encourage plants with blue or purple flowers to grow in my garden. This is Geranium ‘Rozanne’, which delights me every time I pass by. I write more about my blue garden in my February gardening column for our local newspaper Southern […]
Signup for my newsletter
Hooray, hooray! I have a new newsletter, called Creative Dabbling, and you can signup to receive it now – straight into your inbox. I’m excited about this because it will give us more opportunities to chat about books, gardens and quilts – and anything else that diverts me during my wanderings. You can signup in […]
In my garden column: December 2021
We’ve had so much rain that my garden is sodden, with pools of water along the edges of beds in the back garden. It seems like every day there is some in our rain gauge. If only it would fall evenly throughout the year! The next few days should bring some sunshine. Oh happy days. […]