What to do when you're burned out...

...Chill out! Don't push it - there's no hurry. We're doing this because we want to, remember? It's not a Production Environment where some pre-specified level of performance is mandatory.

And when it's been long enough, back-to-basics is a great plan: stroke some fabric, do a little mending, go look at art. Give yourself some easy points on the board.

Today I'm making a bias-cut skirt out of silk velvet. This fabric has been waiting patiently in the stash for maybe 5 years. It's my simplest and perhaps most successful pattern, enhanced this time with an invisible zip in the side seam. Love those things! It's going great, and I know that tomorrow, as well as having a great addition to my winter wardrobe, I'm going to be back in the Zone, and ready to make something more original.

When I'm not blogging... I'm quilting!

It's been a strange few weeks. Firstly the Wellington Quilt Symposium, where I took two really enjoyable classes: kite making with Robert Van Weers - so much fun!, and "Inspired by..." with Cheryl Comfort. This was perhaps the best class I have ever taken for stretching and increasing my ability to understand what excites me about an artwork, and then bringing that specific excitement into my own work. My sketchbook is full of ideas for new works, and I have begun three, including some hand-quilting.

Came home from Wellington to the opportunity to participate in a "local artists" show at Muriwai... I'm too late to be included in any of the marvellous publicity they have made, but hopefully they will find space to show something of mine.

So I have scrambled to have anything to show... and ended up finishing 8 small works. Much more than I expected, and there was a lot of stitching on the train. I've learned that it's great to have some work of my own on hand to seize an opportunity!