Exciting times!

First: The Tasmanian Quilting Guild's annual exhibition was held in Hobart over the last 4 days. On Tuesday morning I got a call from the president of the exhibition committee to tell me I had won a prize for one of my quilts. She wouldn't tell me over the phone which prize I had won so I had to wait until I could get down to Hobart on Wednesday. I won first prize in the Art,Professional category. I was stunned! Originally I wasn't going to enter the quilt, and then I entered it in another category. The organisers rang me when they got my entry form and asked if they could move it to the art category. I still don't really see it as a prize winning quilt, but I suppose you never know what is going to appeal to the judges on the day, do you? The quilt is Citrus Swirl pictured in the post from March 13.

Second: We leave on our holiday in 9 days! We fly to Melbourne on April 10, then on to Los Angeles on April 11. The flight leaves at 7.30am so we have to be at the airport at 5.30am. That means that I'll have to get up at about...umm..4.30 if I want to have time for a shower? That's gonna hurt! We have one night in Los Angeles then it's on to Chicago for the Interantional Quilt Festival. Yay! I am SO looking forward to that. Might meet up with some people off the Quiltart list which would be great. After that we have 5 or 6 days in Toronto then catch the Trans Canada train to Edmonton, then down to Vancouver for a week or so before picking up a guided tour. That will take us up around the Rockies then back to Vancouver before joining a cruise up to Alaska. We'll be away 6 weeks altogether.

Third: While we're away the building fairies are going to visit my studio and build all the cupboards, bookshelves and computer/sewing station. When I get back I'll just have put all the fabric, books and other stuff out of the forty or so assorted plastic tubs and boxes into their new home. Just doing that will be fun, I think. I'm adding some photos of the studio as it is now. Behind all the plastic tubs is a bar where Murray has put some of his assorted 'alcoholic beverages'. I don't drink alcohol and Murray rarely does, so some of the bottles have been around for a few years now. One day they will get used - don't know whether it will be to drink or to cook with ha ha. Also added the view out of one set of the glass sliding doors.

I've also added a photo of Trev the wondercat making a fuss of Alison, the daughter of one of my closest friends. He's a very sociable beastie, will say hello to anyone. If you come to visit, be prepared to leave with cat fur attached.