I’m crossing my fingers that I have enough major events and activities organised for the next ten weeks so that I won’t be lured–yet again–into making a quilt before I go away.  This is no joke; the last four times I’ve gone overseas I have had a mad rush to finish a quilt before leaving.  In each case, the quilts had to be completed before I left.  I don’t understand why this happens to me.  It’s rather like the way the Australian dollar plummets against the $US every time I go overseas. (Okay, it’s officially out: you have until September to organise your finances.)  Anyway, I know the quilt thing has something to do with The Evil Quilt Spirit that lurks somewhere the vicinity of my sewing room.  It reminds me of the Troll in the Three Billy Goats Gruff –skulking about, trying to lure me across the bridge to the quilt on the other side. I just can’t do it again.  Not this time.

First there was the ‘Hundred Hearts for a Hundred Years’ quilt for my husband’s auntie, who was celebrating her 100th birthday.  Then there was a wedding quilt for my niece’s wedding; followed by the Tassie Sunrise quilt for another niece (who had made a fabulous afghan for me); and finally, the Sudoku quilt for a grandson whose birthday I was going to miss.  Well, I say enough!  Enough of this madness.  Why do we do  it?  Can any of you quilters out there explain it to me? It isn’t as though I enjoy the process–besides, I’m having a root canal done this time, so that will take care of any sort of sick pleasure that could be attributed to the pain of quilting.  And I’m not especially good at it, so there certainly isn’t any ego involved, nor a wish to show off.  Perhaps my lack of religion is to blame and I am harboring an innate need for self-flagellation.  Who knows?  But I swear before all of you assembled here today that I Am Not Going to Make A Quilt Before September.

Now.  About that Aussie Dollar.  Those of you who have been with me for a while will recall that in the past, as sure as I make quilts, the Australian dollar takes a huge nosedive as soon as the Powers That Be get wind of the fact that I am going overseas.  I’m not exactly sure just which powers that be, but Someone is taking notice.  In October ’08 I didn’t announce my plans ahead of time, so the fall — we all remember that fall!– occurred the week I left.  Perhaps it happened on the day I left; I’ve mostly succeeded in blocking it from memory.  Anyway, last year I announced my plans on April 30th, exactly two weeks prior to departure, when the $A was in the .90s.  Within 24 hours of the announcement, the fall began,  and it continued to tumble from there.   If you have any doubts about my credibility here, just check out the article from May 4th that followed the announcement.

So now you have ten weeks notice.  Use it wisely.        MM