Today my world changes

Today my world changes forever...

My youngest, the baby of our little family starts school.

He is 4 1/2, 6 3/4 as he likes to tell me and a confident happy little boy.

Cheeky and mischievous in ways I never thought we possible, and totally gorgeous!

He has been going to nursery so I could run my business and teach for quite a while, but school is a big step... it changes everything... he will become more independent, more boisterous (not sure this is possible!) and more just a little bit further away from me....

He was just 10 months old when my marriage came to a abrupt end on New Years Day 2009. I will never forget holding him tight in my arms as I watched my life change forever, as his father packed his bags and did a little jig of joy as he walked away from his 3 boys and me.

We have been through so many adventures since then. We have camped.

Tried to not trash National Trust Houses, run through the woods.

Read books and snuggled down to watch films....

He is my little ginger fire rocket, with a huge heart and even more spirit.

I am so excited about his starting his next journey, all the discoveries he will make, the new skills he will learn, the world that will open up to him when he learns to read.... but I am also a bit sad to see him go...

This morning I will hold his hand and hold him close before letting him enter his new world, knowing I have helped him to be confident enough to step into the unknown with a grin on his gorgeous face!

Thinking of unpicking..

I have this quilt, it is a quilt I love and I made in the wake of my second divorce - it is my divorce quilt!

I love the pinks and greens. It was a joy to make as I felt so much stress and worry drifting away every time I sat down to sew.

It is hand quilted, with a sheet for the back and polyester wadding (it was the best I could afford).

I love having it on my bed.

But as my confidence with the sewing machine and machine quilting is growing and I am looking at the quilt in a new light....

There is much potential for adding texture and the Bamboo wadding I use now would make it even more cuddly...

So the question is:

Do I unpick the quilt and redo it?

Have you ever done that?

As your skills change do you change the quilting on a quilt?

All my old quilts I wouldn't dream of changing, but this one I just kinda feel I could explore so much more.....

Amazing myself..

My life is a juggling act of 3 little boys and 2 ex-husbands.... yeah I know, at 35 I have managed to be married and divorced twice, been bankrupt and been through more ups and downs than a rollercoaster!

So you could say that my self belief is a little bit low sometimes. I take hits from all sides - I either have happy kids and problems with the ex's or happy ex's and unhappy kids... I now keep the kids happy and stable as possible, and let the adults worry about themselves!

Making decisions that effect my little family is so scary, especially when there is no-one to talk to, no back-up. What if I screw it all up and get it all wrong?

I have those thoughts whenever I make a massive decision, but I try to shake it off pretty quickly because my gut has got pretty good instinct and if I follow it things usually work out ok. My gut was screaming out to shut up Funky Diva Designs and yesterday confirmed that I made the right decision!

Yesterday morning I had a meeting at the Brewery Arts Centre in Cirencester. It was my chance to pitch my skills and talent to one of the places I really respect. It is a great space and full of wonderful artists.... I still struggle to see myself as an artist.... so it was realy important to me to get it right...

Well after an hours discussion about my work experience, the classes I have taught and showing them some of my work, I was offered the opportunity to work in three different provisions that the centre co-ordinate:

Workshops on Site - workshops held at the arts centre for fee paying learners (kids and adults)

Working in the Community - working on projects with vulnerable adults in the Cirencester area

Working on School projects - working with schools who attend the centre on day visits teaching sewing to kids.

I was amazed!

Now, the work is subject to people booking courses and it will not be regular to begin with, but it will help me a build a reputation (fingers crossed a good one!) as a sewing teacher in the area.

I am beyond chuffed, but also slightly shocked at how well it all went.

As my dad always emails me: Onwards and Upwards!