This week the Apatcheez thoughts turned to the Chinese New Year and in one class we had fun reading through the personality traits of each zodiac sign. I thought you might like to see how they relate to your quilting. The following is totally fiction so don’t put too much weight on it – it’s just for fun!

Year of the Rat (1936,1948,1960,1972,1984,1996,2008)

So you’re a rat. Don’t be down-hearted. It means you’re resourceful (so you can whip up a project from the scraps in your stash). Trials and tribulations are temporary setbacks as you can see the possibilities for the future.  You have a positive outlook on life and you can see the big picture. So you’d be happy to start something HUGE made of intricate pieces. How about the Baltimore Christmas project? Do it needleturn to really make it difficult for yourself!

Year of the Ox (1937,1949,1961,1973,1985,1997,2009)

The Ox is engineered to endure and succeed. You are known for your hard work and persistence. The only UFO is the one you’re working on. You finish everything. You eliminate chaos by sticking with what you know. One day you will see the new Kaffe Fassett Collective fabrics and you will wonder if they might produce a quilt as nice as your trusty reproduction fabrics. You will try them. And they will. And everyone will cheer.

Year of the Tiger (1938,1950,1962,1974,1986,1998,2010)

If you’re a tiger you’re brave and adventurous. You are confident but sometimes authoritative. Embrace your tigress (not the bossy part) and create another masterpiece. You know that you have all the latest rulers and other gadgets and you know who’s who in the designer world. In fact there’s not much you don’t know. Why don’t you whip something wonderful up with the new Extravaganza range. It’s new. And everyone will notice.

Year of the Rabbit (1939,1951,1963,1975,1987,1999,2011)

So you were born in the year of the rabbit – but you’re no bunny. You’re gentle and quiet but very alert. You’re very patient and you know what you’re doing. You’re well-liked and you’re kind and help other quilters who can’t seem to sew 1/4″ seams or make their points pointy. It’s fun to have you in the class. Although you can help others sometimes you don’t ask for help yourself. That means that you might have a few projects in the too-hard basket. I know you’re quiet but why not put some kick in your hop by coming to an extra class so you can work on that project you put aside hoping that it would fix itself?

Year of the Dragon (1940,1952,1964,1976,1988,2000,2012)

Dragons dominate the world with their confidence, intelligence and ambition. You experience the extremes of pure joy and absolute despair (like when you cut through the 64-piece hexagon medallion that was under the piece of fabric on the cutting board). You love a challenge and you can accomplish great quilts, maybe using colour palettes that others wouldn’t. We see a lot of Apatchy Quilting in your future but beware of annoying Pozzie Dog – he will fight you!

The Year of the Snake (1941,1953,1965,1977,1989,2001,2013)

As a snake you’re intuitive and wise, a great thinker who says little. You learn from your mistakes and you are sympathetic and determined. You have a tendency to be stressed because of your sensitive nature. To ease the stress you need to be organised this year. What about making the Tilda Sewing Kit so you know where all your supplies are stored?

Year of the Horse (1930,1942,1954,1966,1978,1990,2002,2014)

You’re enthusiastic and energetic and you like to be the centre of attention. You have a great sense of humour and a positive outlook on life. You want to dance like no-one is watching. So you do. But beware – they are! You need one of the club projects so you can stride with pride with your personalised pencil case or Kindle pouch or mini keyring pouch.

Year of the Goat/Ram (1931,1943,1955,1967,1979,1991,2003,2015)

We like you the most.  You’re shy and gentle even though you are strong on the inside. You like coming to classes and working in a group. You also like the nicer things in life.  You like repetition and like to have a plan. You need one of the Jungle Abstractions patterns to start you off on the climb to full blown paper piecing addiction.

Year of the Monkey (1932,1944,1956,1968,1980,1992,2004,2016)

So this is your year monkey. Paradoxically that may not bode well. You’re witty and clever but you can be cheeky and naughty too. You’re going to need a few gift certificates this year to make up for the trouble you’ve caused. No Ms Monkey, hiding people’s sashiko thread is not funny!

Year of the Rooster (1933,1945,1957,1969,1981,1993,2005)

As a rooster you live life in a series of natural rhythms. After a hectic time last year your balance might be a little off. With the full moon in the seventh house you’ll be receptive to new ideas – how about the pre-cut, pre-fused Quilt Squad kit to realign those chakras?

Year of the Dog (1934,1946,1958,1970,1982,1994,2006)

You keep your thoughts to yourself and may find yourself day-dreaming or just lost in thought.  Like man’s best friend you are loyal and a great companion.You don’t worry about impressing others, you just get the job done. You give many of your quilts away. With Jupiter in the 6^th arrondissement you’ll find the planets align and you’ll discover the Paula Storm Applique brush and there’ll be no stopping you as you starch your way to perfection.

Year of the Pig (1935,1947,1959,1971,1983,1995,2007)

If you’re born in the year of the pig you’re generous and compassionate. If you set a goal and focus on it you are usually successful. You don’t rely on others but like company. Generally you’re calm in the face of danger. We see you attending every Apatchy Quilting class this year and then starting a blog about patchwork in which you feature us extensively.

Until then happy quilting

Kaye