Happy Christmas Wishes

A while ago I made myself a Christmas apron from fabric which has been in my stash for......oh......a hundred years, at least.  It would have looked even lovelier had it been ironed, now you all know what a sloppy housekeeper I am.

 The pattern is in a book bought on our last trip to Canada in 2009, "Canadian Heritage Quilting".  As soon as I saw this pattern I knew it was for me, isn't it great?  It's a lovely book, a very interesting read about the history of quilting in eastern Canada, and has wonderful patterns.

Here's a basket of pretty Aussie wildflowers for you all for Christmas, as a 'thank you' for reading my blog and sticking with me.

This afternoon I have been making some yummy goodies in preparation for our older son's visit, and some more will be made tomorrow.  Nothing like chocolate and nuts at Christmas, is there?  A pork roast (won in a raffle at the local lawn bowls club - meat raffles are a great thing here, and we are lucky enough to win from time to time) is defrosting in the fridge and tomorrow evening will be rubbed with a mixture of sage, lemon rind, garlic, oil, salt and pepper ready to be roasted for lunch on Christmas Day.  There is also a small rolled turkey breast roast with cranberry and apple stuffing because the aforementioned son likes turkey, and they will be served with roast potatoes, roast sweet potatoes, caramelised onions, and fresh asparagus.  And gravy.  Mustn't forget the gravy.  To be followed by traditional Christmas cake, pecan brownies (also to be made tomorrow), chocolate nut slice (made today), rosè wine ice (currently being made), cherries, and ice cream should your little heart desire.  It will be served with sparkling wine.

I won't think badly of you if you refuse seconds.

While our older son is visiting we hope to spend a little time on the computer chatting to our other son, who lives on the far side of the known universe from here i.e. Toronto, Canada, and to his lovely partner our girl-in-law.  We miss them and are sorry they are so far away, but glad they are happy.

We have been hearing lots of Christmas music on the radio, fortunately not much has been of the "Winter Wonderland"/"Let It Snow" variety.  They are songs about winter, not songs about Christmas, and Christmas in Australia is not in winter.  By all means play them until you are tired of them (and you may already be so, for all I know) on the other side of the equator, where they are more appropriate.  While I quite enjoy most Christmas music....for a while.......by about tomorrow it will all start to sound a little too familiar.

Before I leave you with the quote from my 1885 etiquette book without which no blog post would be complete, I would like to extend my greetings to you, dear readers, and your families, for a happy and peaceful Christmas.

"Praising Dishes.
A hostess should not express pride regarding what is on her table, nor make apologies if everything she offers you is not to her satisfaction.  It is much better that she should observe silence in this respect, and allow her guest to eulogize her dinner or not, as they deem proper.  Neither is it good taste to urge guests to eat, nor to load their plates against their inclination."

Have a wonderful Christmas, and I hope the fat man in the red suit is good to you all!

Some pretty orchid goodness

Today while digging in the garden we managed to keep intact some clumps of these beauties....Aussie native rock orchids.....this was taken at Mount Annan before we left Sydney.  We will see if we can get them growing and flowering.  They were almost hidden under some plants that we didn't like, so all had to come out together.

Aren't they gorgeous?  Wish our green thumbs luck.  According to my 1885 etiquette book, in the language of flowers orchids stand for beauty.....a bouquet of these would indeed be beautiful.

At present the radio is playing a tribute to Spike Jones who would have celebrated his 100th birthday a few days ago, if he were still alive.  Did you know he played drums on Bing Crosby's original recording of "White Christmas"?  Neither did I until a few minutes ago.  My generation grew up with Spike's recording of "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth", and of course "William Tell Overture", as well as other gems, and I still enjoy them.

Speaking of "White Christmas"......during World War II my father spent time in New Guinea and never ever spoke of his wartime experiences, but my mother once told me that the soldiers sang a parody "I'm dreaming of a white mistress", which was considered a very risque thing to do at the time!

The clothes sewing is proceeding along nicely.  One skirt has been made, and was worn to a Christmas party last night.  When I am in the mood the next skirt will be cut out; it won't take long to make.  It will be green, lovely dark green, gorgeous green.  

Unfortunately last night's Christmas party wasn't enjoyed as much as we had hoped it would be.  The company was fun, the food was excellent, but the music was loud.  Way too loud.  Loud to the point of pain.  The musicians, a duo who played guitars and sang, were asked to turn the volume down - but didn't.  We gave up trying to talk (it was more like lip reading), and left early, in company with many other people.

"When a color is chosen which is favorable to the complexion, it is well to associate with it the tints which will harmonize by analogy, as to use contrasting colors would diminish its favorable effect.  When a color is used in dress, not suitable to the complexion, it should be associated with contrasting colors, as they have the power to neutralize its objectionable influence."

One suggestion for harmonising with green is crimson, blue, and gold or yellow.  All at once.  Oh dear......

Enjoy your days!

Today's post is brought to you by the letter J

This bird is a Black Neck Stork, commonly called Jabiru in Australia.

Several years ago I recall seeing an Australian alphabet in cross-stitch, and the Jabiru represented J. Don't those legs look fragile to bear the weight and height of the bird? Unfortunately we couldn't get closer to get a better picture.

Speaking of better pictures the quilt I won last week is still un-photographed because the weather has not been kind; strong winds for a few days, followed by rain, rain and more rain. The quilt is too large to get a good picture inside but never mind, outside will improve soon. We hope. Summer may be a little late this year but that's OK, the hot weather will come soon enough. I don't mind if it stays away for a little longer.

This week the sewing room has been in use for making some clothes. I have been digging into my Retirement Stash of fabric and out came a few pieces which will be used to make summer skirts; the one currently under the machine needle is a white faux (that's a fancy word for fake) broderie Anglaise, but instead of the fabric being embroidered it is printed with yellow around the edges of the holes. Because of the holes it is fairly sheer, and I am past the age of wanting the world to see everything I own, so it is being lined in deep gold solid. Last summer I bought a gold tee at a local op shop which matches beautifully, so that and the new skirt will be my Christmas outfit this year.

The next piece to be made will be a gorgeous solid green, not quite teal, not quite jade, a lovely rich cotton fabric bought in Toronto, Canada, in 2007. (Have I ever mentioned that I really like green?) Here in the Small Smoke I was able to find a matching green and white knit fabric for a top, so that's another new outfit. The last piece in this sewing session will be a skirt in a border print which shades from deep blue at the hem to pale aqua at the top, overprinted in black - there was no way the colours in this fabric could be matched, so its top will be black.

I am enjoying the process of making clothes. When I was a sweet young thing of 18 or so I bought a second-hand sewing machine, a pattern for a little top, and a yard of fabric......cut it out and sewed it up.......and was so proud of myself. The only sewing I had done was at school and that wasn't very much; my mother didn't sew, so I just blundered along on my own. Over the past umpteen years I have clothed myself, and my children, and even my husband. I have made wedding gowns, and 19th century-style ball gowns for myself (until just a few years ago I used to do vintage dancing, and made all I needed - gowns, hair ornaments, everything) but now I only sew for myself and just everyday clothing at that, because it suits the life I lead. Have you noticed how many quilters are dismissive of those of us who use our machines to make clothing? "Oh", they say, "I used to do that but now I can't be bothered". That's their choice, just the same as making clothing and quilts is mine. Over the years I have gained many skills in sewing, and how I choose to use them is my business.

"Indifference to dress.

Indifference and inattention to dress is a defect of character rather than virtue, and often denotes indolence and slovenliness. Every woman should aim to make herself look as well as possible with the means at her command. Among the rich, a fondness for dress promotes exertion and activity of the mental powers, cultivates a correct taste, and fosters industry and ingenuity among those who seek to procure for them the material and designs for dress. Among the middle class it encourages diligence, contrivance, planning and deftness of handiwork, and among the poorer classes it promotes industry and economy. A fondness for dress, when it does not degenerate into vain show, has an elevating and refining influence on society."

Correct taste, deftness of handiwork, and economy.......all sound like me.

Enjoy your days!

Lucky lucky me!

What a lucky time I have been having! Today my reward from Sara arrived for choosing Daisy's name, and Sara made me this pretty pillowcase....lots of stars in this galaxy, aren't there? I do like these fabrics.

Yesterday my name was pulled out of the hat, or the box or barrel or whatever was used - I wasn't present so didn't see - and I won a quilt! Pics will be shown, a few were taken today but they didn't turn out very well; it's not easy pressing that little button while balancing on a ladder. It has embroidered blocks (one of which was worked by me) bordered in blue, lots of bright fabrics joining the blocks, and is backed in green. Have I ever mentioned that I am very fond of green? It's a lovely quilt made by the quilt group at the local craft centre, and I am very fortunate to be its owner.

The quilt shown in my last post, 'Windmills of My Mind', has been entered in Quilting Gallery's weekly contest because this week's theme is "stars". You can see the quilts, and vote for your choice, here. Stars are a popular quilt design, aren't they? I have a book entirely about star quilts by Mary Elizabeth Johnson; it was one of the first quilt books I bought many years ago and it's still one of my favourites.

Next week 'Windmills of My Mind' will be delivered to the local gallery as it's going to be in an exhibition of works by gallery volunteers, of whom I am one. We were asked if we painted, or photographed, or knitted, or quilted, or just about anything else, and if so would we like to have something hung in the volunteers' exhibition "Time to Shine 2011". Isn't that something?

This coming weekend will be somewhat busy: Monday night choir practice tomorrow afternoon, Thursday night choir Christmas party tomorrow night, Monday night Christmas carol concert on Sunday evening, somehow need to find time in there to do some baking for contributions to both the party and the concert........I thought retirement meant sitting around and doing not much at all........

"Dining should be ranked among the fine arts. A knowledge of dinner-table etiquette is all important in many respects; but chiefly in this: that it is regarded as one of the strong tests of good breeding. Dinners are generally looked upon as entertainments for married people and the middle aged, but it is often desirable to have some young unmarried persons among the guests."

If dining should be ranked as a fine art.....I wonder if it would be the subject of an exhibition?

Enjoy your days!

All has been revealed......

......and this family of Tawny Frogmouth looks as though they are eagerly awaiting the result. They were a few of the locals we met at Port Macquarie recently.

Ribbons and swirls in the quilting, to give an impression of movement.
The only things bought for this quilt were the gold binding and spotted background fabrics, the wadding, and the off-white Wonderfil Konfetti thread used for quilting the centre panel. All other fabrics and threads, including the backing, are from my probably-larger-than-it-needs-to-be stash.
It's quite bright and cheerful.
The gorgeous variegated Aurilux thread used for quilting the border is such a good match, it's almost not there.
"Windmills of my mind" in all its finished glory.

It was a fun exercise! Ten members of the group joined in this challenge, and ten very different quilts resulted. Four of the makers used their pieced blocks as background for applique, and some of the quilts were muted or dark colours. Mine was the brightest, much to my surprise. There are no prizes, it's all about having a go and perhaps trying something different. Next year's challenge was handed out yesterday and is quite a loose theme - I already know what I will make.

Something to report to my Canadian friends: at a trivia night a couple of weeks ago, guess who was the only person in the room who knew the name and rank of the author of "In Flanders Fields"? That's right.......moi.

Here in the Small Smoke today the locals are indulging in an orgy of clothes washing, and lawn mowing, because for the past week or so we have had a lot of rain - so much so, that our town was on a flood watch until today. But today is gloriously sunny and gently warm, with a little breeze to dry out anything still soggy. While it has not come at a good time for farmers who are waiting to harvest wheat crops, most domestic gardens are smiling. Smaller towns downstream from here will be cut off for a week or so but the floods are moving slowly enough that food can be stocked up and if necessary, people and animals moved to higher ground.

"Assisting a lady to alight from her horse.

After the ride, the gentleman must assist his companion to alight. She must first free her knee from the pommel, and be certain that her habit is entirely disengaged. He must then take her left hand in his right, and offer his left hand as a step for her foot. He then lowers his hand slowly and allows her to reach the ground gently without springing. A lady should not attempt to spring from the saddle."

Considering the amount of water still lying around from our recent rain, this is probably sound advice.....because in springing from the saddle, a lady could well find herself springing straight into a puddle.

Enjoy your days!

To my American friends......

.....best wishes for a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend!

Slaving over a hot sewing machine

The Big Reveal for my quilt group's 2011 challenge quilts is on Saturday afternoon so I have been dancing up a storm at the sewing machine. My quilt is now quilted and the last of the loose threads are being woven in, then tomorrow the edges will be trimmed and the binding sewn on.

Serves me right for leaving it so late. It has been a finished top for months but making decisions about quilting gets to me every time. It could do with some more quilting in the centre and who knows, that just may get done. Or then again, it may not........after all, finished is better than perfect.

Here are a few of the lovely birds we saw on our holiday.

Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, so pretty with its pink and yellow colours.
Eastern Rosella - we have these here at home too, and they are beautiful. They are smaller than the other cockatoos. This one took a fancy to us and every time we stepped left, it shuffled left along the aviary wire.......if we stepped right, it shuffled right......our new best friend.
Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo. These are big birdies.
See the chewed tree branches? All done by this bird; their beaks are like bolt cutters. There are signs warning not to poke your fingers into the cages and you can see why.

The large aviary where these birds lived was also home to a young magpie, a terrible tease. It was annoying the black cocky, who was jumping up and down and madly sqwarking.....the more it sqwarked, the more the magpie teased......then the magpie hopped away with a "ha ha, gotcha!" look in its beady little eye and a yellow-speckled black tail feather in its beak. We thought it was very funny, although the black cocky was somewhat affronted.

I have a couple of questions about blog stuff: how do I make a header with more than one picture on it? and how do I replace the orange and white B with something different, so in a list of blogs mine has its own little unique symbol? I have seen that on a few blogs and it looks very swish.

We have been having storms lately and even the odd blackout, so the computer is spending some of its time turned off and unplugged as we don't want a repeat of the lightning strike which did so much damage to our last computer and caused it to be replaced. So if I am a bit tardy in replying to comments, or commenting on blogs, please forgive me. It's because I don't want to end up a bright spark.

"Showy dress.

The glaring colors and "loud" costumes, once so common, have given place to sober grays, and browns and olives; black predominating over all. The light, showily-trimmed dresses, which were once displayed in the streets and fashionable promenades, are now only worn in carriages. This display of showy dress and glaring colors is generally confined to those who love ostentation more than comfort."

Perhaps the brightly-coloured birds should be riding in carriages, rather than promenading around their aviary? The yellow and black cockatoo looked very smart and not at all sober.

Enjoy your days!

Some more holiday sights

First, a little background.

In my book collection is a book called "Annabella Boswell's Journal". Annabella Innes was born in New South Wales in 1826 and lived in different places with her parents and younger sister during which time she kept a diary, as did many well-brought up young ladies of the time. When she was still young her father died, and couple of years afterward she, her mother and sister boarded a ship to sail from Sydney north along the New South Wales coast to Port Macquarie. In those days - early 1840s - Port Macquarie was a convict settlement, a far cry from the coastal resort it is now which we visited a couple of weeks ago. Annabella's uncle, Major Archibald Innes, would not hear of his relatives settling in the port so offered them a home on his extensive property a few miles south of the town. Annabella lived there for several years and wrote about life in her uncle's house in her diary, which was published for her family many years later after she married and moved to Scotland.

Today the land that Annabella knew looks like this - that is Lake Innes in the background.

Turn around, and one could be a very long way from anywhere. It is very peaceful.
Turn a little further and see........this.
This sad sight is all that now remains of the large country estate once owned by Major Innes, and of the rooms where Annabella worked on her patchwork, and of the verandah where she and her sister and cousins danced the polka to the latest tunes of the day.
Walkways have been built to make for safe walking, as there is so much rubble and fallen brick.
Even the garden, once so lovely, has encroached on the house walls.

It was a grand estate employing 58 convicts as well as other workers; because it was owned by a Scot one of those workers was Bruce the piper, whose duties included piping the family awake each morning as well as waiting on the table with other servants in livery. Just imagine being rudely woken early in the morning to bagpipes! There were stables for the horses, and some carriages, a farm to keep everyone supplied with food, house servants - a very grand establishment.

However it all came to an end late in the 1840s when convict transportation to New South Wales ceased and convicts in Port Macquarie were relocated. Add to that a rural depression, and Major Innes could no longer keep his grand estate. It was sold, and the years took its toll on the buildings. A bushfire did more damage, and vandalism and theft of building materials finished off the once-proud buildings. If you are interested, there is more information here.

Social history can be fascinating.....how ordinary people lived their lives. In some ways not so different to us today, in other ways a world we can never know because that time has passed forever.

"Certain local rules have been recognized in society at Sydney from the fact that a gentleman's social position is acquired by virtue of certain offices which he holds, and the social status of woman is also in a less degree determined by the official rank of her husband."

How terrible to have one's status in life determined by one's husband, not by one's own achievements.

Enjoy your days!

We've been and gone and come home again

We started in the mountains, this pic was taken just outside Dorrigo. The folk festival we attended was held in the town.

Then we went to the coast, here is Pilot Beach. As you can see, not every day was sunny.
In Port Macquarie we shared our camp site with the local wildlife.
Because it is spring the flowers were blooming everywhere we went, there were native plants like these pretty grevilleas........
..........and introduced species, like these gorgeous jacarandas in Grafton a week before their annual Jacaranda Festival.
We had a lovely time, saw many interesting things, and visited lots of places we had never been to before (and some we had, although it was a long long time ago), so you can expect to see more pics yet. While the beaches are lovely the coastal towns are rapidly spreading as more and more development takes place, so for me the truly luscious part of the country is a little way inland with its green rolling hills and smaller villages and towns.

The local wildlife was entertaining. The caravan park where we stayed in Port Macquarie had a family of Tawny Frogmouths nesting in a tree, and there were many other birds and some large lizards scurrying around. It is also home to a population of koalas, a favourite tree for the koalas' evening meal of eucalyptus leaves was near our caravan. Neither of us had heard koalas before; the noise they make sounds like a grumbly old man trying to start a reluctant lawnmower. The sound of it carries quite a long way.

Did you know that koalas and wombats are related? They share a common ancestor (although it was something like 32 million years ago), but koalas took to climbing trees and wombats started digging holes in the ground.

"Accepting hospitality a sign of good-will.

As eating with another under his own roof is in all conditions of society regarded as a sign of good-will, those who partake of proffered hospitalities, only to gossip about and abuse their host and hostess, should remember, that in the opinion of all honorable persons, they injure themselves by so doing."

I won't abuse our koala friends as we did eat under their roof - at least, in the shade of their favourite tree. But just the same, sometimes they were very noisy.

Enjoy your days!

See you again in a few weeks

Tomorrow morning we leave on our driving holiday....first we are going to a folk festival, then on Monday we will be heading for the coast.

Not that coast, we will be a couple of hours further north.
Our bags are packed.....mine is, anyway. A smaller bag than these.

We are looking forward to our holiday.....even though we have been retired for a couple of years, a holiday away is good. The break from daily routine is a change, and we are planning to visit places where we haven't been before. My knitting and hand-piecing are ready to go, we have several books to read, and we will take the large crossword (not yet started) from yesterday's local paper.

When we return I will tell of the highlights - no doubt there will be many!

"Trusting the driver.

While driving with another who holds the reins, you must not interfere with the driver, as anything of this kind implies a reproof, which is very offensive. If you think his conduct wrong, or are in fear of danger resulting, you may delicately suggest a change, apologizing therefore. You should resign yourself to the driver's control, and be perfectly calm and self-possessed during the course of a drive."

Calm and self-possessed, that's me.

Enjoy your days!

Kiss me, honey, honey, kiss me........

.....thrill me, honey, honey, thrill me.......

Remember that song? We have been visited by a swarm of bees, but they didn't leave any honey. This small Native Frangipani tree in our front yard yesterday had a swarm in it, I have never seen so many bees in one place. This morning we contacted a local beekeeper who arrived with a box, and a smoker, and he coaxed the queen into the box. Many of the bees followed, as bees do, and a couple of hours later he collected the box. We didn't see him take it, and I wish we had, because there is still a large clump of bees left. That dark mass hanging down on the left side of the tree is bees, and you may also be able to see some of the unhappy bees buzzing around. They are unhappy because they have been left behind.

Last night I rang another beekeeper and left a message about the swarm. When the lady rang back today she said those bees will now die because they aren't part of a hive anymore, and the beekeeper who took them should have left the box all day instead of just a couple of hours to make sure all the bees went together. Meanwhile, we have some very agitated bees in our front yard and I am not game to go outside for long.

It seems that if you are visited by a swarm you can either have it collected, or if it's convenient to leave them they will move of their own accord within a couple of days. Unfortunately they are not in a good place because the tree is near our garage door, and they are making life difficult as a result. Last night one hitched a ride inside with Kevin and stung me on the thumb......it's still tender, red and swollen and hot.

I am sorry the bees will die, though. I don't wish them any harm.

This is the top I finished yesterday and I am fairly pleased with it. It clings to all the bulges, but the patterned fabric does help to disguise that somewhat. The neck is low - it's gathered in the centre - it looks quite good on. I would like to make it again in a better fabric, but that will wait until we come home from holidays. The placement of the fabric motifs isn't too bad, they miss the bosom, but the black flower in the centre of the bottom row sits right on top of my belly button. Well done.
Recently we planted a Calistemon Taree Pink in our back yard and it is starting to flower - it's so pretty. This pic was taken in our Sydney garden before we moved as we had one growing there; we always liked it, and while we don't wish to recreate the garden we left behind there are some plants I miss. Hopefully the birds will like this too. Going on previous experience I know bees will.

"Dress For Receiving Calls.

If a lady has a special day for the reception of calls, her dress must be of silk or other goods suitable to the season, or to her position, but must be of quiet colors and plainly worn. Lace collars and cuffs should be worn with this dress, and a certain amount of jewellery is also admissible. A lady whose mornings are devoted to the superintendence of her domestic affairs may receive a casual caller in her ordinary morning dress, which must be neat, yet plain, with white plain linen collars and cuffs. For New Year's Day, or other calls of special significance, the dress should be rich, and may be elaborately trimmed. If the parlors are closed and the gas lighted, full evening dress is required."

I don't know about you, but I haven't seen white lace or linen collars and cuffs being worn for a very long time. I do, however, feel undressed without earrings - today's are amethyst and peridot chips, purple and green. So, because I am dressed, you are welcome to call.

Enjoy your days!

Best wishes to my Canadian family and friends for Thanksgiving!

A gorgeous Canadian maple tree taken on our visit to Toronto in October 2009, at Bluffers Park in Scarborough. It's a maple leaf-shaped maple tree, how cool is that? Hope you all have a great weekend!

I am really thrilled, I just read on Sara's blog that the name she picked for her sheep money bank is the name I thought of, Daisy....Daisy the sheep looks like a little flower, doesn't she? She is very cute!

Am just having a break from wrestling with some very slippery slidey slithery fabric. The top being made from Jalie 2794 is coming together very well, but oh my......that fabric....not sure it was a good choice, but the price was right to check the pattern fit and style and now it's not far from being finished anyway. I bought the fabric from the Big Fabric Chain Store but will check out the proper fabric shop to see if they have anything I like better; it will cost more but will be worth it. The pattern calls for four-way stretch fabric which rules out quite a few fabrics, as they are two-way stretch only. And during the sewing my overlocker had a hissy fit, I didn't notice that the thread going through the right-hand needle guides had jumped out of one of the guides.......wondered why there were so many loops where there shouldn't be loops on the wrong side of the seams and the tension was up the creek.......took a few seams to notice. Bummer. Le heavy sigh.

Ah well, so long as the top is wearable......the fabric is a black and white print about which I have misgivings, I don't usually wear printed tops.....usually stick to plain tops and bottoms, although I do lash out in summer and wear patterned skirts with my plain tops. There's something about patterned tops and the middle-aged bosom that can set one's teeth on edge. Ships in full sail come to mind.

A few months ago I started making a cardigan from some lovely woollen yarn bought last year from Bendigo Woollen Mills. It had one false start when I decided I didn't like the pattern I was using, so it was started again. Now the back is finished, both sleeves are finished, one front is finished, and I am having misgivings about the size......so have decided to undo it all and make the next size up. Being a cardigan it is worn over other garments, therefore it needs some ease, and I don't think it will have enough. The second front is now being made in the next size up as a comparison and looks like being a better size, even though there's only a few stitches difference. Le heavy sigh again. Fortunately it's plain knitting, slightly boring but quick.

In a couple of weeks we will be going on holidays, I can knit in the car......might get a fair bit done then. We're going to a folk festival then heading for the coast, destination yet to be decided. Pics will be taken and shown in due course.

"Dress for morning calls.

Morning calls may be made either in walking or carriage dress, provided the latter is justified by the presence of the carriage. The dress should be silk; collar and cuffs of the finest lace; light gloves; a full dress bonnet and jewellery of gold, either dead, burnished or enamelled, or of cameo or coral. Diamonds are not usually worn in daylight. A dress of black or neutral tint, in which light colors are introduced only in small quantities, is the most appropriate for a morning call."

Just remember that, next time you make a morning call.

Enjoy your days!

It wouldn't be a post without a picture........

.......so here are some.

In October last year we visited a couple of local gardens which were open......one was on a hill out in the country, with a creek at the foot of the hill. It was very peaceful.
Some of the iris in flower, in that garden. Yellow is such a happy colour. That particular garden was having its last open day as it was changing hands within the family, so we are glad we went to it.
The second garden was in a warmer drier spot, even though it wasn't very far from the first. It was a very new garden and the owners had used plants which did well in that climate - this one is a leucadendron, a native of South Africa which grows so well here that many people think they are Aussie native plants.

You would be proud of me, this week I made a skirt.....that is to say, I re-made a skirt which was recently bought new in an op shop; it was a wrap-around skirt, a style which is not flattering to the middle-aged barrel shape because it never sits just where it should, and the view when the wind blows it open is not always what we want to show the world. So its waistband was removed, the one and only seam was sewn with a zipper inserted, and a new waistband made from the old one and sewn back on. Because it was a wee bit loose (read: almost falling down) I inserted some elastic in the waistband before sewing the final side. Result: a new cool cotton skirt, just the thing for the coming summer.

So while fired up with the clothes sewing bug I have decided to have a go at making this top, not long ago I bought some black and white printed knit fabric for that purpose. I have used another Jalie pattern and been quite pleased with it; once I knew what size I needed to trace it went together very well, and the two tops I made from that pattern are very useful. The sizing on this one is slightly different and it will also need to be shortened as it's several centimetres longer than the first pattern. I'm not very tall, you know.

Last weekend winter came back to annoy us and it was very very cold - so much so that we brought in some wood and lit the fire, despite having emptied the fire box and cleaned the glass a week earlier. We had an early taste of spring some weeks ago and it has been shy ever since, hiding from us and peeping out occasionally to tease us. And we had lots of rain, lovely rain, the gardens are smiling. When they get tomorrow's forecast rain, they will no doubt be ecstatic.

This week we have been feeling a little jet-lagged as daylight saving started in the wee small hours of last Sunday morning. While I don't mind it during mid-summer (because the alternative would be sunrise well before 5am and that's far too early for any sane person) six months is way too long. The sun actually rises later during the first and last weeks of daylight saving, than it does in mid-winter.....isn't that ridiculous? If one needs to use lights and power in the morning as well as the evening, where is the saving? I thought the main reason for daylight saving was to save energy, not use more of it.

"Punctuality.

The hour generally selected in cities is after business hours, or from five to eight o'clock. In the country or villages it may be an hour or two earlier. To be punctual at the hour mentioned is obligatory. If you are too early you are in the way; if too late you annoy the hostess, cause impatience among the assembled guests, and perhaps spoil the dinner. Fifteen minutes is the longest time required for a tardy guest."

Remember that next time you receive an invitation, and don't forget to adjust your watch for daylight saving lest you be too late or too early.

Enjoy your days!

Finished is a good feeling!

At last "Black and White Rag" is done. Started in July 2006, left as a top for a few years, then quilted in September 2011. The sense of relief when the last stitch was taken last night was great.

The back.....the scrumptious orange fabric (one of the Marble Mates range, by Moda - don't know if it's still available) wasn't quite wide enough, hence the strip of black and white fabric.
A close-up of one of the corners showing the quilting. The quilting design is from New Zealand Quilter magazine, Issue 63. The design is called Patiki and is based on a Maori kowhaiwhai design.
A Big Decision was needed on how to turn the corner, because the design in the magazine didn't show a corner. The design is made of four separate lines which meant four separate rows of quilting around the border; just well it's not a huge quilt. It seemed fitting to use a New Zealand design because the quilt was first started in a class by New Zealand quilter, Donna Ward. My family also has a connection with NZ, as my maternal grandmother was born there; she emigrated to Australia with her family when she was only three years old.

It was going to be a very artistic photo session in the garden, but the wind sprang up and it's starting to rain.....not ideal conditions for taking a good photo, so we have to settle for draping the quilt over the furniture in the beer garden. Every time we think winter has well and truly gone it comes snapping at our heels again, just to let us know it hasn't quite departed. Hopefully our new plants won't fare too badly. I spoke to them this morning and they assured me they were looking forward to some rain, and would be just fine.

Just as well the neighbours weren't around at the time.

Having learnt last spring to identify certain weeds, I am trying to keep them under control this year. But the neighbour on one side isn't, because they are seldom home; today I noticed a healthy lush crop of bright green sticky weed in their garden which abuts onto ours along the boundary between the two gardens. I am not impressed. The sticky weed will go to seed soon and it will be back where I don't want it. That family moved to the house last January but is already putting the house on the market again, so perhaps whoever buys it will keep the aforementioned sticky weed under control. We can live in hope.......the neighbours (who are a nice enough family) have several horses, so are looking at buying a farm out in the country somewhere as they currently have to pay rent for the horses as well as the mortgage on their house. I don't know why they didn't think of that a year ago.

"What should we think of one who had invented flowers, supposing that, before him, flowers were unknown? Would he not be regarded as the opener-up of a paradise of new delight? Should we not hail the inventor as a genius, as a god? And yet those lovely offsprings of the earth have been speaking to man from the first dawn of his existence until now, telling him of the goodness and wisdom of the Creative Power, which bid the earth bring forth, not only that which was useful as a food, but also flowers, the bright consummate flowers, to clothe it in beauty and joy?"

Perhaps so.......but I don't think I shall hail the inventor of sticky weed, if it's all the same with you. The Victorians were masters of the florid phrase, weren't they?

Enjoy your days!