Soon there will be a back side too

A few days ago the backing fabric for the quilt in my last post was spread out, measured - all 6.4 metres of it - stroked and fondled, and now it has been cut into backing-sized pieces.  It was bought in......oh, about 2004, give or take a year or two, when we spent a weekend on the New South Wales south coast with friends.....in Milton, from a quilt shop which may or may not still be there.  Google tells me there is still a quilt shop in Milton but I wouldn't know if it's the same, the name doesn't ring even the tiniest tingle in my memory.

 As soon as I saw it I knew it would be Just The Very Thing to back that blue and yellow quilt, what do you reckon?

To make the backing big enough it will, of course, have to be pieced so I whipped up three more star blocks using some of the leftover fabrics from all those years ago, and set them with corner triangles to make them wider.  This is how they look lying on the backing; a strip of backing fabrics with stars inserted will run down the centre back.

 A bit like this one, although the strip on this quilt is off-centre - my preference -  but those maths don't work for the bigger quilt, so centred it will have to be.

After so many years I am really looking forward to having that quilt done, dusted and finished.  Binding will be a deep mossy green.

The worst of the hot weather seems to have well and truly gone, for which we are thankful.  It's much easier to sleep on cooler nights.

Today I am trying to decide which of my sumptuous creations to wear for the choir/ukulele gig on Saturday night.  Our performing "uniform" (which isn't a uniform at all, really) is black bottoms, pants or skirt, and a bright solid colour top; solid, because 35 or so people wearing patterned tops would leave the audience cross-eyed.  I have black pants and a calf-length flared black cotton skirt and tops in green, yellow, green, red, green, blue, green, orange........and green.  Considering it is still summer it will probably be a skirt with, perhaps, a beaded yellow top and sparkly earrings.  Nothing like a bit of tizz at night, is there?  The ukulele players will follow the lead of the choir, so those of us who perform with both won't look out of place with either.

One thing it won't be is bare-shouldered......I thoroughly completely dislike (hate is a very strong word, but I really don't like them at all) the current fashion for tops with a hole over the shoulder.  Is it supposed to be sexy or what?  Probably or what......it seems to be popular with older women, worn very loose so it appears to be falling off the shoulders.  Who told them it looked good, I wonder?  It certainly wasn't me.  That fashion will probably disappear when colder weather arrives and, with a bit of luck, won't be revived next summer.  It's lasted two summers already, that's two more than it should have.

Ms 64 will be moving, hopefully soon, as her house has been sold.  We hope she takes her wandering cats with her.  Not a neighbourhood tear will be shed when she goes.

We have had a builder call in to assess the damage to the kitchen cupboards, and he said the cupboard under the sink will have to be replaced.  Good news though - the damaged cupboard can be pulled out and another slotted in its place with the door re-used, so the kitchen will look the same as it does now.  The kick boards will be taken off and either replaced with new ones, or sanded and re-laminated.  Another builder will be coming to do an assessment, and the insurance company will make the choice.  Then we sit back and wait......all the floor tiles will be taken up and replaced.  All.  That's the entrance hall, family room, kitchen room......it's a big area......even into my sewing room.  Not looking forward to the noise, dust and mess with that.......we might move out for a few days, we can set up our little caravan at a local camp ground for the duration.  Bianca will be going to visit a cattery, because it would be a very traumatic experience for an old puss.  It won't be all that great for two Olde Phartes like us, either.

We are just drifting with the flow.  Not much else we can do.

"Dress for lecture and concert.
For the lecture or concert, silk is an appropriate dress, and should be worn with lace collars and cuffs and jewellery.  A rich shawl or velvet promenade cloak, or opera cloak for a concert is an appropriate outer garment.  The later may or may not be kept on the shoulders during the evening.  White or light kid gloves should be worn."

We won't be wearing gloves.  I haven't tried it, but I imagine it could be tricky trying to play ukulele while wearing kid gloves.  I'll pass on the lace collars and cuffs, too.

Enjoy your days!

It's about time

Last year I decided to finish all my quilt tops, even if it meant paying to have the larger ones quilted.  The first step in that process was taken yesterday when my star quilt was booked in with a local long-armer, and you have no idea how good it feels.

 Even though it has just been a finished top for umpteen years and would probably be considered old-fashioned now I still like it.  How many other quilters went through the "French Provincial blue and yellow" phase, I wonder?  Sadly it's just too big for me to quilt without pain and discomfort, much as I would love to do so.

Now to make the backing from another pretty blue and yellow floral print, also bought many years ago and patiently waiting ever since.

All those cut-off triangle points weren't wasted, either.  This was made from the leftovers.  I paid good money for that fabric, and I wasn't going to chuck it out.

It's not as big, so I was able to quilt it without too much difficulty.

The proper applique continues slowly.  It has only been worked on at night while watching TV, one tree is finished and two more are still to be done.

The cortisone injection two weeks ago seems to be kicking in and my hip is nowhere near as bad, for which I am thankful.  Kevin probably is too.  This morning my regular masseuse said one of her clients, a big burly bloke, was in tears on her table one day with bursitis pain; we decided it was something we wouldn't inflict on our worst enemy.  Then again, perhaps we would......

The latest on the house:  last Friday two people from the remediation company came in to remove the last of the dead carpet and to unpack every cupboard and bookshelf in our living room ready for when new carpet is laid.  One was the female half of our first nice young couple, the other was guess who......yes, The Bloke referred to in my last post.  I hung around barely long enough to be sociable then went shopping, and by the time I returned he had gone.

So now our house is darker because grey concrete is deeper toned than beige carpet, and the rooms echo because they are emptier.  All my quilting, sewing, music and cook books, and all our music CDs, are packed in boxes in the garage.  I did keep out a few music books and some CDs, but I miss the packed-up ones.

We also found that we will need to replace our big computer desk and a wooden filing cabinet because of water damage to the bases.  Another bloke is coming tomorrow morning to look at the kitchen cupboards and assess any damage to them.

Last week's heatwave has ended and gone, thank goodness.  Each subsequent day broke new heat records, and the town recorded its hottest ever temperatures.  It was quite unpleasant; last month we had really good rain, but recent heat has dried everything out so much that any benefit from the rain is gone.

Never mind - one day autumn will happen.

"Squint-eyes and cross eyes.
Parents should also be careful that their children do not become squint or cross-eyed through any carelessness.  A child's hair hanging down loosely over its eyes, or a bonnet projecting too far over them, or a loose ribbon or tape fluttering over the forehead, is sometimes sufficient to direct the sight irregularly until it becomes permanently crossed."

Bet you didn't know that, did you?  Just think of all those little eyes blighted because a careless parent allowed a loose ribbon to flutter......

Enjoy your days!

Oh, boy

The stress levels here have been rising, but I am trying to keep a lid on mine.  Kevin is starting to wonder "what if......what if......." and I am saying "don't worry about it.  What happens will happen."

More remediators have been, and we are now two large bookshelves less than we were before The Flood.  The timber end grain soaked up water like a sponge and, as they weren't solid timber, they can't be saved.  Bugger......they were 30 years old but there was nothing wrong with them.......so long as they didn't get wet.  All the books they contained have been packed away.  Everything else in every cupboard in that room will be packed away tomorrow to facilitate laying of new carpet when the time comes, and we don't know how long it will be until it can be accessed again.

Oh well.  What happens, will happen.

Our first two remediators who removed damaged carpets and set up the noisy fans were a cheery young couple who worked like Trojans, but I didn't warm to the second two, a younger bloke and an older bloke.  The younger bloke was fine, also a cheery young feller, but the older bloke (and he isn't as old as we are, he just seems older) is one of those blokes who comes storming in like a bull at a gate.  We haven't been through this experience before so are not sure of what happens, and a little gentleness goes a long way.  His voice was loud, his personality was loud.  I don't want him in my home again.  The remediation company is sending people again tomorrow and, if that bloke walks in the front door, I will be walking straight out the back, into the car and down the road and not coming home until he has gone.

Yesterday the insurance company sent an assessor to check out the kitchen cupboards and floor tiles, and his recommendation is that all the tiles be replaced as so many have come loose.  If the flood hadn't been hot water they would have probably stayed stuck down, but the glue under them has dissolved.  The cupboards are, as yet, a still unknown quantity - until someone can get under and behind them we won't know the extent of damage or mould.

On to happier things......

Get a load of this!  Proper applique!!

 Nothing lick 'n' stick about this lot!

Love those fabrics......

I suspect my sewing room will become even more of a refuge than it usually is for the next few months.  That might bode well for a few UFOs......or I could say I am off working on my PHD, Projects Half Done.  Sounds good, doesn't it?  Especially for one who didn't finish high school......

Last Thursday night at choir Carol and I were chatting to a new member (who was slightly appalled to find out that we don't use music, but she'll soon get over that) and Carol and I, who hadn't sat down and chatted before although we have been sitting a row apart for six months, worked out that we had been at school together. Fancy that.  I have never kept in touch with anyone from my school days, they weren't the best days of my life and don't need to be revisited.  Carol was asking the names of girls in my social circle and I couldn't remember.

In a couple of weeks the choir is performing at a charity concert and our leader has asked if the uke group can perform.  There are five members of both choir and uke group but two won't be available, so we're calling in reinforcements.  It seems to have fallen on my shoulders, woo hoo!  Oh, the power......I'm not picking any songs that I don't like, they will be oldies because our concerts attract an older audience who probably wouldn't like heavy metal goth headbanging ukulele music - if so, they will be sadly disappointed.

"Introducing yourself.

If, on entering a drawing room to pay a visit, you are not recognized, mention your name immediately.  If you know but one member of the family and you find others only in the room, introduce yourself to them.  Unless this is done, much awkwardness may be occasioned."

Exactly.  Don't go barging into someone's home saying, "G'day, where's the toilet?"  I don't care how long you have been driving.

Enjoy your days!