Glorious golden gorgeousness

Don't you love the alliteration?  This is our little wattle bush, which is now doing amazingly well.

It was planted several years ago and for quite a while really struggled, not helped by the fact that its leaves were eaten off - all but three.  It was a collection of sticks with those few little green leaves; Kevin was all for pulling it out but I said "it's not dead, you know, it has three green leaves" so he left it.  I can't remember what it's called, there is probably a card somewhere in a Very Safe Place, but suffice it to say it's an Aussie native.  It didn't flower at all last year, not one little golden ball despite flowering for two years before that, perhaps the drought was still in its veins - but it is now making up for lost time.

This week's houses, don't you love that eye-popping fabric on the left?     

My black and white stash includes other eye poppers, too.  I also like the white gingko leaves on black and wish my stash also had it in the reverse colourway.  Some green squares were also joined, making two strips of seven squares.

Baking for the tumbler quilt is being pieced as we speak.  The extra wide fabric for the backing was bought on our trip down south a few months ago and is large enough for the purpose but there are also quite a few tumblers left from the front which had been made into a wide strip, because I'm not wasting all that hand piecing.  The backing and quilt top were spread out on the design bed then the pieced panel laid on top, leftover border fabrics were brought out, and much thinking was done.  The thinking resulted in the decision that, no matter how deeply I thought, there was not going to be enough of the outer border stripe for my purpose.  Bugger, said I.  So the local store it was brought from was rung, the details on the selvage quoted......"yes, we still have some, how much would you like?"  "I'll take the lot" said I, bearing in mind that this is the shop which is closing down forever and ever next month, so what's not bought from them now may have to remain unbought for all time.  Kevin collected it for me (50% off, woo hoo!) and it is exactly perfectly the right amount.  Measuring was done, more thinking was done, figures were written down, more thinking, coffee was drunk, more thinking.....oh no, that's not right, it needs to be cut double the height not double the width, erase some figures, write in new (hopefully correct) ones.  The panel is now made, it is waiting to be pressed, then the backing will be cut into two pieces and the pieced panel joined in.......and I will be happy.  

It will be booked in with a local quilter when we are allowed to talk to people - which we aren't much at present, because we are locked down.  Again.  Despite having no active cases of plague our town was locked down for a week from 5 p.m. last Monday, as a woman who later tested positive had visited family here the previous week.  We still have no cases but the lockdown has extended to the whole state, so until at least the end of next weekend and goodness knows how much longer we are only allowed out for hunting and gathering, and essential shopping such as medicinal stuff and things like that.  Again.  Sigh....

So we sit around and sew, and knit, and plink the occasional note on a uke, and read, and do crosswords (me) or soduku (Kevin), and grin at each other.  At least we're still allowed to do that.

"The dress.

The dress for receptions is, for men, morning dress; for ladies, demi-toilet, with or without bonnet.  No low-necked dress nor short sleeves should be seen at day receptions, nor white neckties and dress coats.

The material of a lady's costume may be of velvet, silk, muslin, gauze or grenadine, according to the season of the year, and taste of the wearer, but her more elegant jewellery and laces should be reserved for evening parties."

Right now, I'm ashamed to say, our day and evening attire consists of trakky daks.......but I always wear earrings.

Enjoy your days!