Finally - some progress

It's been ages since my Canadian quilt was worked on.....since before we want down south early last month, certainly.  However, in recent times it has been prominent on the sewing table.

The original Cunning Plan was worked out after watching various quilt-as-you-go tutorials, and this bit - inserting the border batting between the front and back of the quilt - looked to be easy peasy.  One video suggested using batting joining tape which I didn't have, but I had been assured that iron-on interfacing would do as well.  Well, it didn't......I suspect the problem was the temperature of the iron; the interfacing needed a hotter temperature to make it bond than I used.  The quilt fabrics being cotton batiks could take a hot temperature but the batting is a wool/poly blend, so a hot temperature could cause the poly in the blend to melt.

So, a new Cunning Plan was needed.

I have been tacking the border batting to the quilt centre panel batting using herringbone stitch, as you can see; it only needs to stay tacked until the border quilting is done, to hold it in place.  Three and a half sides have been tacked.  It is tedious work but will soon be finished, then the border can be pinned and quilted.  That's the folded-back quilt border that you can see.

A quiet corner of the lake at the caravan park where we stayed last month, just north of Canberra.  We would certainly stay there again.....just not between April and, say, September/October.

It has been cold, and the fire is welcome.  Today is quite pleasant out in the sun, but once around a shady corner it's a different story.  Our gig this morning went well but oh my.....what a freezy frosty start to the day it was.  Fortunately we were inside.

Yesterday afternoon's Eisteddfod performance went well; I was pleased with how I played and sang.  Although I wasn't judged the winner several people came up to me afterwards to say how much they enjoyed my funny song, and our choir director Bill, who was judging, has already booked me to sing it at the next choir concert later in the year.  Woohoo, fame!  I don't mind at all not winning; it's the feedback and comments from the audience members - mostly fellow musicians - that I value more, and can learn from.

We thought we were in for a rather expensive week as the kitchen light packed it in....did you know that many LED light fittings can't just have the lights inside changed?  the whole thing has to be replaced by an electrician....so now we have a plainer but very bright - my heavens it's bright! - new light.  That same day the dishwasher seemed to be having a few conniptions so the electrician also looked at it for us but couldn't find anything wrong.  It's fine, he said.  We have taken his word for it, but I'm not quite convinced.

Last month while we weren't here a milestone was passed, it was twelve years since we shook the dust of the Big Smoke from our heels and moved into this house.  My goodness....how time does fly!  It's been a good move for the most part; being in a smaller town compared to very big city does have a few drawbacks, but the sense of community and lack of traffic congestion more than make up for that.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"Common civility requires that those who have not been present, but who were among the guests invited, should, when meeting the hostess the first time after an entertainment, make it a point to express some acknowledgement of their appreciation of the invitation, by regretting their inability to be present."

Indeed.  No need to make a big song and dance about it, just "thank you for the invitation, I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend" will suffice.

Enjoy your days!

I have seen the light......

A few months ago when having my annual eye exam the optician recommended getting a task light.....good idea, I said.  I kept meaning to go shopping for one but time flew by then we went away and were busy after coming home again.  However - a few days ago I announced that I (we) would go light shopping.  So I (we) did.

Isn't it a pretty colour?  It goes with my green chair - in the same colour family, at least - and gives a wonderful light for handwork; the flexible neck was pulled down for this pic.  You can also see my new Jennifer table with my Stuff on it, including a wombat coaster for my drink of choice which is usually either water or coffee.

The lighting shop had this colour reduced because - can you believe it - green doesn't always sell as well as other colours do.  It is euphemistically called 'Mint' although I have never seen mint that colour; it's more like aqua, and it holds hands nicely with my smokey turquoise chair.

If you look up 'mint green' a range of colours appears, very few of which I would associate with the bright vibrant green of mint plants.  

Some fallen leaves in Canberra last month, mostly from plane trees.

Even when fallen they make a pretty picture against the grey pavers.

Plinking has happened, practice for the Eisteddfod on Saturday afternoon and the market outside town on Sunday morning.  (No sleep in for me on Sunday!)  Knitting has happened, the first sleeve on the new jumper/cardy is coming along well.  Sewing has happened, a few more diamonds have been sewn together and more have been cut.  My Canadian quilt is now on my work table waiting to have the batting tacked together inside the border layers - not as difficult as it sounds - I am looking forward to having it done.  

Books have been read, some better than others.....I've always been a quick reader, had my own library card when I was about four years old.  Neither of my parents were readers, so I don't know where I came from.

We are now seeing ads for the next sportfest, the Commonwealth Games, which will be happening in the next month or two or three, I don't really know or care.  What I do care about, what really makes my blood boil, is the wording of ads for those games, ads hailing our 'heroes' accompanied by people wearing sports clothes and waving medals.  To me a 'hero' is someone who does something selfless for another, sometimes at the risk of their own life, not someone who can run or swim faster or jump higher than another person.

Another grumble:  last night one of my favourite movies 'The Dressmaker' was on TV so we watched it - and it had scenes cut out!  How annoying was that!  At least we could still admire the wonderful costumes.  Not everyone who sees this movie has enjoyed it but anyone who grew up in a country town would, I think, get it; the pettiness of small town life, the gossip, the closing of ranks against anyone perceived as an outsider.  Our Canberra son's father-in-law also likes it; he grew up in a small town.

We've had some cold frosty mornings and some grey days.  I'm glad I don't live where the sun doesn't shine for months on end.....I can't imagine what that would be like.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"The difference between a ball and an evening party is, that at a ball there must be dancing, and at an evening party there may or may not be.  A London authority defines a ball to be "an assemblage for dancing of not less than seventy-five persons."

Considering that many dances are for two people, or for two or four couples, I wonder who decided the figure of seventy-five persons was a good number?  Someone who can't count, perhaps.

Enjoy your days!

Not such a wuss after all

We had been thinking, all the time we were away and since returning home, that it was cold....decidedly chilly, in fact....and it seems we were right.  The weather statistics up to the end of last month were released and our state has, indeed, seen the coldest start to winter since the mid-1980s.....and who can remember temperatures from that far back?  Can you remember how cold it was on a particular mid-winter day in, say, 1993?  

Neither can I.

This is The Big Green Jumper, a garment which is worth its (not inconsiderable) weight in gold during cold weather.

It is big, it is deep mossy green, and it is warm.  The pure wool yarn came from Bendigo Woollen Mills a very long time ago, and the pattern was bought a few years before that.  In the original design the rope cables outlining the centre and side front panels had bobbles knitted into them but I don't care for bobbles, so they were omitted.  I can't remember when it was finished, but I do remember knitting it while touring New Zealand in a hired motorhome back in late 2000.  It is warm because there are so many cables in the design and every cable is double thickness - because that's how they are made.

Stitches have been knitted on the latest jumper/cardy, whatever it decides it wants to be, although it is leaning towards being another jumper which would fit my clothing style more than a cardy, and guess what...it will have cables on the front!

Some more three-diamond hexagons have been pieced.  Two blocks were made yesterday, BOMs for the quilt group, so they are now caught up.  

The major project during the coming week is to get out the Canadian quilt, and start working on the borders.  The batting needs to be firmly attached inside the borders, then quilting will happen to hold it all in place.  Then binding....we'll be on the homeward stretch, yay!  And, of, course, a label.

Not much plinking has happened, but it will.  

Soup has been made, cauliflower and chorizo soup.  The original recipe called for bacon but one day I happened to have chorizo instead so thought I would give it a whirl, and we found that we prefer its smokey taste.  One it has cooled down it will be smooshed (technical word, that) with the stick blender, and there will be soup for the coming chilly days.  One thing to be said for cold weather - soup makes it easy to get in one's daily serve of veggies, doesn't it?

A couple of days ago we took a heater to a local op shop as we no longer have need for it, and in this cold weather someone else may need it.  While we were there we checked out the goodies for sale and found Just The Very Thing to sit beside my TV/hand work chair, a small square table with one drawer and room for all my paraphenalia on top.  What a useful little table it is, to be sure!  I was using a slightly ricketty folding tray table - this is more stable, and a better height for me.  I have no idea if it was a bedside table or a low hall table, but it makes a handy dandy Jennifer table and was $20 well spent.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"In leaving a ball, it is not necessary to wish the lady of the house a good night.  In leaving a small dance or party, it is civil to do so."

Indeed.  That sounds like the right thing to do, doesn't it?

Enjoy your days!

The tumbling story so far

A little while ago the pieces waiting to be pressed were duly done, then the completed pieces laid out for their first progress pic.

I like it....it is coming along just as I hoped.  The lightest side will be on top, the darkest side on the right, and something in between on the left.  Apart from that I'm not getting too precious about value, it will work itself out as it goes along, and nothing will be fussy cut because I like random.

These are fabrics left from my tumbler quilt, either repros - some bought many years ago - or fabrics which hold hands nicely with repros.  Several of the light fabrics are left from cutting backgrounds for my autumn leaf quilt, still in pieces in a box, although quite a lot of joining has been done.  One day it will be finished.  One day.

Back when we lived in the Big Smoke I was a member of the state quilt guild and used to enjoy attending their meetings, especially the annual 'market day' where for $5 members could book a table and sell whatever they wished.  Some gems were bought at those days - the yellow and black sashing fabric for my house quilt was one - and a bag of mixed green reproduction fabrics was another.  They were useful in my tumbler quilt, and they will be useful in this one too.

This is a quiet corner of the caravan park where we stayed just north of Canberra.  Once again, don't be fooled by the blue sky - it wasn't *quite* warm, and the leaves had nearly all blown off the trees..

One of those cheeky cockatoos at the coffee shop, in the rain.  The owner told us he has had to replace the umbrella because of bird damage.....those cockies have sharp beaks!

The Turon River at Sofala.  As in last week's pic, you can see where debris carried by higher river levels has been left behind.

Isn't this fun?  Taken in the back yard of a cafe in Sofala....a large flower made from rusty shovels, and Ned Kelly wearing his legendary armour.  

Something to look at while we enjoyed excellent coffee and very nice treats.  We were there too late for the autumn colour on their young trees, just peeking on the left.

It's been a busy week with ukulele group, choir, U3A, the usual hunting and gathering, and on Friday afternoon we rolled up our sleeves and had our flu shots.  I do not like pointy medical things.  It was a cold day too, but for ease of being spiked we wore short sleeves with a jacket over the top.  We were quite glad to be home again and in warmer clothes, it's a bit too cool for bare skin right now and the fire is welcome.

The ukulele group has two - two! - gigs coming up: market day at a small church hall just out of town (one of our regular gigs before covid pulled the plug on nearly everything in the world) and a charity musical afternoon, something else we used to do annually.  Also in a few weeks it will be The Day For Me To Make The Annual Fool of Myself at the Eisteddfod; I never expect to be chosen the winner and so far haven't been disappointed in that, but I enjoy sharing my songs with an audience.....particularly as I know songs which few, if any, other people in this town would know, and which the audience always enjoy.  One woman stopped me once while we were out shopping to congratulate me on my choice of songs; "You always have the best songs, Jennifer!" she said, which coming from a fellow musician is valued praise.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"Public balls are most enjoyable when you have your own party.  The great charm of a ball is its perfect accord and harmony.  All altercations, loud talking, and noisy laughter are doubly ill-mannered in a ballroom.  Very little suffices to disturb the whole party."

A polite well bred person does not draw attention to themselves, or indeed to their group of friends, by being too loud.  Some folk today could also take note of that.

Enjoy your days!