Only a few days until we leave

Or three more sleeps, if you count nights.

More diamonds have been cut, but once again none have been sewn as they are being saved for holiday sewing.  Recently it occurred to me that a pattern bought several years ago on one of our Canadian trips could also come along......after all, we'll be gone for over five weeks and one needs something to do, doesn't one.

The pattern came with the small skein of overdyed thread, the others are from my collection and are the correct colours used.  My fabric - there's not a whole heap of embroidery fabric choices here in the Small Smoke, you know - is greyer than on the sample picture, but it is bluer than it looks.

I haven't done any cross stitch for ages, it will be interesting to get back to some again.  The fabric needs to be cut as it's much too big, and overlocked around the edges....a little task for later today.

Yesterday was, I believe, International Quilting Day, so I marked it by attending a quilt show in a town north of here.  The group has an annual show - never huge, but always interesting - and yesterday's was no exception.  This year marks their 40th anniversary so there were several red quilts, as 40th anniversary is ruby.  It was a pleasant day for a Nice Sunday Drive; we shouted ourselves lunch at a club, and I enjoyed seeing the quilts.  Yes, I know it wasn't Sunday.  A Nice Sunday Drive can be taken any day of the week, you know.

This weekend there has been a craft show here.  Before we moved here, so I have been told, it used to be held annually then stopped, but started up again several years ago.  After a few years it stopped again; this weekend's show was the first since well before the plague, and I have to say it was disappointing.  My one and only purchase on Friday was a portable table light.  There were a few quilt shops selling their wares, but nothing tempting.  One of Helen Godden's quilts was on display....her huge Australian quilt, which was amazing......she was doing a 2-hour class on a painted design, but that's not something I do.  I just sew fabric together.

It's not the largest quilt I have ever seen, though.  On one of our Canadian visits I was fortunate to see the "Quilt of Belonging", which is incredible - and 120 feet long.

This was taken on one of our trips to Canberra.  The closer those swans came to us, the more menacing they looked!

Swans are quite large birds.  I could have gone closer for a better pic, but no.  Not me.

Stitches have been knitted, yesterday's drive provided an opportunity to get several rows done.  The yarn is knitting up very interestingly, more so than a single colour would.  Words have been read,  Notes have been plinked and sung, and of course a ukulele will be going away with me too.  A little - very little - hunting and gathering today for a few things which will be needed on the trip, and that's it.

Even though we will be busy packing and organising we plan to take some time out on Tuesday to celebrate our wedding anniversary - 48 years!  And neither of us has yet committed murder!!

We will back at the end of April.  Until then, I leave you with some words of wisdom about Etiquette in Public Places, Conduct in Opera, Theatre or Public Hall:

"On entering the hall, theatre or opera house the gentleman should walk side by side with his companion unless the aisle is too narrow, in which case he should precede her.  Upon reaching the seats, he should allow her to take the inner one, assuming the outer one himself."

Of course he should.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Coming along splendiferously

'Autumn Splendour' is progressing nicely.....this is how it looks after a sewing session at quilt group on Tuesday.

It is now 32 inches square; the Maple Leaf blocks are eight inches finished.

This is how it will look with the next square round added.  Two opposite corners have three Maple Leaf blocks each, while the leaf print strips and some more HST blocks make up the sides......I couldn't resist trying it out.

It is looking browner than I had hoped, although some of those autumn prints are quite bright - but then, the lighting in the spare bedroom is a bit dull on this cloudy day and the background fabrics are light tan/beige rather than blinding white.

The original quilt, published in a magazine, used much brighter colours - red, yellow, green, orange - and brighter background fabrics too, but it said "spring" rather than "autumn" to me, despite the leaf blocks.  The colours in my quilt are much more the colours we have seen during our autumn visits to Canada with brighter colours popping out here and there among brown oak leaves, some yellow/green and orange leaves.....and, of course, red maple leaves.

How have you all been?  We are well, my recalcitrant knee is still firmly attached thanks, no doubt, to the exercises which are diligently done daily.  The usual hunting and gathering was done with an eye to "what do we need to take away with us" shopping as well, as it's only ten days until we leave.

Diamonds have been cut but none sewn, they are being saved for holiday sewing.  Stitches have been knitted and the ribbing on the back is now complete, so the next row will start the stocking stitch section.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sewn.

Our trip away needs some thinking as a few Occasions need to be organised.  The day after we arrive in Canberra will be our son's birthday - we don't get to celebrate with him in person very often, so a table has been booked for lunch at a pub which we like and where our son hasn't eaten.  The One And Only Grandkid will be joining us too.  

My performer ticket for the folk festival at Easter has been downloaded and printed; strolling around wearing a 'performer' wristband is a thrill I never tire of, I can tell you.  My entry for the Eisteddfod in June has gone in, so once again I will be making a fool of myself in public.

And - we have our (free) tickets organised for the National Gallery of Australia, where the Rajah Quilt will be on display!  I was lucky enough to see it many years ago when it was part of a touring exhibition; we were living in the Big Smoke and drove 90 minutes south to see it.  Each and every one of those 90 minutes was worthwhile.  I had trouble tearing myself away....there is so much to look at, so many fabrics (the backs of some fabrics are used, the conjecture is that lighting in the bowels of a convict ship wasn't very good), so much colour....some of the patches are bright yellow/gold.  There is a replica in Canada, held in the Elizabeth Fry Society in Ottawa; we learned at school about Elizabeth Fry and her organisation which helped convicts, women convicts in particular, on those long voyages to the other side of the world.

One of Kevin's ancestors, a Irish woman named Mary Heffernan, arrived in Tasmania in 1841 - but not on the 'Rajah'.  She seems to have been quite a woman who, even after her marriage, was often up before the court on charges of prostitution, drunkenness or fighting.....no quiet life for Mary, it seems, although she did eventually settle down to marriage and family.  Perhaps - sewing patchwork may not have been her thing?

Continuing with Etiquette of Public Places, Invitation to Opera or Concert:

"It is the gentleman's duty to secure good seats for the entertainment, or else he or his companion may be obliged to take up with seats where they can neither see nor hear."

If that is the case - there is no point attending, is there?  One may as well stay home and entertain one's self.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Yay goody for me - again!

Well, I did it....I won another blue ribbon, that's twice in my life!  How good is that!

When I went to collect my quilt this morning imagine my surprise when there was a blue ribbon pinned to it - something I did not expect.  Because of the continuing heat I didn't get to the show to see it hanging, and I wish now that I had done so.  

If you haven't seen the whole quilt before - or even if you have - this is it.

The ribbon and certificate will be kept with the quilt.  The eventual plan for when I am no longer on this earth is that the quilt will go to our son and his partner in Canada, and as the blue ribbon is now part of its story it will, of course, go too.

Yesterday the fabric was cut for one of the inner borders in my leaf quilt, hereinafter to be called 'Autumn Splendour'.  It was a toss-up between different fabrics, but I think this one will work well for a pieced border; there are leaf blocks and half-square triangles in that particular round (it's a medallion quilt) used with wide strips of print fabric.

Some work will be done on it at quilt group on Tuesday, then it will be put aside until we return from down south.  Love those autumn colours......

No diamonds were cut, although I had better get a move on with them as I want a good supply ready to take away with me.  Some stitches were knitted, and it's interesting to see how that pretty yarn knits up.  The two tees didn't have their sleeve hems repaired but there is always this week, isn't there.  Words were read.  Knee exercises are being faithfully done.  Hunting and gathering was once more undertaken.

We have had more extreme heat but today is - thank goodness - much milder; I for one feel as though I have more energy when it isn't so hot, and indeed have found this summer's heat to be quite distressing at times.  There might even be some playing around in my sewing room later this afternoon - perhaps some of those recalcitrant diamonds may be cut.  

Our U3A ukulele group on Thursday afternoons is proceeding along nicely.  This term we had four - four! - brand new beginners start; one has decided to have some lessons with a teacher then return to us when she is more confident, one is coming along really well, another is managing nicely, and we haven't seen the fourth again.  Hopefully she will decide to come back as she has previous musical experience, so she's not a complete beginner.  All up, we blunder along quite nicely......especially when I am leading, as I am at present while the main leader is away.  Even though I don't really know what I'm doing.

A few of us from uke also attend Thursday night choir, and last Thursday night lovely Liz was very complimentary when telling me how much she enjoyed that afternoon's uke playing - such feedback is very welcome!

We have now concluded our Conduct in Church section of Etiquette in Public Places, so now we are off to the theatre.

"Invitation to opera or concert.

A gentleman upon inviting a lady to accompany him to opera, theatre, concert or other public place of amusement, must send his invitation the previous day.  The lady must reply immediately, so that if she declines there shall yet be time for the gentleman to secure another companion.  The consent of parents or guardians is necessary."

This advice was, of course, written long before the advent of folk having personal phones....these days an invitation would probably be sent by a text, which isn't very romantic, is it?  I'm afraid "do u wanna go w me c u at 8" doesn't have the same tone as a nicely hand-written note.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer