Canada Day trees

When one has family in another country one enjoys joining in their celebrations, even if at a distance.....so, best wishes for Canada Day to the Canadians!

This is one of my favourite pics that I have ever taken, late in the afternoon on a cool showery October day on the driveway of a B&B where we stayed in Owen Sound, Ontario.  The featured leaf must have not long fallen; the colours were so vivid that it looked to have a light shining through from underneath.....and next morning it looked the same as the other leaves around it.

Coincidentally these two fabrics also came from Canada, part of my giveaway prize, and both were used in Summertime Blues.

Another blue from the same quilt, this time not from Canada.  There were a lot of blue fabrics in that quilt......the contrast was used for the background, border and backing of an autumn batik quilt for which it was, as Goldilocks said, just right.

Numbers 53 and 54 done, so there are still 45 to go.

Because my stash probably doesn't have 198 different batik fabrics there will be some fabrics used for both the 'foliage' and the 'trunk and branches' of trees, but only once for each.  When the blocks are put together it won't matter, anyway.

How has everyone been this week?  We shopped to avert starvation.  Words were read, stitches sewn and knitted; the back of my knitting is progressing well and the first large ball of yarn is just about all used.  It will be interesting to see if the colours vary from ball to ball.  Songs were plinked and sung.

It seems that my Eisteddfod performance made it onto the news on Sunday night, something I could do without!  I really really dislike having my photo taken as I consider I am not at all photogenic, I never like the result, so I certainly don't want to see myself on the screen.  Oh well, it's last week's news now, isn't it.

Last week's post finished up with the sentence "One can't help wondering what constituted "mature age" in those far-ago days, can one?"  Sunday's Eisteddfod section was for 'Mature Performers' which, when I started back in about 2016, was for performers aged 40 and over.  After a couple of years the organisers were approached by younger folk who complained that there was nothing for the over 25's, so could they be included?  I was one who put my hand up for "no" but it was decided that, henceforth, the lower age limit would be 25....as it still is.  Mind you, there is a wealth of difference between a 25 YO with a strong young voice, and a.....shall we say....more mature performer, so it was good to have our mature (very mature!) trumpet player win again.

Back when I was a Sweet Young Thing the age of adulthood was 21, as indeed it was in many parts of the world; my reading threw up the information that in earlier times a male was not considered to be strong enough to bear the weight of armour until that age.  In the 1970s the age of adulthood was changed in Australia to be 18; up till then young males were described as being 'youths'....'a 19 year old youth was apprehended while breaking and entering'......now it would say 'a 19 year old man etc.'   However they still seem quite immature, to me.

Some freezy frosty chilly mornings, fairly cool days, a little rain, and that was our weather this week.  More cold weather is on the way, and more rain, quite a lot if the forecast is to be believed.  We shall see.  It seems like a good time to stay inside and sew, and cook warm food.

We shall continue from last week's quote.

"A gentleman's conduct toward ladies.

"As soon, however, as a young gentleman neglects all others, to devote himself to a single lady, he gives that lady reason to suppose that he is particularly attracted to her, and may giver her cause to believe that she is to become engaged to him, without telling her so.  A gentleman who does not contemplate matrimony should not pay too exclusive attention to any one lady."

No indeed, he should not.  He will raise her hopes which will then be dashed if, as used to be said, he does not come up to scratch.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Solstice trees

Yes, I know the solstice was two days ago, but that's when they were made.  Yesterday was my annual chance at fame and glory - which was a lot of fun! - so that was the afternoon gone, and the rest of the day was taken up with other Stuff.  So here we are again, just a little later than usual.

A red tree, the colour of desert sand....just looking at that colour makes me feel hot.  The contrast is left from an earlier tree and was also used in Summertime Blues; there was just enough left for a few one-inch strips, and now it is all gone.  It has served well.

Love this green and blue fabric, it was a purchase in Canberra a few months ago.  The clear bright orange was the binding for Summertime Blues.

A fun pair for the solstice.

Yesterday was the annual Eisteddfod performance, and it went well.  The audience was wonderfully responsive - they laughed in all the right places, of which there were many - and although I didn't win the "most entertaining" award I was given a special "most versatile" award, which was a great thrill.  I was the only performer who recited a poem (in which some lines were sung) and also accompanied myself on ukulele while singing another song, I don't think any of the other performers had quite as many tricks up their respective sleeves.  (Perhaps they're not trick ponies like what I am.)  It's always nice to chat to other performers over a cuppa afterwards, and to say as we're leaving "see you next year!"

So now I have to find a song for next year, there is one in mind....and another poem.....

The winner of "most entertaining" was Ron who played trumpet, and who is pushing 90; in fact, he may have just tipped over its edge.  He plays every year, and has also won previously.  We both thought that his playing last year was perhaps getting past his best, but yesterday he more than made up for it and played beautifully.  I hope to be that good when I'm pushing 90!

The red of today's sandy desert tree puts me in mind of the time Kevin and I attended a camping and caravanning show, back when we lived in the Big Smoke.  We liked to check out different vans, although we had no intention of buying, because we could often pick up ideas for our little van; I remember one van being completely fitted out with terracotta red, cupboards, curtains, upholstery, bed furnishings, the lot.  As soon as we walked in the temperature felt several degrees hotter than outside - perhaps it wasn't, but the strong colour had that effect - we both decided that we wouldn't want to take that van to the outback, because it would feel much hotter inside than out.

On another occasion we stepped into a van which was done in black, black cupboards with black benchtops and blinds, and which had been staged with a frou-frou red satin quilt and pillows and vases of red silk roses.  It put both of us in mind of an over-the-top bordello in an old western movie, and we couldn't stop laughing.  Fortunately the salesman saw the funny side, and laughed with us.

How has everyone been this week?  We hunted and gathered so we haven't yet starved, words were read, stitches were knitted and sewn.  Songs were plinked and sung and many moments were taken up with practising my party pieces for Saturday, so now that's over I may have some spare moments.  The hole on my elbow is slowly healing and my arm hasn't fallen off, for which I am thankful.

Some recent mornings have been freezy frosty chilly, and the fire has been welcome.  Today is quite mild by comparison while tomorrow's forecast is for showers, so that seems like a good day to stay inside and do inside Stuff like sewing....or perhaps trying out the possible song for next year....

This week's quote is a long paragraph, so it is broken into two sections.

"A gentleman's conduct toward ladies.

Young people of either sex, who have arrived at mature age, and who are not engaged, have much freedom in their social intercourse in this country, and are with the consent, knowledge and approval of parents or guardians at liberty to associate and mingle freely in the same circles with those of the opposite sex.  Gentlemen are thus at liberty to invite their lady friends to concerts, operas, balls, etc., to call upon them at their homes, to ride and drive with them, and make themselves agreeable to all young ladies to whom their company is acceptable.  In fact, they are at liberty to accept invitations and give them if parents or guardians knowingly approve."

One can't help wondering what constituted "mature age" in those far-ago days, can one?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Halfway through Arboretum!

Blocks 49 and 50 were made during the week.  As the quilt needs 99 blocks that's halfway through, yes?

Another blue fabric used in Summertime Blues, one with a slight tropical lagoon feel.  The contrast is a mottled blue/green/brown, a bit muddy as batiks can be, but ideal for this purpose.

Another golden brown tree....I didn't realise how many golden brown batiks were in the Big Basket until I started making trees!  However, they make ideal autumn foliage.  The contrast has been in the stash for quite some time, and does a good job of pretending to be textured tree bark.

This week's achievements, numbers 49 and 50.

The handing sleeve for Autumn Rhapsody is in the process of being re-made, as the original was too long.  Once that's finished and sewn to the quilt it will finally be considered 'finished', and taken to a park to be photographed.  One of the features in the chosen park is an old-fashioned bandstand with four or five steps up to a stage area, and the wooden railing around the stage looks to be an ideal place to drape a large quilt.

Stitches have been sewn and knitted, and the back of the jumper/cardy is progressing up the armhole decreases.  Words have been read.  Songs have been plinked and sung, and my party pieces - one poem, and one song - for next Sunday's Eisteddfod performance have been scrolling through my mind on a continuous loop so they are firmly entrenched in my brain.  The usual weekly hunting and gathering ensured that we won't starve (although we might have to if the price of food keeps going up) and so another week rolls along.

The hole in my elbow is slowly healing, and the visit to the doctor on Friday yields the information that the Thing which was biopsied is an actinic keratosis.  Such Things apparently can, over time, develop into cancer, but given my advanced age already I'm not too concerned.  After it has a month to heal, said the doctor, there's a cream to use which will make it go away.  Jolly good, I said.  I can do that.  It's better than surgery.....mind you, anything is better than surgery, isn't it.

So, that's that.

I wonder if those folk who wear (almost wear!) their bum-baring swimsuits will be given the same news by their doctor in years to come?  There is probably a good chance that they will, given the nature of the Australian sun.  Just imagine having to have bits of your cheeks cut out.....oooh ouch......

My generation grew up before sunscreens had been invented and children back then were sent outside to play without hats or sun protection, although very young babies often wore a hat.  I can recall being horrendously sunburnt more than once, often badly enough to the point of blistering then peeling - ouch - and both my brothers were too.  When I was a slender young thing of 17 I was allowed to go to the Big Smoke for a holiday all by myself, and while there spent time on a beach in my brand new bikini; here in the Small Smoke there were no beaches although there was an outdoor swimming pool, so time at the beach was to be savoured.  The last day before going home the entire day was spent on the beach so of course I was really cooked, so much so that the new bikini had to be worn as underwear for the next week, because it fitted inside the white lines on the skin.  There is still a freckled patch on the outside of my upper thigh where the worst of that burn happened.

Silly me.  Unfortunately we didn't know better in those days; we had no idea that in years to come many of us would be having bits burnt, frozen and scraped out as a result of those decisions made - or not made at all - when young.

We have come to the end of the chapter on Etiquette of Travelling, so now we move onto Courtship and Marriage.

"The correct behaviour of young men towards young ladies, and of young ladies toward young men during that portion of their lives when they are respectively paying attention to, and receiving attention from, one another, is a matter which requires consideration in a work of this nature."

It is indeed.  Young men and young ladies may need guidance in such matters.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Forty seven, forty eight......

The Arboretum is now up to four dozen trees.

It is getting difficult to fit them all in one photo.....and it's even better than I envisaged it would be.  

One of this week's trees, the second almost but not quite purple fabric from my prize bundle, which also made an appearance in Summertime Blues..  There was a small amount of this striking orange in the bag of strips, and it makes a good contrast.  

A softer greenish-brown with a glorious golden yellow contrast which, if memory serves me correctly, was also used in Summertime Blues.    

I'm more than happy with this week's trees.....but then, I usually am.

The yellow will make a gorgeous tree too, when it has its turn; it's the same colour as our wattle bush which is now covered in tiny buds and which in a couple of months will be spectacular, so of course there needs to be a wattle tree in the Arboretum.

How has everyone been this week?  Words have been read, and stitches sewn and knitted.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  We hunted and gathered.  A visit to the doctor for me to have a Thing on my right elbow looked at was far from being a highlight of the week, let me tell you.  There is now a painful hole in my upper elbow from where a biopsy sample was taken, but at least my arm hasn't fallen off.... although it hurts.

Before my hair started to go grey my hair was red - not pale ginger as my father's was, thank goodness, but deep rich auburn.  It has now been scientifically established that redheads bleed more when injured, and we feel pain more readily than other people; if we are being given anesthetic it takes more to knock us out too.  There is a lot of information online about the subject, here is one site that you or redheaded members of your family may find interesting.  When my second baby was born he came out so quickly that I suffered slight tearing, and when the doctor was stitching me up I complained that he was hurting me.  Rubbish, he said, I gave you a local anesthetic first.  Well, it's not working, I said.  With what is now known about redheads and pain, it's not surprising that it was painful.

That is perhaps why my elbow is still so sore several days after its very minor operation, although it's probably not surprising considering the hole.  It's so deep that it could go clear through to the other side of the world, you know.

Old Man Winter has arrived with a vengeance.  The wind is quite chilly and there isn't much sun - not that there would be much warmth from it, anyway - the fire is burning, and it is a better day to be in looking out than out looking in.  It's a good day to sew, or knit, or just sit with a coffee and read a chapter or two.  Or three, or four......

One thing I don't do is read much online news, or watch news on TV.  There is so much murder and mayhem and gloom and doom that, if you let it, it will drag you down, so in the interests of my mental elf I am carefully choosing what to take in and what to ignore.  An Olde Pharte such as me has no power to influence what is happening in the world in general, and we do need to look after our mental elf, don't we?

"Trusting the driver.

While driving with another who holds the rains, 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 therefor.  You should resign yourself to the driver's control, and be perfectly calm and self-possessed during the course of a drive."

One could suggest the same for passengers in a contemporary motor vehicle, yes?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A sunset tree

An Aussie sunset tree, at that.  This is the only batik fabric in the Big Basket which has an Aussie design, of eucalypt leaves and blossoms.  The colours are 'late afternoon/sunset', aren't they?  The contrast is a deep creamy colour.

Another fabric used in Summertime Blues.  The contrast is a smokey grey/green with more colours than it shows here; it reminds me of some species of eucalypt leaves which are grey/green colour rather than bright green.

An interesting pair, taking the total up to 46.

The knitting's progress.  The back of whatever it is going to be - jumper probably, cardigan possibly - is now long enough that decreasing for the armholes can start.

I like the colours, but am not sure that I love the stripes - I was hoping for more random patterning.  Never mind; it will probably be worn at home rather than out, as when one is no longer in the first slenderness of youth (not like I was once.....sigh......) horizontal stripes are not flattering. This blue/purple/green colourway is not as green as I thought it might be, to judge from the sample yarn in the colour card, but I can live with it.

I remember when yarns with more than one colour first appeared on the market, and what a novelty they were!  Most were variegated shades of one colour, but some were multicoloured; many was the child in those days (late 1960s/early 70s) who wore bright multi-coloured jumpers, so much more cheerful than the single coloured yarns previously available.  I remember making and wearing a sleeveless crocheted buttoned vest, in variegated mossy green.....it went very well with a white shirt with a big wide collar (also made by me, as were most of my clothes in those days) and a long dark green woollen skirt made of woven fabric, not knitted or crocheted.  Long woollen skirts were The Very Thing back then, as was crocheted clothing, and I certainly made and wore my share. 

One of my 'makes' was a crocheted top in good quality (read: expensive) bright red wool yarn, .  The body was plain crochet with a lace work yoke, and the tops of the short sleeves were the same lace design.  It was pretty, I wore it with pride, until one day it needed to be washed and the bloke to whom I was married at the time threw it in the washing machine with everything else.....I wasn't home at the time to throw up my hands in horror and say "fergawdssake don't do that!"......and, of course, it shrunk and felted.  It still fitted - just - but had lost the crisp stitch definition.  As you can probably guess, I wasn't impressed.

Many of those patterns came from women's magazines of the time.  In later years those same magazines were derided by feminists for their recipes and knitting and crocheted patterns, and while many of them are still around they now seem to be filled with rubbish articles on so-called "celebrities", people we neither know nor care about.  At least those magazines of years gone by were useful.

Last week's rain has resulted in the garden looking lush and green, and the weeds doing amazingly well.  More is forecast for the coming week, enough to keep those weeds growing higher and higher.  Now it is June, winter is lurking around the corner, and those warm jumpers of mine will come into their own.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Notes have been plinked and words sung.  We hunted and gathered and ran around a bit, and so another week passed us by.

"In assisting a lady to enter a carriage, a gentleman will take care that the skirt of her dress is not allowed to hang outside.  A carriage robe should be provided to protect her dress from the mud and dust of the road.  The gentleman should provide the lady with her parasol, fan and shawl, and see that she is comfortable in every way, before he seats himself."

Taking a carriage ride in those days was quite a business, wasn't it?  All those things to remember, although most of them are just common sense.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer