Meeting and greeting

It's been a busy week, finishing with my quilt group's show.....and I was so busy meeting-and-greeting-hello-that-will-be-five-dollars-please at the door that no pics were taken.  However, it was very successful, and we think that we will have a heap of money to donate to our chosen charity.

Between dealing with Kevin's issues, and household Stuff, and Friday, Saturday and today at the quilt show, very little happened in the sewing room.  The two side borders for the house quilt have been measured and trimmed to size ready to be sewn on; the coming Wednesday has been earmarked as a sewing day, so fingers crossed that nothing intervenes.

So we shall go trawling through the photo vault.

Aren't these windows wonderful?  I have a thing for coloured glass, stained glass, painted glass.....I love it all.  These are some of the windows in the National Library of Australia - and they are huge; it's difficult to see in a photo but they are also quite thick, and the 'leading' between pieces of glass is concrete.

This is stained glass on a huge scale, folks.

There is coloured glass in the foyer, and in the (always excellent) café.

There is also coloured glass in the (also very excellent) shop where one can find all manner of treasures.

Many of those treasures include books.

If you would like to know more about the windows, here is some information.  Next year the windows will celebrate their 60th birthday, they are looking pretty good for their age!

It might be difficult in future to make our annual trip to Canberra which is sad, but there are always memories....even if they aren't as good as being there in person.  Come to that, it might be difficult to go anywhere except just local places.

As stated above, not much was achieved this week.  Stitches were sewn by hand but not on a machine; there are a couple of appointments in the coming week, so another row or two of knitting may be finished.  No songs were sung as choir had a week off, but my musical friend came around on Monday and we plinked and sang to our hearts' content.  We managed to buy food.  That was it.

A program we have been watching when it comes on occasionally - when it isn't replaced by sport, sport and more bloody sport - is about the veterinary staff at Taronga Zoo and its other location south-west of us at Dubbo.  Many years ago in the Big Smoke our cats used to visit a vet whose son was a member of the vet staff at Taronga - how interesting would that be? - quite a change from domestic cats, dogs and birds.

Prior to that we lived in a house not far away but on the other side of a busy highway, so we used a closer vet.  Back in the mid-1980s many councils were banning circuses from their area, but our council had not yet done so.  One time Perry's Circus was set up not far away so of course we took ourselves and our sons along, as Kevin's paternal grandmother was a member of the Perry circus family.  Just imagine the street cred when you are about 6 or 8 years old, and you find out you are related to the bloke who works with lions!  One day just after our circus visit our cat needed to visit the nearby vet, and he made us laugh by telling us that a man called in one day and asked if he made house calls.....no, he said, you will need to bring the animal here to me.  Well, that's a bit difficult said the visitor, it's a lion!  One of the circus lions had an ingrown eyelash which was giving him grief and he was not a happy kitty, so the vet duly trotted along to visit the lion, tranquilise it a little and deal with the eye problem.  His heart was in his mouth the whole time, he said, but what a story to dine out on.  No doubt kitty was relieved to have his eye problem fixed, too.

Getting married is not free, there are costs associated with beginning a life of wedded bliss.

"The wedding fees.

There is no prescribed fee for performing the marriage ceremony.  It is regulated according to the means and liberality of the bridegroom, but no less amount than one pound should be given under any circumstances."

It seems that one pound in Australia in 1885 would now be $317.06 in today's money.  It's still not a huge amount, is it?  Not to forever join with the love of one's life.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Preparing a label

A label for the neighbourhood quilt is being prepared.  It still needs interfacing ironed to the back - that will take care of those wrinkles, I wish it were that easy to get rid of people wrinkles - and to have the words traced on and embroidered.

This is the same size as all the houses, 6-1/2 inches square (it will finish at six inches) with a very pale garden and sky, because they may need to be embroidered over.  The thread is Valdani floss, colour 'bright', a single strand will be used for the stitching.

The green borders aren't quite finished, but are getting closer.  There seem to have been many demands on my time this week and, when I wasn't needed for something, I was too pooped to do more than just sit and veg out with the current book.  There are a lot of leftover green strips; there could even be enough to make another border....a double border would look really good....but, apart from the extra work (which, when all is said and done, wouldn't be that bad) it's already a large quilt, 84 inches or so square, so do I really want to make it another five inches larger?  The answer is - no.  Probably not.  Maybe not.....it might look good though, mightn't it.....

Many years ago I embroidered two flower pictures.  It was so long ago that I don't remember why they were done, but a little niggle in my brain tells me that there were never any plans to use them for anything particular.  They were just something to do.  The overcasting stitch around the edges was done on my Singer machine which was pensioned off in 1999, so it was a long time ago.

The stitches are simple and both pieces used similar colours so an idea may have been to use them together, perhaps as cushions.  Fabric is, I think, synthetic linen, the embroidered section is about six inches wide by less than six inches high, so not quite square, and they are from iron-on transfers.

They recently turned up when I was looking for something in my sewing room; I knew they were there, but couldn't recall where they had been stored.  They might become table centres framed with floral prints, or perhaps they will turn into bags.  No doubt inspiration will eventually strike.  

Spring is well and truly springing, and 'Wee Johnnie' is flowering in the backyard once more.  He's a bit erratic and doesn't put on a good display every year, but he's currently looking good.

A larger version, which we don't have, is called 'Little John'.  

How has everyone been this week?  We made it to the mechanic at stupid early o'clock on Friday....we weren't battering down his door at 8 a.m., but we weren't very much later....then we shouted ourselves breakfast at the café a few doors away, and jolly good it was too.  And yes, I had eggs Benny.

Stitches have been sewn but none knitted, as neither of us had appointments with waiting time.  Songs were sung.  Food was foraged.  Many words were read.  The coming week will be taken up with some baking as a couple of slices will be needed for the weekend; my quilt group is having its show, and as it's been three years since the last one we want to do it well.

An friend from interstate has been working in a town not very far away and yesterday she drove to Tamworth, where we took in the Textile Triennial currently on display.  We then drove to a café for lunch, checked out the gallery next door to the café, then drove back down the hill to finish looking at the Textile Triennial.  It's always fun to catch up with friends, especially one not seen for a year, and Arboretum was flashed around for show and tell; when we met up last year it was just some blocks, so my friend enjoyed seeing the finished quilt.

We need to arrange our ceremony.

"Arrangements for the ceremonies.

In weddings at churches a person is often provided, who is expected to be at the church as soon as the doors are opened.  He arranges beforehand for the spreading of a carpet from the church door to the pavement, and if the weather be inclement, he sees that an awning is also spread.  He also sees that a white ribbon is stretched across the main aisle of the church, far enough back from the altar to afford sufficient room for all invited guests to occupy the front pews of the main aisle.  Sometimes an arch of flowers extends over the aisle, so as to divide those who come in wedding garments, from those who do not.  The organist should be early at his post, and is expected to play during the arrival of guests.  The order of the religious part of the marriage ceremony is fixed by the church in which it occurs."

I don't think I have ever been to a wedding which had a section of the church all to itself.....or to a church which was similarly divided, so that only invited guests in their wedding finery could sit in the Best Seats while the hoi polloi was relegated to the cheapies at the back.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

It isn't easy being green.....

.....having to spend each day the colour of the leaves......to quote Kermit the Frog.

Four border strips are being made, and the second piece from the top on the second strip from the right has - frogs!  Perhaps one of them is Kermit.  Pieces are cut three inches wide but different lengths as you can see, and they are not exclusively green; some have orange, purple, white, yellow....because gardens are never just one shade of green, are they?

Four more pairs are pinned ready to be sewn on my 1950 Singer Featherweight.  Each and every stitch on this quilt has been made on this machine, but the binding will have to be sewn on My Lovely New Bernina because the Featherweight doesn't have a walking foot.

 Pieces are being randomly picked from the mess on the sewing room table in no particular order as to length or colour, and two are joined; four of these sets are made.  Then a third piece is added to the four sets, then a fourth, so the four sets are four pieces long - but, of course, they are different lengths, because the pieces are selected at random.  However - the four strips hanging in front of the cupboard are almost exactly the same length, how about that!  There is only an inch difference between the shortest and longest strips.  The two side pieces need to be 79-1/2 inches long so there is a little way to go yet, and the top and bottom strips will be about five inches longer again.

That has been the highlight of my week.  How about everyone else?

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn by hand and by machine, and stitches have also been knitted because there were a couple of appointments.  Songs were sung, but I have been a bit lazy and not picked up uke or guitar because U3A groups are on holidays.  I decided that I would not continue as leader next year; sadly the response to trying more complex songs (rather than just songs with two or three easy chords) has been disappointingly underwhelming.  I would like to persist but have enough balls in the air at present, so that will be dropped.....but only that, and my friend will come here instead so we can play music together.  I plan to keep on with choir, and with my quilting group and sewing group, because I need those breaks from my duties as reluctant carer.

Yesterday afternoon we were out and about and I pointed out to Kevin that, as he knows that I dislike driving but am just trying to just get on with it to the best of my ability, a word or two of encouragement rather than criticism would go a long way.  All he said was "well, you're not driving as fast as you were".  Well - thank you for nothing.

My brain has pretty much adjusted to daylight saving.  The joy of being retired is not having to adhere to a strict morning timetable (although someone who shall be nameless has booked the car in for 8 a.m. next Friday, my gawd that's way heaps too early for me) but to ease into most days gradually.  I have said that if I have to be out and about at such an ungodly hour, I expect to have breakfast somewhere nice where I am seated and someone waits on me, to compensate for such an early start.  I am thinking eggs Benny might be suitable recompense.  Just.

When we retired we coped quite well with the change from two cars to one; Kevin had a car with his job so I used 'our' car.  However, going from two drivers to one has turned out to be much more challenging.  No more can he go to the fruit/vegie shop (which, by the way, sells very nice gelato) or take the car to its servicing, or take himself to his own appointments, leaving me at home in peace.  One benefit is, I suspect that we are now using less fuel than before because I refuse to go out for just one thing, whereas he used to go out at the drop of a hat.  Or a car key.

Now we can look forward to getting some bridal loot.

"Bridal presents.

When bridal presents are given, they are sent to the bride previous to the day of the marriage ceremony.  At the universal bridal present has fallen into disuse, this custom is not now considered obligatory, and if immediate friends and relatives desire to make presents, it should be spontaneous, and in no sense considered obligatory.  These presents are still put on exhibition as formerly, and are acknowledged by the bride in a private note to the donor.  It is not now, however, considered in good form to talk about these contributions."

Tamworth Historical Society has, in their museum, some of the wedding clothing worn by a woman who was married in the 1890s.  (Such tiny feets and narrow shoulders and teeny waists......)  The display also includes copies of pages from the local paper of the time describing the wedding - which includes a list of gifts, all laid out for anyone and everyone to read and compare.  Tactfully, the monetary amounts of cheques are not published, just the fact that 'Mr and Mrs So-and-So presented the bride and groom with a cheque'.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Caterwauling around the neighbourhood

All four borders are now on the neighbourhood quilt.  It's getting rather large for a full pic, so here is one corner.

Some of the green fabrics ready waiting to be joined into strips for the outer borders.  To keep those strips manageable these will be joined into shorter strips, then into longer ones, then into very long ones.

Recently the postman left a surprise - a delightful gift from my friend Sandra in the Big Smoke!  A table mat made from Ozzie fabric, embellished with hand embroidery....I specially love the mum and baby wombat.

That wasn't all; this fun hanging made from a tea towel, once again decorated with hand embroidery, was also in the package.

Thank you, Sandra - I love them!

Because my brain doesn't have enough to think about these days, it has started thinking about the next hand-pieced project when the tumbling blocks are done.  

A few years ago I bought a set of diamond templates in different sizes, based on the size of a hexagon - three diamonds make one hexagon, which is the tumbling blocks pattern.  Three diamonds in this size make a 4-1/2 in hexagon; the diamond itself is a manageable size to work with, and I like the idea of diamonds set together - not in a hexagon shape, as in the tumbling blocks.  Just vertical diamonds.  This repro fabric remnant was just big enough to cut two, so I might cut more....just an odd one here and there....and see what I think; they can be waiting in the wings.

How has everyone been this week?  We drift along as usual, going with the flow.....one day we'll probably just flow right on down the drain hole.....words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Songs have been sung.  We shopped.  The plates are mostly still spinning in the air.

At stupid dark early o'clock this morning, 2 a.m. to be precise, daylight saving started.  We had intentions of doing as we usually do (note that I say usually, not always) which is to set the clocks forward before going to bed, but last night we forgot....so first thing out of bed this morning I set the kitchen wall clock, after breakfast I set the oven clock (go me!) and before bedtime I will set our bedroom clock/radio.  Computers and phones change by special magic.  Kevin has usually done this little task, but not this year....probably never again, if truth be known.  Once my body adjusts to the difference I will be fine, but it usually takes a few days to reset my brain.  Mornings have been getting a bit too light a bit too early for me, not being a morning person as what I am not, so it will be nice to have darker mornings again for a while.

Many years ago we spent a few summer days in Queensland, a state which doesn't have daylight saving, and I remember being horrified when it was nearly broad daylight at 4 a.m......noooooo!!! not for me!

My goodness - there are some stupid ads on TV these days, a real insult to one's intelligence.  As soon as an ad appears I hit the mute button; ads seem to be recorded at a louder volume than the program they are interrupting, something I find irritating beyond measure.  The stupidest ads, I find, are those put out by insurance companies, specifically car insurance, followed not far behind by an ad for a building society featuring two women wearing the most dreadful wigs ever inflicted on actors.  We are quite happy with our current banking arrangements, but even if we weren't there is no way I would use that building society because of their stupid ads.

End of rant, thank you for listening.  Returning you to your regular programming now.

We're still making our wedding arrangements.

"Requirements if the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen should allow nothing but illness or some unavoidable accident to prevent them from officiating, thus showing their appreciation of the friendship which has caused their selection to this honoured position.  If by reason of sudden affliction, some one of the bridesmaids is prevented from attending, a substitute should, if possible, be provided immediately.  The reasons for this, however, should be well understood, that no opportunity may be given for uncharitable comments."

No doubt there may be times when a substitute bridesmaid may be needed.  It is probably a good idea, however, to make sure she fits into the required dress beforehand, as it would be unkind to expect a larger size maid to squeeze into the dress intended for a smaller lass and still do justice to the honour bestowed upon her.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer