All is well......

Turns out Kevin has an issue which is being treated by antibiotics, and nothing has fallen off.....everything is where it should be, which is a relief.

Getting older is not really wonderful at times, is it.

'Weeds of Grace' has come home after its trip out into the world to be quilted; it is now bundled up on the table in my sewing room waiting for more of the binding to be attached.  It's quite a large quilt and manhandling - er, womanhandling it through the machine is not quite easy.

It is truly gorgeous, and I love it!

This week's houses......every neighbourhood needs at least one spotted blue door, don't you think?  And butterflies, our world needs more butterflies for sure.

We have some pieces of coloured glass in our house including the light fiting in our bedroom, made by a local glass artist.  Last week we bumped into each other - not literally, fortunately - when I arrived for choir and Linda and her husband were waiting to go inside for their play rehearsal.  During our usual chitty-chatty I asked Linda if she could make me a leaf from one of my Canadian photos, she said yes......and a week later, here it is!

I sent my photo and Linda used it for a pattern.  It reminds me of our trips in fall; my original photo had different colours but I really like this.  Linda hadn't made a maple leaf before but she enjoyed doing it so much she asked if she could use the pattern to make more.  It was pinned to the sheer curtain in the dining room for this pic, we have yet to decide where to hang it so we can enjoy it.

There's something about light coming through coloured glass that I really like, I have several pieces hanging around the house, stars, diamonds.....you name it, even a wombat.  Some people might find it a bit hippy-dippy - that's their problem.  The world needs more fun, and coloured glass is fun.

We are a week into daylight saving and I am enjoying darker mornings again.  Before we went to bed last Saturday night Kevin trotted around the house changing the clocks, and when I woke on Sunday morning and looked at our bedroom clock I thought to myself, I thought......"my goodness, that's a long sleep-in!" I thought.  The clock read 9.30 a.m.  Computer said 8.30 a.m., I thought it hadn't updated itself as it usually does......but no.  Kevin had moved the bedroom clock forward two hours instead of just one.  It was a bit of a shock to the system first thing in the morning, let me tell you.

Some folk have very strong opinions one way or the other about daylight saving.  City folk generally like it - but not everyone does, while many people living in the country don't - but once again, many country folk do.  Being retired we can pretty much set our own timetables, which we do.  There is a woman living in a smaller town an hour away who used to write to the local rag every year bitterly complaining about daylight saving - I don't know what she expects to happen, have it changed just for her, perhaps?

Today is quite warm and windy, with lots of rain forecast to fall over the next few days.  The washing has been hung out, dried and brought back in already......I had visions of my undies being blown all around town which would never do, would it.  We haven't had a frog croaking in the drainpipe for some time, but last night there was one - a big green tree frog, quite a large one - just outside the back door.  I suppose that means we don't have a snake outside the back door; our poisonous snakes are much worse than frogs.  Perhaps we will serenaded by Drainpipe Froggy once more when the rain starts.

"Five O'Clock Tea, Coffee and Kettle-Drums.

Five o'clock tea, coffee and kettle-drums have recently been introduced into this country from England.  For these invitations are usually issued on the lady's visiting card, with the words written in the left-hand corner.

No answers are expected to these invitations, unless there is an R.S.V.P. on the card.  It is optional with those who attend, to leave cards.  Those who do not attend, call afterwards.  The hostess receives her guests standing, aided by other members of the family or intimate friends.  For a kettle-drum there is usually a crowd, and yet but few remain over half an hour - the conventional time allotted - unless they are detained by music or some entertaining conversation.  A table set in the dining-room is supplied with tea, coffee, chocolate, sandwiches, buns and cakes, which constitute all that is offered to the guests."

In my world a "kettle-drum" is a large musical instrument used in an orchestra, but in the 1800s a "kettle-drum" was an afternoon party invented by the British in India.  A large drum was sometimes used as a table for a large informal party, hence the name; a search for "kettle-drum party" will prove most edifying.  Perhaps we need to bring it back.

Enjoy your days!

A finish, and a start

First, the finish:

The Maple Leaf runner is done!  It's another souvenir of our holiday in Canada.

Then the start:

The next project, what do you reckon?  Batik fabrics, lots of different shades of blue with pops of yellow, gold and orange.  The blue fabrics range from almost green to almost purple, right around the colour wheel.  The small pieces on the left are mostly leftovers from Maritime Beauty a couple of years ago.

Next weekend is my quilt group's annual UFO weekend (mine is still a USO, not a stitch has yet been taken) so I hope to goodness it will all be cut out in time.  It has at least been started, a few pieces have been cut......

Last Sunday's concert went well, the uke group was allowed two songs (we didn't play "Ain't misbehavin'" so it will go in the next concert in a couple more weeks), we didn't disgrace ourselves, and people told us how much they enjoyed us.  The following day Kevin and I were trundling around a local supermarket - the weekly shop is a great social outing here in the Small Smoke, these days we take our thrills where we can get them - when we were approached by a local councilor and his wife who had been at the concert.  We had a nice chat in the frozen food section, they said how much they liked our music......perhaps we should ask the council if we can be official uke players to our fair city?  I can just imagine us strutting along escorting the mayor during a civic procession, plinking as we go......

Lately, money has been flying out the door here at Chez Wombats like you wouldn't believe.  New light fittings have been bought to replace some already here when we moved in; they aren't our taste so out they go, and anyway lights now are much more efficient than they used to be.  The very 1980s lights in the entrance hall, bedroom hallway and Good Room will, thank goodness, be going.  Should you be in the market for some fittings with scrolly brass arms, painted flowers on the middle bits (don't know the technical word, sorry) and tinted glass chimneys, we will shortly have some available.   All offers welcome.  One more fixture to arrive, the shop has it on order, then the electrician can install them for us.  We don't play around with live electricity, we're not that silly, you know.

On Friday my weekly newsletter from The Fabulous CD Shop In The Big Smoke arrived in my inbox, and you probably heard me gasp from your place......there was an entire boxed set of guitarist John Williams on special.  It's now on its way here.  It cost a certain amount of dollars but oh, all that wonderful music......how can you put a price on it......many years ago I saw John Williams play and it was such an experience, I have never forgotten it.

 Continuing on from the last etiquette post, more words of wisdom aimed at the blokes in our lives:

"The beard.
The style of the growth of the beard should be governed by the character of the face.  But whatever the style be, the great point is to keep it well brushed and trimmed, and to avoid any appearance of wildness or inattention.  The full, flowing beard of course requires more looking after in the way of cleanliness than any other.  It should be thoroughly washed and brushed at least twice a day, as dust is sure to accumulate in it, and it is very easy to suffer it to become objectionable to one's self as well as to others.  If it is naturally glossy, it is better to avoid the use of oil or pomatum.  The moustache should be worn neatly and not over-large.  There is nothing that so adds to native manliness as the full beard if carefully and neatly kept."

Beards were certainly popular in the late 1800s, weren't they?  In photographs taken at the time it's rare to see a clean-shaven bloke.  I wonder what women thought of their menfolk when the beards became a bit wild?  Perhaps they were so taken by the native manliness that they didn't mind.  Just imagine how a wild beard would tickle.......

On that note I shall leave you, and head back to the sewing room and the rotary cutter.

Enjoy your days!

There is no more pink!

Those walls are all cream now, and the whole house looks lighter and brighter as a result.  There is more painting to do but, as it means painting a lighter shade of cream over a slightly darker shade, it won't be as obvious.

Before buying this house we looked at others, and one thing we noticed was that coloured 'feature' walls were popular.  Brightly coloured bedrooms were too; one house had a lime green and deep blue bedroom (very teenage boy, but we no longer had teenage boys) and a fairy floss sugar Barbie doll pink and lilac bedroom which was enough to make one feel quite nauseous.  There were several reasons not to buy that house, those coloured rooms were just one.

In comparison, our pink walls were quite tame......but they were rather pink.

I don't mind pink flowers, so long as they stay outside.  I just don't want pink in my house, or on my person.

A pink rose which used to be in our front garden, when it was removed early this year we gave it to a neighbour.

 A pink nerine lily which pops up every year or so, a legacy from the previous pink-wall-loving owner.  The pink walls were a slightly deeper shade of this colour.

 I suppose this is deep pink?  A cyclamen which is doing well to this day, still in the same pot too.

 An Aussie native, Geraldton Wax Flower, a gift from a neighbour's garden.  A large clump was 'pruned' from their plant when a branch fell from a higher tree and broke this one off, so we enjoyed it until it wilted.

 The most heavenly smelling rose I have ever smelled in my life.  Such a shame it wasn't yellow.

 Isn't this interesting?  I have no idea what it is, we saw it last year in Toronto.

With the exception of the vase of Geraldton Wax Flower these were all taken outside.  Not inside.  That's quite all right, you know.

When I was a child my mother sometimes dressed me in pink, and believe me it wasn't a pretty sight.  Way back in the dark ages when I was young every mother's ideal little girl was a slightly chubby blue-eyed curly-haired blonde moppet.  I wasn't.  I was slightly skinny (but no longer, sadly) with auburn hair, dark brown eyes, and freckles.  My mother made it clear that I was a disappointment from the moment I crawled into the world, a fact made worse by the lack of blue eyes and blonde hair.  Some redheads look great in pink - I, alas, am not one of them; my skin tone doesn't take kindly to pink.

Now green, on the other hand......any shade of green.......or teal, or blue, or aqua, or peacock......even yellow, which is a hard colour to wear for some people, and orange.......black is good......not white, or cream, or brown.  I lived through the seventies, I did brown then, I don't need to do brown again.  The seventies were a very brown decade, weren't they?

The maple leaf table runner has had some quilting done, the leaves have been quilted in the ditch, and now I need to get artistic and swirly in the background.    Artistic and swirly aren't always natural for me, you know......it's much easier to draw a line with a ruler than to swirl freehand.

Following on from last week's quote from my 1885 etiquette book:

"There is no society where smiles, pleasant looks and animal spirits are not welcomed and deemed of more importance than sallies of wit, or refinements of understanding.  The little civilities which form the small change of life may appear separately of little movement, but, like the spare pennies which amount to such large fortunes in a lifetime, they owe their importance to repetition and accumulation."

Indeed.  How much nicer it is to be the giver or recipient of more than one kindness, even if it's only a smile.

Enjoy your days!

A foggy day.....in the Small Smoke......

Not quite as good as the original song!  The Small Smoke was enveloped, as they say (love those media clichés, don't you?) in heavy fog this morning, and it didn't lift until midday or so.  Usually fog burns off as the sun rises, but not today.  Our view up the hill looking slightly right:

 Looking left:

 Getting artistic here, taking in some of our garden as well as the hill:

Shame about the unlovely wire fence, but as the view is focused on it disappears from one's vision.

Out the front we could see the houses across the road - just - but nothing beyond them.  No glorious view of the valley, no distant hills, nothing.  Just wet misty whiteness.

One pink wall has gone gone gone!  The wall behind the computer desk, the largest of the pink walls, is now buttery cream......and it looks good enough to eat.  The entrance hall is now being done (Kevin is wielding roller and applying undercoat as we speak) and, with the removal of so much pink, the whole colour of the house is changing.  With the exception of doors and windows every wall in the almost-square entrance hall was pink, so as one entered the house one felt as though one was being gobbled up by a rose.  At night with the lights on it was even more noticeable.  Once the hall is done there is only one small pink wall remaining; once that is repainted all other walls, currently a darker cream than our chosen colour, will be painted to match.

I, for one, am looking forward to that!

Because life has been somewhat hectic lately the gorgeous autumn-toned variegated thread bought to quilt the maple leaf table runner hasn't even been wound onto a bobbin.  There might be a chance tomorrow......there's a possible small window of opportunity which is looking hopeful......all has not been completely untouched in the sewing room, however, as the ten black and white Winding Ways blocks which were cut out have been made up.  They, together with the 23 previously made, are reposing on the design wall, i.e. the spare bed.  It is looking good so far, she says modestly.  That quilt was to have 49 blocks set seven across by seven down and no borders, but now my mind is leaning towards a light (black on white) inner border then a dark (white on black) outer border.  It would mean purchasing fabric though and I am trying to just use what is in my stash apart from buying backing so we shall see........decisions, decisions......at least the binding fabric has been selected, an uneven black and white plaid which will be cut on the bias.

Making a completely colourless quilt is a departure from my usual cheerful choices.  It has been said that "value does the work but colour gets the credit" so here is my chance to prove it.  Some of my fabrics are dark when paired with lighter fabrics but lighter when paired with something darker so the interlocking circles of the design keep changing direction or disappearing, only to re-emerge somewhere else on the quilt.

That sounds as though I know what I'm talking about, doesn't it?

Don't be fooled.  I really haven't a clue.

"The importance of trifles"
Some people are wont to depreciate kind and tender qualities as trifles; but trifles, it must be remembered, make up the aggregate of human life.  The petty incivilities, slight rudenesses and neglects of which men are guilty, without thought, or from lack of foresight or sympathy, are often remembered, while the great acts performed by the same person are often forgotten."

Sadly, that is true.  How often we fasten on the negative, to the detriment of something more joyful and positive.

Enjoy your days!

Welcome to the weekend

It's a long weekend, which makes it even better!  Even though we've been retired for several years a long weekend is still exciting.

The big news here is - the pink walls seen in this picture are finally going.  (That's not a real orchid you know, it's a gen-u-ine imitation)  It will be a little while yet until they are gone, but the process has started.  There is something like 4,000 metres of pink and blue floral wallpaper cornice border around the walls of the entrance hall, kitchen, large family room and hallway leading to the bedrooms......all right, perhaps 4,000 metres is an exaggeration but there is still an awful lot, awful being the word, it's probably quite all right if you like pink, which I don't......and all walls of the entrance hall plus two 'feature' walls in the family room are also painted pink from floor to floral border.  For six years - yes indeed folks, it's six years last month since we moved here - I have been looking at those pink walls and wishing them gone.  Kevin has started scraping off the border first, a tedious job but one recommended by the nice young bloke at a local paint shop who said painting over the border would not be a Good Idea.  (I also suggested it but I'm not a paint shop bloke, so what do I know?)  It's a lot of painting to do so getting it done will be like eating an elephant, one bite at a time.....or in this case, one wall at a time.

A teaser of my table runner.  These are more my colour choices than pink is.

The wadding has been purchased, and once a couple of small obligations are out of the way it will be next.  Every time we use it we will be reminded us of fall in Ontario.The background fabric was purchased locally and compliments the autumn prints well, I think.

Autumn colours around town are looking good now that colder weather has arrived.  While our autumn/winter season is nothing like that experienced in some parts of the world, it's cool enough for us......and for local plants too, it seems.

You will be pleased to hear that the uke hasn't been so neglected this week, and the uke is hopefully happy about that too!  All together now, Stars shining bright above you, night breezes seem to whisper I love you......

Column inches have been written here lately about the current habit of people calling each other "guys".  I don't like being addressed as "guy"; I know it has crept into the language, and while I accept that change is happening around me all the time, I don't have to like those changes.  For instance, when Kevin and I enter a shop I don't like the sales person approaching us saying "Hi, guys".  I'm old.  It's not my word.  One meaning of "guy" dating from the 1830s is a grotesquely or strangely dressed person, and it is used thus in "The Mikado" written in 1884-5 - "And the lady from the provinces who dresses like a guy, who doesn't think she dances but would rather like to try".

Perhaps they aren't greeting us at all, but are passing comment on how we are dressed?

Oh dear......that makes it even worse.

"Good manners are only acquired by education and observation, followed up by habitual practice at home and in society, and good manners reveal to us the lady and the gentleman.  He who does not possess them, though he bear the highest title of nobility, cannot expect to be called a gentleman; nor can a woman, without good manners, aspire to be considered a lady by ladies.

Just remember those words when you are next in the company of other ladies.

Enjoy your days!

Good weather for staying indoors

Yesterday it rained.....and rained......and rained some more.  We had more rain in one day than the June average, so that's something to be cheerful about!  It was a good day for being inside and reading, and sewing, and just doing nothing much at all.

Some work was done on the latest project, a maple leaf table runner.  I am pleased with it, haven't taken any pics yet but will do so this week.  The print fabrics were gorgeous autumn leaf print fabrics, Canadian souvenirs bought at The Cottage Quilter.......what a lovely place to live and work, on Shady Lane beside Lake Nosbonsing.

Showing my age here, but who else remembers "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" sung by The Ames Brothers?  That's a trip down memory lane (hah!) for you all, I bet you'll start singing it any minute now......

Probably should get on with some knitting too.  The current project, Dragonfly Wings lace scarf, has been ongoing for some time because I am finding it difficult to get enthused about more than 200 stitches on the needle at once.  Never mind, the stocking stitch bit is nearly all done then hopefully the lace stitch border won't take long, even though there will be something horrendous like 273 or more stitches to keep track of.  And beads.  I have never knitted with beads before.  Even though I started knitting as a child and over the ensuing umpteen years have knitted countless garments, knitting with beads will be a new experience.  If it all becomes too much, you may even hear me yell from your place.

My poor uke has been sadly neglected of late but the uke group is entered in the Mature Age section of our local eisteddfod in a few weeks, so some practice would be a Good Thing, yes?  Each contestant is only allowed one piece with a time limit of five minutes from the first note being played (time spent setting up stands and chairs is not counted) and our teacher reckons we play "Dream a Little Dream of Me" well enough to inflict it on the paying public.  Last year we vaguely talked about entering but no one did anything about it, so this year I entered us then told the group we were in it.

Some more memories of our recent holiday:  did you know we have volcanoes in Australia?  According to reports, some are overdue to erupt; now that could be interesting.  You can read about them here.

 It doesn't look like much, but this paddock was once a volcano.

 I wonder if this rock was thrown in an eruption, or if someone picked it up and moved it?  That would be quite a job......it was fairly large.

Many years ago while touring in south-western Victoria we visited Tower Hill, an inactive - but not extinct! - volcano not far from Harman's Lookout.  Tower Hill crater is now a lake with a wildlife reserve on the shores and the day we visited there were many emus roaming around.  If the humans didn't bother them, they didn't bother the humans.  However one silly man, one of a tour group visiting from overseas, kept holding out his lunch sandwich to an emu then snatching it away just as the bird went to take it.  He thought it was hilarious - but the emu didn't, so next time the man pulled his lunch back the emu followed through and went to grab it.  The man wasn't having that so he turned to walk away, and the emu followed......the man started running, the emu kept following......the man was jumping, dancing and running to get away from the emu while it was having a great time chasing him.  The man's companions were laughing too much to go to his aid, and Kevin and I laughed too.  Eventually the emu tired of its game and walked away - and, hopefully, that bloke will think twice in future before teasing a wild creature.

"Can any one fancy what our society might be, if all its members were perfect gentlemen and true ladies, if all the inhabitants of the earth were kind-hearted; if, instead of contending with the faults of our fellows, we were each to wage war against our own faults?  Every one needs to guard constantly against the evil from within as well as from without, for, as has been truly said, "a man's greatest foe dwells in his own heart.""

Perhaps the bloke could have saved himself much angst if he had been kind-hearted enough to share his lunch sandwich with that emu, instead of using it to tease the poor bird.

Enjoy your days!

Little WOWs

A notebook with a wombat cover - a gift from a friend - and a wombat car window hanger and sticker, gifts from another friend. I have never decided what to stick the sticker on, so it is still unstuck. The picture on the sticker is similar to highway warning signs in areas where wombats live, although the highway signs are of course much larger.
This is my Pay It Forward gift from Debbie, a very useful basket and pincushion kit which I will have fun sewing. I love the plaids, they look toasty-warm!
And this is my Maple Greetings bag, the fabric is "Greetings From Canada" released about 18 months ago by Thimbleberries, and the pattern is from Hopscotch Quilt Shop, Alberta. When the fabric was released several shops designed patterns to use the range, I bought the pattern and fabric from the Creativ Festival and finished it a few days ago. It is lined with the same blue print as the centre stripe which is printed with maple leaves and all the Canadian provincial flowers. It's a very useful souvenir of our trip to Toronto, a much nicer momento than my damaged arm and shoulder, don't you think? I also have extra of the blue flower print and also of the deep red and gold wheat print next to it, a friend in Victoria B.C. sent it to me - thank you, Lois! The red print Lois gave me has already been used to make a Bear's Paw block for my Bearly Autumn quilt of the future, and I think the flower print might make another.

It's quite silent here tonight, just the kitties and me, Kevin is spending the night in hospital following a minor surgical procedure. He's not a particularly noisy person but it is very quiet without him. The radio is playing on a classical station, and the TV is off. It will be good to have him home tomorrow.

On Friday I have to take my shoulder to the orthopedic specialist again. The x-ray and ultrasound last week showed an 8mm tear in my shoulder tendon. Now 8mm doesn't sound very big, it's quite a narrow seam allowance if one is sewing, but apparently it's considered a fairly large tendon tear. The words "surgical repair" have been heard, but not from my lips I assure you. The physio strapped it up on Friday and said to take the strapping off tonight, which I did carefully, but still took some skin with it. My skin does not like adhesive tape, not even sensitive skin bandaids. I have rubbed it liberally with vitamin E cream which is good for skin and will do so again at bed time....let's hope it feels more normal tomorrow.

Today I cut pieces to make a table runner using the pattern and pack of Thimbleberries charms that I won recently in Tammy's giveaway, and I used my leftover blue Canadian flower fabric as the feature fabric - the other fabrics in the charm pack complimented it well. Tomorrow I'm hoping to cut something else. Cutting is not my favourite part of making anything, I really like joining pieces at the machine, but if I have a few projects cut and made into kits with their instructions it will give me something to sew in odd moments when we move.

We have had a couple of 'lookers' through the house and another is coming tomorrow. But we missed a sale last week when a man who had said he would come cancelled at the last minute. Our house number is 24, and apparently "twenty four" sounds like "violent death" to Chinese people, so he decided the house wasn't for him. But it hasn't worried the other people who have come through.

Summer heat has come back to Sydney, yesterday and today have been most unpleasant. The quilt show on Saturday was an hour south of here in the Southern Highlands, it was lovely and cool - and not humid. I forgot to take my camera with me, but I don't usually take pics at a quilt show as the conditions are far from ideal to take good photos; the quilts are too close together. The challenge was to make an apron, and there were some gorgeous ones! Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit more reasonable here in Sydney, thank goodness. But although it's not the end of February I have seen some trees with leaves changing colour already, that's early! Perhaps it's just shock from the hot summer we have had this year. It was a bit hot today cutting quilt pieces so we hope tomorrow brings some coolth, I have had enough warmth. It's nearly 10pm and it is still horribly hot.

"Walking with a lady acquaintance.
A gentleman should not join a lady acquaintance on the street for the purpose of walking with her, unless he ascertains that his company would be perfectly agreeable to her. It might be otherwise, and she should frankly say so, if asked."

Have a wonderful week.

Jennifer

Packed Up WOW

A friend gave me this wombat as a thank-you for driving her to quilt group....he can leave his little house, but I think he looks cute with that little head peeking out! And of course - this is one wombat all packed and ready to move.
Last week I made one of these little bags as a gift, it's now on its way to America with some fabric. The fabric is Australian flannel flowers and it's lined with soft green. I hope its recipient likes it.

Well, we have done it....our house is now listed for sale. We are feeling quite excited! For many years now we have dreamed of leaving Sydney, and hoped for and sort-of planned for, and now it getting much closer. We still have a son living here so of course we won't be able to see as much of him as we do now, but he has his life. I will miss friends, my sewing and musical friends, but I won't miss Sydney. We won't miss the inconsiderate neighbours, and we won't miss the horrendous traffic. We are hoping to make new friends, and to learn all about living in a smaller community, and it will be an adventure. We are looking forward - not back.

On my sidebar you can see one of the blogs I follow is "Freebies for Crafters", they have a link to the cutest cat stitcheries by Bronwyn Hayes - I don't need any more projects in my life just at the moment, but that is very cute - I might need a project to help with the stress of moving our own cats, might I not? Can't you just imagine two kitties, each in their own cages, howling and wailing their way through a six hour car journey? Not really looking forward to that......

"Dress of hostess at a dinner party.
The dress of a hostess at a dinner party should be rich in material, but subdued in tone, so as not to eclipse any of her guests. A young hostess should wear a dress of rich silk, black or dark in color, with collar and cuffs of fine lace, and if the dinner be by daylight, plain jewellery, but by gaslight, diamonds."

At present the house is open to the weather, we have the windows and doors open to get fresh air - the past week has brought a lot of rain! The last thing we want now is to have a musty house. I love to have the windows open when it's raining but that's not always possible, as rain blows in depending on the direction of the wind.

Now I am going to finish my coffee, and try to sew; today has been quite exciting! Last time we signed papers to sell a house was early in 1987. The new bag has been started, the pieces to make five Maple Leaf blocks - each three inches square - are all laid out ready to be joined. If I get a move on I could have them all made before I head out to choir practice this evening.

Wonder if there will be a choir to join in our new town?

Have a wonderful week, may your seams all match and your points not be too far off matching!

Jennifer

WOW is back!

My wombat coasters are made from pine and are probably cut with a laser because each one of the six is an exact copy of the others. Isn't technology wonderful? If the photo is slightly blurry please forgive me, I am under a slight handicap with only one working hand.
This is a gorgeous tree! Rose Marie told us it's a maple tree, and as she is Canadian I believe her. After all, if a Canadian can't recognise a maple tree no one can. Do you know what I like about this tree.....not only is it a maple tree, but the shape of the tree is almost a maple leaf. Kevin took this pic at Scarborough Bluffs in Toronto. He took many others too, and you will see some of them in due course.

I realised that at the end of October my little blog was a year old. Happy birthday, blog. That means a whole year of wombats!

Today I went to the library for some books to read, my sprained right wrist is just about well enough now to hold a book. It's pretty good most of the time, but occasionally says with gritted teeth 'please don't bend me like that.........' so I stop whatever I'm doing, and do nothing for a while. Today I tried to crochet, it's possible but is a slow painful process. But I shall persevere if I can.

My Beautiful New Overlocker is unpacked and is sitting beside My Lovely New Bernina. They make a gorgeous pair. Hopefully soon I will be able to get to use them again.

Yesterday my folk club had a gig, we enjoyed ourselves....the front row was missing a guitar (me) but at least I can still sing, so sing I did. And I will be able to sing at choir practice tonight.

"Avoid talking of personalities.
Avoid speaking of your birth, your travels and of all personal matters, to those who may misunderstand you, and consider it boasting. When induced to speak of them, do not dwell too long upon them, and do not speak boastfully."

Did I mention that we recently holidayed in Canada?

Have a lovely week, may all your points match and your seams be straight.

Jennifer

Canada Day

Best wishes for Canada Day to my Canadian family and friends! I hope you all have a great day.

As you can see the Maple Leaf runner is finished and on the table; it's already 1st July here in Australia. The fabric is by Deb Strain for Moda from a range called "Love is in the Air" that was released earlier this year for Valentine's Day, with lots of pink, red and white. The pattern is from the book "Maple Leaf Quilts" by Ilene Bartos but the colour scheme is mine, as is the reverse side with just one Maple Leaf block. Quilting is in a red and white variegated polyester thread by Aurifil. And that is indeed a little beaver you can see. It's not easy standing on two chairs trying to photograph something that is a bit long to fit in the viewfinder, but I am woman, I can do anything.

According to Blogger I have completed 100 posts, that's a lot of blather about not much........but wouldn't you think that, after so many posts and photos, I would remember that pics are uploaded in reverse order of selection?

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Jennifer

Garden WOW

Another of my garden wombats that lives in the house, not outside in the garden, although it did go out to have its photo taken. Wombats get tired and need a lie-down.....

It's been a productive week! Last week I made cumquat marmalade, something I had never made before; I have made marmalade years ago but it was regular orange marmalade. It's not bad if I do say so myself (she says, modestly patting self on back). Yesterday I made a very yummy chicken stew in the big slow cooker we bought not long ago. We have sorted out all our CDs and stowed then in their proper places, we didn't realise we had so many. And the binding is more than half sewn down on the Maple Leaf runner so it will be on the table the day after tomorrow.

This morning I was reading an article on the 'gossip' (their word) or 'rubbish' (my word) that passes for entertainment in womens' magazines today. Does the average person really care who is keeping company with whom, or what some actrine looks like without make-up? Are we all supposed to live our lives vicariously through the so-called rich and famous? The article went on to say how much of the stuff published in these magazines is some journalist's idea of what might happen given a certain set of circumstances, which themselves probably don't even exist.

Each to her/his own, but give me a good book any day.

In two weeks we will be heading off in our little caravan for the holiday we didn't have after Easter, and we are looking forward to it. Even though it would seem that life is one permament holiday now we are retired, it's not the same as heading off on a journey. First we will stay a couple of days at Nundle to get over any stress in our lives - if you are still stressed after visiting Nundle then you are in a bad way - my family has a connection with Nundle. My grandfather's birth in 1885, and the births of several of his siblings, was registered at the Nundle courthouse; the building still stands but is now a local history museum. There is a wonderful woollen mill in the village which sells its own knitting yarns, and a patchwork shop on a farm just out of town, the pub does wonderful burgers, and elsewhere in the district some gold mines are still working.

But until then it's business as usual here, housework, sewing, music, reading....not necessarily in that order.

Have a wonderful week!

Jennifer

Coffee break

Some pretty summer blooms for a grey winter day. These are from the frangipani bush in our back yard, they have the most heavenly smell....needless to say they aren't in flower now! It's a dull gloomy day and every time I look out the window I expect to see rain, but none so far.

I am having a coffee break from quilting. All the quilting on the Maple Leaf runner is done - not perfect, far from it, I am not good at free-motion quilting, but it is done - just need to finish off some thread ends, then bind it. But first..........coffee. And chocolate.

We will sleep well tonight. Last night we were roused from sleep by a strange noise which at first sounded like an alarm, then I realised it was my mobile phone playing its merry tune; when I answered it a bloke's voice muttered something so I asked "who are you" - "I'm Brad" he said" - I do not know anyone called Brad. We established that he had woken me up, he started to apologise profusely, I ended the call and looked at the clock, 2.17am. I don't think anyone I know is even awake at 2.17am, let alone making phone calls........if he had an almighty hangover this morning it serves him right.

While I am having coffee I will check out a few blogs on the Quilting Bloggers site, every time I look there are random bloggers selected. The other day I found Deb's blog this way, she has a beautiful quilt on her header that is being donated to the breast cancer quilt project. It looks like a fun quilt to make.

Enjoy your weekend.

Jennifer

Sunny day WOW

A wombat suncatcher with amethyst chips, pewter beads and clear crystals, this one hangs in my sewing room for sparkle - I have other suncatchers with different coloured gems and glass, but only one wombat. Taking a photo of something small while it is swaying gently in the breeze is a bit tricky, but I managed. The quilts in the background are on an old towel rail that I use to drape smaller quilts on, it needs a small repair and I have hinted that a re-painting job wouldn't go stray either. I could do it myself, but as it came from my mother-in-law I figure Kevin would love to do it for me. Keep it in the family, so to speak.

Considering it's winter today is a lovely day, warm and sunny. We have been for a 'Sunday drive' although it's Monday, to look at some hi-fi gear. And guess what.... there is a quilt shop downstairs from the hi-fi shop! How fortuitous! I found just the right fabric for one of my "Pay It Forward" surprises but I won't show it yet because it might give the game away. Speaking of which, I have had only two folk sign up to join in the fun, so there is still a vacancy if anyone is interested.

The pieced back is done for the Maple Leaf runner and when I finish my coffee (which is very nice) I shall dive into my Big Box Of Batting Pieces to see how much pellon is in there, I'm sure there will be enough even if it means piecing some together.

Have a lovely week, may your bobbins always be full and your threads never tangle.

Jennifer

Winter Solstice

Today is winter solstice, the shortest day....now winter starts in earnest. Winter in Sydney is nothing compared to winter in other parts of the world, but we are a bunch of wussies who complain if the temperature goes below 17 degrees - that is to say, some people complain - but moi? Maybe just a little.....the last few days have been damp and cloudy, good weather for staying inside.

The Maple Leaf table runner has the top done, and the back was about to be cut when a little light went "doing!" in my brain. So now, instead of being plain, the back will have one Maple Leaf block in the middle. And of course I measured twice, and cut once, and still cut slightly wrong, but it's nothing that can't be fixed.

Don't you love lime green flowers? The picture is of some chrysanthemums I bought recently, all finished now but very pretty for a while.

And you will all be pleased to know that The Dreaded Lurgy is leaving me slowly but surely, I am feeling way heaps better although the singing voice still hasn't come back. Not sure if I will make choir tomorrow night. We have a gig on Thursday evening, nothing major, just one we do from time to time, but yours truly is the main female soloist. Not because I have the best voice, I'm not sure that I do, just because no one else is game enough (or silly enough) to have a go at a solo. But if the voice hasn't returned by then and I can't do it - then I can't do it.

Now I am going to cut the remaining pieces for the back of the Maple Leaf runner. Have a good solstice....don't go running around the bonfire naked in this cold weather, you will freeze......keep your fig leaf on.

Jennifer

Snuffling WOW

This bag using hand-dyed fabrics was made for me as a gift several years ago. At the time a Brisbane-based Aussie business of fabric dyers and printers had some great designs featuring Aussie icons, the yellow print has wombats dancing along to the words 'snuffle....snuffle....snuffle.....' as they look for grassy shoots to eat. With a wombat applique, and a wooden wombat button, it's a useful bag.

Despite being well and truly out of action over the past week due to a rather nasty respiratory infection I managed to get to the big quilt and craft show yesterday for a few hours. Was able to look at most of the quilts briefly, and to do a very little bit of shopping, before I ran out of steam. With nearly 400 quilts to look at it does take quite a while to get around and to do it justice. I got around, but I'm not sure that I managed to do it justice this year! The winners are here if you would like to feast your eyes.

I have been feeling crook as Rookwood this week but am starting to feel a little better now, thank goodness. Haven't done much by way of sewing or knitting, just a little hand-piecing when my nose wasn't running and my eyes weren't watering. Much of the time I just reclined feeling delicate and fragile. For the non-Aussies among us, "to feel crook" is to feel unwell, and to be "crook as Rookwood" is to feel very unwell indeed. I think the implication may have something to do with being at death's door, Rookwood being a very large cemetery, plus of course the rhyme - some of Aussie slang is rhyming slang.

So as I was feeling very crook I haven't started sewing Maple Leaf blocks. But today I have the strength and energy to thread the machine with red thread, so that's a start isn't it?

Have a lovely week.

Jennifer

Do you know, if I had half a brain.........

.................I would be dangerous. Last weekend I finished knitting the second sleeve of my cardigan that I wrote about here and cast on stitches for one side of the collar. Knitted about 10 rows and realised it wasn't right. Pulled it all out. Cast on again. Knit one row....and realised it was wrong again, because I had been reading instructions for the wrong size......as I said, if I had half a brain I would be dangerous.......it's right now, I am reading the correct size instructions and all is going along well. You don't have to lock me away just yet.

It wouldn't be a weekend post without a picture. We spent several days in Wagga Wagga over new year staying in the caravan park by the Murrumbidgee River, this was taken late in the day when it was very peaceful.

The lovely red and white fabric for the Maple Leaf runner has been treated to stop the colours running (she says with fingers firmly crossed) and is now drying in the breezy sunshine as we speak. And I am about to leave the computer and head for My Lovely New Bernina, to sew together Bears Paw blocks from lovely autumn prints.

Enjoy your weekend.

Jennifer

Night and day.......

..........you are the one....only you beneath the moon and under the sun......

I love old songs. Our theme last night at the music club was "Night and Day" - songs or poems about night, evening, twilight, noon, morning, whatever. It's surprising how many times these words come up in songs! "In the early morning rain" was one song I sang, "Walking after midnight" another. And tomorrow evening my choir has a gig, so lots of singing this weekend.

Before Easter I wrote about this rather gorgeous fabric. This week I ordered some Synthrapol and Retayne to treat the fabrics before I use them - it would be heartbreaking to make up a pretty Maple Leaf runner and have the colours run! That will be the next project I start, and of course there are some UFOs waiting in the cupboard, they will all have their turn in the sun eventually. Everything comes to those who wait.

On Wednesday I had my spa treatment and it was very luxurious. It's probably too little, too late (she says with tongue firmly planted in cheek) but it was nice to be pampered. A bit confronting though, as I had to strip and put on a thick towelling robe for the treatment....as the song says, I just don't look good naked anymore.......one of these days I will learn all the words to that song and perform it in public.......fully clothed.

Unfortunately too, I am becoming resigned to the fact that I am transmogrifying into my mother, a scary thought. My mother was one who "enjoyed ill health" as the saying goes, and I always vowed I would not be like her. Following a recent visit to the doctor, apparently I am at risk of developing some of the same physical symptoms. Age and genetics are taking their toll. Bummer. Double bummer.

But my mother could not sew or play guitar.

Enjoy your weekend.

Jennifer

Edible WOW

A chocloate Easter wombat! A gift from my friend Jasmine, when we caught up for our annual chat at the folk festival at Easter. So far it's still intact because how can I bring myself to eat a wombat, even a chocolate one? But no doubt the day will come when nothing but chocolate will do, and the wombat will be sacrificed.

And a Canadian friend has sent me some beautiful fabric with a design of red maple leaves, aren't friends wonderful! So I will re-think the Maple Leaf table runner design and use this fabric instead, my swirly red and white fabrics will go into another project. Possibly a larger Maple Leaf quilt........I've never been a 'red' person but this could change.......

Speaking of colour.....today we had to make a small foray to the shops and I noticed the displays for Mother's Day next month - they are pink. Pink packaging, pink products. Who decided that women must have pink? Not all women like it, I have never been a pink girl (neither would you be if you had auburn hair, brown eyes and freckles), neither of my girls-in-law are pink either. And purple - I have very few purple garments because of the poem "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple" - I don't think of myself as old, therefore I don't wear purple. Now green, for instance, or yellow; that's what I like. Why doesn't the poem start "When I am an old woman I shall wear sunshine"?

Have a sunny week.

Jennifer

The best laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft agley.......

.....or to put it another way, things don't always go according to plan. We will be going away on Sunday, not tomorrow, and coming home after the festival instead of travelling around for a while. Kevin has been having some medical treatment this week - something we didn't know about last week, it's all been very quick - he has another appointment two weeks from now. He's fine now, the visits are to sort out medication doses. So, we will go to Canberra and enjoy the festival (as we always do!), come home again, and plan a trip some other time.

But the best news is that we have been thinking of another visit to Canada later this year to see our son who is four years into his 12-month working holiday, and this week we have it all booked. Because of the 'current economic climate' (to quote the media) there are some very good air fare deals at present, so our trip will be $2000 cheaper than when we last went over in late 2007! Unfortunately the cheap deals are only between Australia and the US, we had hoped to fly into Vancouver first and hop over to Vancouver Island to meet up with friends, but those are such good prices we have decided to go via Los Angeles again. Our son and his sweetie Kiera live in Toronto so we will spend our time there.

Do you like my rather gorgeous fabric and thread? It's for a Maple Leaf table runner, so we can set a Canadian table on July 1, and toast our Canadian family and friends. Positive/negative fabrics are interesting together, and the thread is Aurifil which I often use, I like it - this one is polyester in variegated red and white which I haven't yet tried, but their cotton thread is lovely. And guess what.......the Road to St Louis will have the last stitch put in its binding this evening.

Have a peaceful Easter!

Jennifer