Melting, melting.....

The past week has been almost unbearably hot, with many towns seeing record-breaking temperatures.  While our town didn't see records tumble (to quote a favourite media cliché) it has been quite nasty, at times, and we will be glad to see the last of it.  We even have hopes of some rain later; the heatwave has negated any benefit from rain of two or three weeks ago.

As a result almost nothing of consequence happened in the sewing room, certainly nothing worthy of a photo.  The moose table topper is now layered and pinned ready for quilting, which will be done during the coming week once cooler temperatures arrive; my brain turns to mush and I can't concentrate in such extreme heat as we have had.  

Trawling through the photo vault has yielded some gems.

During our last visit to Canada we stayed with friends on Vancouver Island, and while there we visited the Northern Island Wildlife Recovery Centre where we made the acquaintance of this interesting bird.

You have to smile at that comical face, don't you!  It was a large owl which came to the Centre after being hit by a vehicle; due to its damaged wing it could no longer fly and hunt, so it was living out its best life and educating visitors while doing so.

The year before we shook the dust of the Big Smoke from our heels we took ourselves on an outing to Mount Tomah Botanic Garden, which specialises in cool climate plants.  I don't remember the name of this plant but it was spring, so perhaps those autumn-like colours are its new spring growth; many Australian native plants have pale pinkish/bronze colouring for their new shoots.

The visitor centre had a display of waratahs, our state floral emblem.....I love waratahs.  There was a children's colouring competition, a display of individual blooms, mostly red but with some white - yes, white waratahs really exist - and floral arrangements featuring waratahs.

A close up of a vivid red waratah surrounded by its serrated leathery leaves, with a few fern fronds peeking in at the side.

On my bookshelf is a slim book about the waratah as a decorative feature, and very interesting it is too.  Back in the late 1800s there was a great interest in using Australian flora and fauna as decorative motifs, and the waratah was up there with the best;  you could decorate your home with waratahs carved in wood for your fireplace, printed on wallpaper for your wall or fabric for your curtains, painted on plates or cups to decorate your table....just about anything you desired could be decorated with waratahs, and very exuberant they were too.

Words have been read, many words, because staying out of that fierce heat with one's nose buried in a book was one way to spend several hot days.  No stitches have been knitted.  More diamonds have been cut for hand-piecing, and hand-piecing of diamonds continues.  At this rate, I will be able to open my own gem mine in no time at all. We braved the heat to go out for food.

In recent days the socials, as they seem to be called, have been alight with plaintive pleas of "can anyone hem my daughter's school dresses before school goes back next week?".  While I realise that not everyone has advanced or even basic sewing skills, if you have a daughter or two who wear dresses which need to have hems taken up and let down, would it not be an idea to learn some sewing skills in order to do so?  It's not haute couture, after all, just very basic sewing for which basic supplies are needed, and would save you money in the long run.  Basic sewing used to be taught in schools, to my knowledge it no longer is ('Textile and Design' was a subject when I worked in high school before retiring; students could make quite complicated creations, but I could not attest to their hemming skills) but as a 'life skill' it is invaluable.

Off my soap box.....

Our visitors departed on Tuesday morning, our musician friend sporting four new tyres on his blue car ($$$$!), something he wasn't expecting when he arrived here ten days earlier.  At least those new tyres made his long trip home a safe one, albeit something of a sticker shock.  We have sometimes had to sort out mechanical issues while away too, not a fun activity but a necessary one for a trip to continue.

"Conduct of the fiancée.

The conduct of the fiancée should be tender, assiduous and unobtrusive.  He will be kind and polite to the sisters of his betrothed and friendly with her brothers.  Yet he must not be in any way unduly familiar or force himself into family confidences on the ground that he is to be regarded as a member of the family.  Let the advance come rather from them to him, and let him show a due appreciation of any confidences which they may be pleased to bestow upon him.  The family of the young man should make the first advances toward an acquaintance with his future wife.  They should call upon her or write to her, and they may with perfect propriety invite her to visit them in order that they may become acquainted."

No doubt the young woman would be apprehensive to meet her future in-laws, as indeed he was to meet his.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Less stressed trees

Less stress is good.  Kevin's hand is still healing (it was quite a bad injury) so the medical appointments are less frequent than they were, although they haven't yet ceased; the bulky bandage has been removed and it's now down to a large adhesive dressing.  He is relieved.  

Because he is complaining less, I am also relieved.  I might even get that long-awaited rest soon.

As a result, this week's trees are not quite as stressed as the past couple of weeks' were.  A slightly muddy brown, with green contrast.....

.....and a clear bright orange.  Both the orange fabric and the blue contrast are left over from Summertime Blues.

Numbers 77 and 78.  It probably doesn't matter which is which - and that only leaves 21 to go!

The conclusion has been reached that there might not be enough fabrics to make 99 different trees, so I might need to go shopping....gosh darn, what a shame.....several of the fabrics which were used for contrasts are too small to make a tree, while others are tone on tone fabrics which, while they made excellent thin trunks and branches, don't have enough variety of print or colour for a tree.  The result would end up looking like a blob of one colour, something I am trying to avoid.  

There is no weekly wattle pic today because flowering has finished for the year, but many branches have new growth on them, which augurs well for next year's flowering.

How has everyone been this week?  We have been well (apart from Kevin's hand); stitches have been sewn and knitted, one sleeve is finished and work is progressing well on the second sleeve, thanks to all those medical visits.  One sits and waits....so one knits......  Words have been read.  Songs have been plinked and sung, and there is one more Thursday ukulele left - so then I will be able to go back to choir!  One of the choir members was at last Sunday's historical museum day, and asked me when was I coming back....we miss you, she said....I miss you too, I said, I'll be back soon.

Being the current chauffeur, I am getting plenty of experience driving the new(ish) car.  I'm not a confident driver, in fact I don't really care much at all for driving, I only drive because it's quicker than walking.  It's not helped by the fact that Kevin used to be a instructor of advanced driving techniques.  I don't like driving with him beside me, as he's very critical of other drivers.  Super critical, in fact.  He knows I don't like having him as a passenger so he doesn't say much but I can hear his brain ticking over with what he's not saying, just the same.  Last Wednesday the doctor said no driving yet, we'll see what this week brings.

We are heading toward the spring equinox which, so my reading informs me, will be at 4.19 a.m. on Tuesday 23rd September.  I won't be getting up for it, it will just have to pass me by.  We are finishing the last few days of winter with rain - Friday night was very rainy - and slightly cooler temps than earlier in the week, so cool in fact that there is soup simmering in the slow cooker as we speak.  Early in the winter I made a batch of chicken stock which, because it doesn't contain preservatives and suchlike Stuff, needs to be used within a reasonable time frame; the last container of it is now adding flavour to butternut squash, and onion, and green Thai curry paste, with light coconut milk being added during the blending process.

"It must be remembered that husband and wife, after marriage, have social relations to sustain, and perhaps it will be discovered, before many months of wedded life have passed, when there is a social inequality, that one of the two have made a sacrifice for which no adequate compensation has been or ever will be received.  And so both lives become soured and spoiled, because neither receives nor can receive the sympathy which their efforts deserve, and because their cares are multiplied from a want of congeniality.  One or the other may find that the noble qualities seen by the impulse of early love were but the creation of an infatuated fancy, existing only in the mind where it originated.

Well, yes.  This is probably so.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A couple of late trees

Yesterday afternoon we were at the theatre, so this week's post is a trifle late.

First, a turquoise tree.....

....then an azurite/malachite tree......

.....and these make 60 trees finished!

If memory serves me correctly these are the last trees made from fabrics from my prize bundle, and they were both, of course, used in Summertime Blues.

Azurite/malachite is a real mineral.  It has both deep blue azurite and rich green malachite, and examples I found online were quite spectacular.  I can see it making beautiful jewellery, I could fancy some earrings....or a ring.....yummm......

Yesterday's theatrical afternoon was a play with music about the life of George Formby, a British performer of years gone by, whose trademark was his ukulele.  Many of his songs are still popular today, however his career, like that of several others, fizzled away after the end of World War II.  His morale-boosting concerts and films did a lot to lift the spirits of civilians and servicemen and women alike, but once the war was over people didn't want to be reminded of those sad times so they turned away in droves.  He was only 56 when he died, just a few months after his wife Beryl, but his songs live on.  The play was very clever, just two performers, a real-life mother and son; mother played the parts of George's mother and of his beloved Beryl, while son played George.  With just a few props and some quick on-stage costume changes, the story was very cleverly done.

How has everyone been this week?  Apart from our jaunt to the theatre it's been a busy week; the choir's charity concert on Saturday night went off well and I had the chance to repeat my award-winning performances with both song and poem, which was fun and which was well received.  Stitches have been sewn but not knitted, one of these days the knitting will be picked up again, however the two-part hanging sleeve on my autumn quilt is now half done.  Once it's finished, those needles and yarn will once more take the quilt's place on my lap.  We hunted and gathered, so we won't starve.

The new car is very comfortable to ride in.  It has now been in our lives for several days and we are getting used to looking at a different shade of silver/grey than in the past.  It might look slightly posh, but it's still a boring colour.  We have had a silver/grey vee-hickle since 2002 so we should be used to boring by now, shouldn't we.

Lime green would have been so nice.....sunshine yellow would be lovely....deep golden orange would be scrumptious, or perhaps bright turquoise......anything but silver/grey.  This will be the last car we ever buy, however, so I suppose we are stuck with boring.

Oh well.  Sigh......at least we have a car.....

Winter continues with some quite chilly mornings.  Earlier this year the long-range forecast was for a warmer than average winter, but so far it's been fairly cool; days are nice, but mornings are definitely not for roaming around barefoot in the grass.  Some rain has fallen and more is forecast which is good, as winter is usually our driest season.  The fire has been doing its job of keeping us warm.

My thoughts have been turning to cutting fabric for another quilt, something I really don't need to do - yet - but after Arboretum is done that might be the time.  For many many years I have wanted to make a yellow quilt, the fabrics have been pulled, and it just might have its turn once those trees are finished.  A search through an older magazine has yielded an easy design, so perhaps that will be The One.  Just think, sunshine gold....lemon yellow.....mustard....butter yellow......wattle flowers and daffodils and other yellow flowers....the more I think about it, the more I want to fondle those fabrics.

Way back when I first started patchwork in the early 1990s yellow was a difficult colour to find, so I bought it when I found it.  It's easier to source these days, but I really don't need to go shopping for yellow fabric as that golden stash is calling.

"Premature declaration.

It is very injudicious, not to say presumptuous, for a gentleman to make a proposal to a young lady on too brief an acquaintance.  A lady who would accept a gentleman at first sight can hardly possess the discretion needed to make a good wife."

I had to look twice at the heading.....and yes, accepting a gentleman at first sight seems somewhat impetuous, to me.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A tree growing underwater, and a winter tree

It must be underwater, because there are fish.

Another fabric from my prize bundle which was used in Summertime Blues....fish swimming in a tree is not something that you see every day, so perhaps it's in the depths of the ocean somewhere.  The contrast is left from my Canadian quilt, in keeping with the blue watery theme.

My memory tells me that this fabric was bought on one of our trips to Canada.  I'm not sure if the background is blue, or grey, or even edging toward pale lavender, but it suits our current freezy frosty chilly weather.  The contrast was a piece of fabric from I know not where which would have made an interesting tree; sadly it wasn't wide enough, but it livens up the pale background.

Two very different trees, numbers 57 and 58.

How has everyone been this week?  We shopped for various things, including the ongoing search for another vee-hickle (of which more later).  Words were read, stitches were sewn; the hanging sleeve on Autumn Rhapsody is about one quarter done, and it keeps my lap warm while doing so.  

Songs were sung, and my Eisteddfod song is being practised again because - I have been asked for a repeat performance!  How fabulous is that!!  Our choir director Bill has asked me to reprise both song and poem at a concert we are doing next Saturday evening, for an organisation which raises money to give practical help to local folk who are given a cancer diagnosis.  Bill himself was on the receiving end of their help a few years ago, so he does as much as he can to assist.  His original plan was to ask a few of the shining lights in the local music theatre scene to perform, but he has since decided that "we can do it ourselves, we don't need outsiders to put on a good show!"  I feel very honoured to be asked.

The search for the new car has moved onto Plan B.  Last weekend we went for a test drive in a car about which we know absolutely less than nothing, and an online search turned up quite a  bit of dissatisfaction among owners.  Added to that Kevin drove it to our regular mechanic around the corner from the car yard, and was told "nah, mate, I wouldn't touch it".  The four-letter word starting with sh and ending with it was also used by the mechanic as a description, so we hastily backed out of that deal and went to another dealer up the hill.  Result:  we have found our new chariot and will take possession when the money side of things is sorted, money is being moved around as we speak, and hopefully it won't be long.  It's a smallish-medium SUV; much as we would both like a little car for zipping around we are finding that small low cars are getting difficult to get in and out of as we age, and as neither of us are tall we like the extra height while in traffic.

Only thing is, like many other cars on the road the new car is grey....the current car is very light silver/grey, the new one slightly darker silver/grey......grey is not a colour.  Grey is a mood.

The rain which we were eagerly awaiting last week eventually fell that day, but not in any great quantity.  We are told there may be some sprinkles during the coming week - we certainly hope so.

The elbow which is being treated with the fancy (expensive!) cream hasn't fallen off yet, for which we are thankful.  I am assuming that the cream will do wonders and, eventually, make it heal.  We live in hope.

Continuing from last week's quote:

"A lady's conduct toward gentlemen.

No well-bred lady will too eagerly receive the attentions of a gentleman, no matter how much she admires him; nor, on the other hand, will she be so reserved as to altogether discourage him.  A man may show considerable attention to a lady without becoming a lover; and so a lady may let it be seen that she is not disagreeable to him without discouraging him.  She will be able to judge soon from his actions and deportment, as to his motive in paying her his attentions, and will treat him accordingly.  A man does not like to be refused when he makes a proposal, and no man of tact will risk a refusal.  Neither will a well-bred lady encourage a man to make a proposal, which she must refuse.  She should endeavour, in discouraging him as a lover, to retain his friendship.  A young man of sensibilities, who can take a hint when it is offered him, need not run the risk of a refusal."

There has to be quite a subtle knowledge of behaviour in these situations, yes?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

In which we have a citrus fruit salad tree

Yes - there is such a thing!  A 'fruit salad tree' is a tree bearing different species of fruit on one tree, achieved by grafting different fruits onto one parent tree....so, theoretically you could have lemon, lime, orange and even finger lime on one tree.  You could also have peach, apricot and plum, or you could have different varieties of apples and pears - the list is probably endless.

Like this citrus fruit salad tree, perhaps.

This interesting fabric, and the one below, were purchases on our trip to Canberra in March this year.  I hesitated to buy this at first, wasn't sure if it would make a good tree.....but it does.  Its contrast is a graduated lemon/lime fabric cut across the stripe, which suits really well against the deep dark green background. 

It's difficult to know if the figures on this fabric are butterflies, or flying women, or angels, but I like the background colours and the stars.  The contrast was used for a tree a few weeks ago, and was one of my prize bundle which was the start of Summertime Blues. 

Quite an interesting pair of trees, this week.

These weekly pics are taken on a white cloth spread on the cutting/working table in my sewing room, which has an overhead light.  Consequently, it's quite difficult to avoid getting my own shadow in the shot; I have tried standing in different places, and tried laying the blocks on another part of the table, but the shadow is always there.  The time of day factors into the success or otherwise of the shot too, as the light levels vary from hour to hour.

Work has also started on stitching the hanging sleeve to my autumn quilt, slightly awkwardly because of the hand which doesn't like being held in some positions, but it will be finished eventually.

How has everyone been this week?  We have drifted along as usual; words have been read, stitches sewn and knitted, fabrics cut out.  Songs have been plinked and sung, and now U3A ukulele is on school holiday break.  Many of the members have grandparent duty during school holidays so there's not much point in meeting, we'll start up again at the end of the month.  Fortunately choir continues during the hols, so I still get my musical fix.  We hunted and gathered for the usual food and Stuff, and that was the week that was.

Some slightly different hunting and gathering this week, too - we are shopping for another car.  The trusty VW was bought 11 years ago, and earlier in the week Kevin popped in to see our usual mechanic because he had noticed spots of oil on the garage floor.  Mechanic duly checked it over and presented us with a long list of "probably shouldn't leave it too long" repairs with an eye-popping amount at the bottom of the page.  If I were you I would put this money toward another car instead of throwing it at this one, said the mechanic.  Not what we wanted to hear.....so Kevin has been out and about to various car yards checking what's available, and we have pretty much settled on a white (sadly not green or yellow or orange) car.  At least we no longer have to factor in having to buy a car which can tow a caravan, which makes the choice easier.  We need to have another test drive, Kevin drove it yesterday, but I have yet to sit behind the wheel to give my considered but totally un-mechanically minded opinion.

Some folk might taking buying another vehicle in their everyday stride, but for Olde Phartes like what we are it's quite a big deal.....my goodness, the excitement......be still, my beating heart......

Some quite changeable weather this week, not much in the way of frosty mornings but quite a lot of cloud.  Yesterday when we were out and about test-driving cars it was so sunny that sunglasses weren't enough for me, one of my summer hats had to come out again.  Today's forecast was for showers, but here it is nearly 4 p.m. and we are still waiting for the drops to start falling.

Following on from last week's advice for gentlemen, this week we have advice for ladies.

"A lady's conduct toward gentlemen.

A young lady should not allow special attention from anyone to whom she is not specially attracted, because, first, she may do injury to the gentleman in seeming to give his suit encouragement; and, secondly, she may keep away from her those whom she likes better, but who will not approach her under the mistaken idea that her feelings are already interested.  A young lady should not encourage the addresses of a gentleman unless she feels that she can return his affections.  It is the prerogative of a man to propose, and of a woman to accept or refuse, and a lady of tact and kind heart will exercise her prerogative before her suitor is brought to the humiliation of an offer which must result in a refusal."

Well, yes.  

The folk in those days certainly knew how to string a long sentence together, didn't they?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer