More storms, and more trees

The weather radar was checked a few minutes ago and there are storms popping up here, there and everywhere around us.....not quite over us yet, but that may happen soon.  Or soon-ish.

That makes this week's trees storm-ish, too.

A green tree, because it doesn't matter how many green trees are in the Arboretum.

Green trees always look good. 

Ozzies will recognise this flower as Grevillea, a favourite native plant.  We haven't had much luck growing them here, but they did grow for us in the Big Smoke......different climate, different soil.

The largest Grevillea is Grevillea Robusta - the name says it all, doesn't it?  Known as Silky Oak - it isn't an oak, it isn't even related to oak, but the cut timber has a beautifully silky lace pattern - its deep gold flowers are brightening up our skies right now.  Many many years ago the decision was made that our town would benefit from using Silky Oak trees as street trees, and there have been Silky Oaks here ever since; some of the tallest - and they are very tall indeed - may have been around when I was a child, albeit much smaller trees than now.

This week's trees, a green and purple, and a red/orange with blue and brown.  Or perhaps it's orange/red.  Numbers 95 and 96, only three to go!

Thoughts are being thought about a name for my Arboretum.  While I don't mind 'Arboretum' as a name something more personal would be good.....Jardin de Jennifer?  Garden of Grace?  Grace is my middle name, after all.....the idea of alliteration appeals.

A silhouette known all over the world is the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and its official opening ceremony in 1932 was interrupted by an Irish soldier, Francis de Groot, cutting the official ribbon before the state governor could do so.  What does Francis de Groot have to do with my trees, you ask?  When he wasn't charging around on a horse while brandishing a sabre and cutting ribbons he made very fine furniture using Australian timbers - one of which was Silky Oak - and quite a lot of those pieces of furniture are still around today.

A few days ago Fiona at Bubz Rugz showed her Hardanger embroidery samples.  Back in the 1980s-1990s I was a member of the state Embroiderers Guild and have pieces made during that time, one of which is this Hardanger cushion - no fancy cutwork, but there is pulled work; I used two shades of thread darker than the background rather than the matching threads traditionally used, backed it with deep gold Dupioni silk and piped the edge with matching cord.

I don't know what the mark is, hopefully it will wash out.  Hardanger embroidery originated in Norway - and did you know there is also a Hardanger fiddle?  I have seen and heard them being played at folk festivals, usually accompanying traditional dances.  If you want to see some spectacular scenery, look up 'Hardanger fjord'.

Storms are still hanging around, we were interrupted by a blackout an hour ago but we're back online now.  Earlier there were a few rumbles then an almighty clap of thunder - lights went out, computer went out - a few other things turned themselves off including the radio, but all is back up and running and we have music again.  Monsieur le Frog is happily croaking away, that loud bang hasn't put him off his game.

How has everyone been?  We are still upright, still on the right side of the grass.  My sore foot hasn't fallen off, for which we are thankful.  Stitches have been sewn but not knitted; a medical appointment for a regular check-up tomorrow will probably yield time for some knitting.  Songs have been plinked and sung, next weekend's charity concert songs are sounding good.

"A lady's positive refusal.

A lady who really means "no" should be able to so say it as to make her meaning unmistakeable.  For her own sake and that of her suitor, if she really desires the suit ended, her denial should be positive, yet kind and dignified, and of a character to let no doubt remain of its being final."

Somehow I don't think "get lost, you creep" would be counted as kind and dignified, do you?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Stormy trees

This week has lived up its reputation as being the time of years for storms......thunder, probably lightning too (I wasn't getting out of my warm bed to find out), and quite a bit of rain for which the garden is thankful.  The tree in our front garden is now missing several branches, too.

Never mind.  The trees in my sewing room are safe.

A blue-grey print of eucalyptus buds and blossoms, with a bright contrast.  Eucalyptus flowers come in many colours, even this bright pink/red.

A gold tree, just because I like the colour.

Two contrasting trees this week, taking the total up to - 94!  Five more to go.

Gold trees really do exist - taken in Bayfield, Canada, on an overcast autumn day.

This is the pink apron which is no longer in our house.  Melissa likes it, and it suits her vintage style.

The cross stitch design would have been easy, and quick to work up with just three colours, pink, green and deep dark blue; the trim on the pocket is nylon lace.  It is pretty but being pink it's just not "me", so it has gone to a more appreciative home.

A visitor has been lured back by the recent rain and storms.  Monsieur le Frog is back in the drainpipe and the garden croaking his little heart out, as he lives in hope of finding an inamorata with whom to share his life.  He was fairly quiet during the storm last night and this morning, though, so perhaps he has already found a nice Mademoiselle la Frogette to warm his clammy bed at night.....or perhaps he wants more than one, as he's just started croaking again.

You might be familiar with at least one version of the song 'Frog went a-courting', but did you know that the first printed version was published in Scotland in 1549?  That's getting on for nearly 500 years ago; it may have been sung for many years before that, but without printed proof we don't know.  Nevertheless it's a much older song than many people realise, and you could spend much time researching it should you wish.  Or you could take my word for it.

How has everyone been this week?  We've been busy here; stitches have been sewn, but not many knitted.  Words have been read.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  Another visit to the physio for some ongoing treatment for my troublesome right foot....it's been broken twice in recent years, has a bunion and now is suffering from plantar fasciitis which is not much fun, but the physio is helping so I will keep going.  At least all the problems are in one foot - the other foot is amazingly fine.  A veritable princess of a foot, one which deserves its own tiara.

Something about the rain has brought out the somewhat *rural* aroma emanating from the hill behind us, thanks to the herd of cattle which roam freely.  We wouldn't mind if they buggered off to from whence they came and stayed there, taking their smelly deposits with them.

Our hopeful suitor is still waiting.

"No lady worthy of any gentleman's regard will say "no" twice to a suit which she intends ultimately to receive with favor.  A lady should be allowed all the time she requires before making up her mind; and if the gentleman grows impatient at the delay, he is always at liberty to insist on an immediate answer and abide by the consequences of his impatience."

I wonder if that also applies to green tree frogs?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Gone gone gone......

Those Christmas blocks have moved out of our house and are now residing at the craft centre, where my quilt group meets, awaiting a new owner.  They were taken along on Tuesday but, as no one put up a hand to take a block or two (or maybe more), they have been stashed in Our Box in the cupboard and will be brought out again in a couple of weeks.  There is another Saturday quilt group so, if no one in our group wants them, someone in the other group might.

Either way, they are no longer in my possession.  Gone gone gone.

This week's blocks were made in between storms.  Butterflies flitting around a contrast print of eucalypt blossoms and leaves......

....and a tree whose rich colours put me in mind of trees seen on autumn trips in Canada.

Numbers 91 and 92, so now there are only seven to go; the end of this month will see the last trees made, just three more weeks.

One of many autumn trees photographed in Canada, this was huge - so big that it took a while for the colour changes to happen, depending on how much sun different parts of the tree were getting.  

The colours brightened up a dull overcast day which later turned to showers, but you can see how those leaves inspired one of this week's trees.

Fort York was an interesting place to visit.  You can read about it here - Fort York - we missed out on the re-enactments which happen because we visited in autumn, and they are mostly in summer.  That would have been fun.  It's an oasis which sits quietly among the tall buildings and bustle of a modern city, something which makes it all the more peaceful by contrast.  The style of many buildings is similar to that of early Australian buildings built in the same era so there was an unexpected familiarity, although we had never been before.

A copy of the Magna Carta was on display in the newly finished visitor centre, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of that document.  Our guide was suitably impressed when she found out we were Ozzies because Australia has its own copy, dating from 1297, while Fort York's was on loan from elsewhere.

How have you all been this week?  We managed to survive some stormy weather....being kept awake by loud rumbling thunder rolling around the hills behind is not my idea of fun but we did get some welcome rain from it, and there was repeat albeit on a lesser scale yesterday afternoon after I arrived home from lunch.  Words were read, stitches were sewn and knitted; the second sleeve on the probably-a-jumper is proceeding well now.  Songs were plinked and sung.  We hunted, foraged and gathered comestibles to keep starvation at bay, and that was about our week, folks.

Yesterday was the first seasonal function, an end-of-year/Christmas lunch for members of the historical society.  It's interesting to be able to sit and chat to folk usually seen briefly.  One woman rocks a vintage look which suits her, and the talk turned to aprons because she wished she had one; she was our drinks server, and is also in charge of supper at the monthly meetings.  This morning it occurred to me that there is a pink gingham apron in our linen cupboard, part of a long-ago raffle prize, which I have never worn - it's pretty but it's pink, I don't do pink - it's been taken out, and will be gifted to Melissa if she would like it.  The pink gingham is used as a base for a cross stitch design in deeper pink, green and navy, and there is white lace trim on the pocket.

My mother's Aunt Emily would make items such as tablecloths and aprons in gingham, using the grid for what is now called 'chicken scratch' embroidery - Aunty Em didn't call it that, she used a different name which has since flown out of my brain because it's been so long; I was but a child at the time.  It's a technique I have never tried and probably never will because, even though I like the result, there are so many other things I want to try while I'm still around.

Our suitor is still hoping.

"Though a gentleman may repeat his suit with propriety after having been once repulsed, still it should not be repeated too often nor too long, lest it should degenerate into importuning."

'Importuning' means to harass repeatedly, something I am sure no gentleman worthy of the name would do to a woman for whom he professes to care.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Trees, and binding, and a label......

How has everyone been this week?

This week's trees.  I've never seen a turquoise, blue and yellow tree, but no doubt they exist somewhere....even if only in my imagination.

An autumn tree, just for me.  This is my new favourite.

The twelve trees made so far were laid out to see how they look.....there are definitely some autumn colours going on there.  

My eyes are detecting a shortage of green trees, though.....that's something to be remedied, yes?

The label for Autumn Rhapsody is done.

It has, believe it or not, been pressed.  No doubt when it's sewn to the quilt that stubborn crease across the middle won't be so noticeable.....or so I'm telling myself.

The binding strips are joined and pressed in half, but I have a feeling that it won't be long enough.  The trusty tape measure will be pressed into service before starting to sew binding to quilt because another strip may need to be joined in, and that would be easier before it's three-quarters sewn to the quilt, wouldn't it.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn, by hand and by machine.  No songs have been played or notes plinked; my tenor uke has gone to have the machine heads replaced (that's the things that the tuning pegs are attached to) but I still have two ukes and two guitars I can play when the fancy strikes.  We hunted and gathered, food was bought.

It was also the time for the annual eye check-up.  My eyes, so the optometrist tells me, are in excellent health - something for which I am thankful; my vision, however, is another story.  The cataract which has been slowly....oh, so slowly.....forming on my left eye is still nowhere near needing an operation yet, and now another is starting to form on my right eye.  If you feel that your vision is getting worse come back and see us, said the nice optometrist.  My reading glasses are having new lenses fitted, a previous prescription is serving the purpose for now, but I will be pleased to have my others back again.

The tourists are arriving....there's a big country music festival here in January; many locals bail out and leave town, some rent their homes out to visitors, some rent out a spare bedroom or two.  For the past several years we have billeted one of the performers but our usual musical friend, Paul, can't make it this year (he has medical and health stuff happening).  We will miss him, and miss our chats around the table over a cuppa, but no doubt we will make a new friend with a different muso.

Best of all, we've had rain.....not heaps and heaps, but enough to make the dead dry brown grass on the hill behind us start to show a little touch of green.  More is forecast for this week, in fact the storm radar shows that we may get rain later today.  Just in time for those festival campers setting up their tents and caravans....

The occasional visiting frog in the down pipe has been croaking frantically (well, it sounds frantic to us) sending out his "I'm available, girls....how about it?" signals to the girl frogs.  He was very loud last night; we were hoping his lady love would soon arrive and put him out of his misery, but as he was croaking earlier today he had no luck last night.  Well, that's the way love goes, isn't it.

"Occupying too many seats.

No lady will retain possession of more than her rightful seat in a crowded tram-car or railway carriage.  When others are looking for accommodations she should at once and with all cheerfulness so dispose of her baggage that the seat beside her may be occupied by someone who desires it, no matter how agreeable it may be to retain possession of it."

Yes, she should.  When I was commuting by train I noticed that many school children took up more than their one seat with their school bag, while I always kept my bag on my lap.  More than once while waiting for the afternoon train it was common to see a teen - not always the same one - spread herself and her bag over a seat which was intended for three or four people, so I would turn my back to the seat and say in my best 'teacher' voice (despite not being a teacher) "would you move your bag, please" as I lowered myself to the seat.  

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Happy New Year!

Just think, that means we're a quarter of the way through the century......

Did you all have a peaceful New Year celebration?  We certainly did; we drove out of town to meet up with a friend for lunch, which was a lovely way to spend time at the end of the old year.  Consequently we ate very sparingly later, and of course we watched 'Dinner for One'.  If you have never seen it I would recommend watching it - it's quite funny, and we all need a chuckle at times, don't we.

The new year started with two new trees.  Not all trees will have foliage, some will be more impressionistic.

Something different was tried with the branches too - a branch growing off a branch, rather than all branches growing from the centre.  After all, trees have branches growing in different directions, yes?

I like this deep gold fabric.  The leaves are purple so some leftover binding from my autumn tree hanging makes good branches, as it, too, is deep purple.  (Wouldn't that make a good song title?  Oh wait......)

Side by side.  One of these days all the trees made so far will be lined up for a pic, to see how they look together.

Binding was cut for Autumn Rhapsody, and while doing that I couldn't resist a pic of the selvedge.

The Cunning Plan for the coming week, as well as to make two more trees, is to join the binding strips and maybe - just maybe - start sewing binding to the quilt.  The label is in progress as we speak; the information is being embroidered with one strand of DMC floss 3781, a warm brown, on a mottled light tan fabric which is one of the background fabrics used in the quilt.  3781 has been used for other projects, it's a very useful floss colour.....one of those projects now lives in northern Ontario, Canada.

How has everyone's last/first week of the year been?  

Words have been read here, stitches have been sewn.  No songs have been sung or plinked yet.  We hunted and gathered; in fact we took ourselves for a drive to a small town half an hour north to try a different butcher.  A few months ago we voted in local council elections at a small village 10 minutes north and, after casting our votes, bought a democracy sausage each to help the village school funds.....and what nice sausages they were, too.  Upon enquiring we were told they came from a butcher in the aforesaid small town, so on Friday off we went.  We harnessed up the trusty VW and drove up the road to Manilla where we went to both butcher shops, making purchases at each.  Well - what nice meat from both shops, and what pleasant staff!  We have tried some already, and more is waiting in the freezer.  We have decided to repeat the exercise from time to time; it's a pleasant drive, the meat from both shops is certainly good, and parking is very easy, something that can't always be said for our bigger busier town.

Summer's heat is well and truly upon us, but some rain would be nice.....our rainfall total last year was above average, but the last couple of months were not; December was well blow average.  It's easy to see who waters their lawn regularly, and who doesn't....we don't.  Our lawn will recover when it rains, and it will rain eventually; we had a couple of storms over the last few days, but not much rain to speak of.  So we won't.

"Reading when travelling.

If a gentleman in travelling, either on tram-cars, railway or steamboat, has provided himself with newspapers or other reading, he should offer them to his companions first.  If they are refused, he may with propriety read himself, leaving the others free to do the same if they wished."

One wonders what those travellers in 1885 would have thought of today's tablets, e-readers and indeed phones taken along on a journey for reading....would they offer theirs to their companions first?  Somehow, I don't think so.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Only a few days until we leave

Or three more sleeps, if you count nights.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Of course he should.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Reverse label is done

Reverse in two ways; it will go on the reverse of my quilt, and it  shows the layout in reverse because that seemed logical to me.

Even if it isn't logical to anyone else.

Many years ago.....many many years ago.....this little butterfly was embroidered when I was given a tiny frame.

It would have been done 30 years ago, maybe more....as was the rose, although this time I bought the frame.

For many years they sat on the kitchen windowsill where they could be admired - which they were - and where they could get a little grubby - which they did.

The embroidery was done using one strand of DMC floss over one thread of the background fabric.  My eyes were over 30 years younger back then, too.

No stitches have been knitted, no diamonds cut or sewn, although I will need to cut more soon.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung.

The past week hasn't seen much rain but more is promised tomorrow, bringing even more flooding.  A couple of days ago we needed to cross to the other side of the river and were surprised by how much water is still around; the river is quite high and is flowing very quickly, which was even more apparent when we came home by a different bridge.

Now I'm not a scientist by any stretch of the imagination, but I would think that every time a river floods there would be silt left behind which, after a few floods, would eventually make the river shallower than it had previously been.  In subsequent floods the water would then flow over the banks more quickly than before and spread further, for the same reason.  That's why floodplains are often very fertile, and why crops planted there grow so well.  It's impractical to dredge rivers (although it's sometimes done where a river empties near a beach) and not a good idea to interfere too much with the natural scheme of events anyway, so I don't know what the answer is.....or even if there is an answer.

It might help if people stopped covering so much of the earth with concrete paths and buildings and left more open ground for water to soak into, rather than having it run where it wasn't, perhaps, designed to run.

Oh well.  As I said I'm not a scientist, just a concerned Olde Pharte who fears for the world.

Over the past couple of years of shut downs and "don't do this"...."don't go there"...."wear this bag over your head if you so much as stick your nose outside your front door"....I am getting quite lazy.  It has become very easy to just veg out in the mornings, have a leisurely breakfast and take my time getting showered and dressed; by then it's nearly time for lunch and that's half the day gone.  As we head into summer (it's been a cool wet start to the season this year) it might be easier to get into more disciplined habits.  The suspicion which has spoiled any interractions we have had with other people is gradually easing, too.  I know the covid plague is far from ended - it may never be finally over, although we are certainly over it - it will be with us for a while yet, but we can't keep the world shut down forever and keep our sanity, can we.

Meanwhile we are seeing pictures of beautiful autumn colours to make us (me in particular) drool.  Only six months to go.....I wonder if there is anywhere in the world which has a climate that goes from autumn to spring and back to autumn, bypassing summer and winter completely?  Because I would move there in a heartbeat if there was.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"A lady never demands attention and favors from a gentleman, but, when voluntarily offered, accepts them gratefully, graciously, and with an expression of hearty thanks."

If those offerings include chocolate - good quality dark chocolate only, of course - they would most certainly be accepted gratefully and graciously.

Enjoy your days!

More excitement than we really wanted

Which is what happened during the week.

Kevin was feeling a bit "off" on Monday, but felt slightly better on Tuesday morning.  By Tuesday evening his left foot and calf were swollen and red - from what, we don't know; a bite, perhaps?  A spider or a snake?  He has no recollection of his skin being pierced and there don't seem to be any puncture marks.  Should I take you to hospital, said I.  No, it's fine, he said, I'll ring the doctor in the morning.  Rang the surgery on Wednesday morning to see if he could be fitted in, but no......because of so many people having their injection for the plague they are quite busy at present.  Go to hospital, they said.  Could have already done that......hospital was puzzled, but after pricking, spiking, prodding and doing other medical stuff they were as puzzled as we are.  He was given an intravenous antibiotic and sent home with a prescription; there is obviously an infection of some sort, from what we do not know.  So far, so good; nothing has fallen off, leg and foot are still firmly attached, and although it is still swollen and red it isn't as bad as it was.  

That is more excitement than we have seen at Chez Wombats for quite a while, and probably more than we need.  

Quilting has happened on the Canadian quilt, two blocks have been quilted and are joined, a cause for much rejoicing!  Eleven more to go.  Quilt-as-you-go works well for this project, even though I have never done it before.  There will be no stopping me now.....the plan is to have it finished by the end of November.  We can but hope.

This week's houses.  I like the striped house with its flower garden, and both black and white prints are interesting.

This is the blackwork table centre mentioned in the last post.  The fabric is a brighter yellow than it looks here, the wooden table underneath has shadowed the colour.

A close-up of the leaf and berry design, each repeat uses four different filling stitches.

It's wonderfully repetitive work, very soothing to do.

We are being told that some of our world can open up from next week, how wonderful that will be!  Thursday night choir started up again this week and, considering that we haven't sung together for three months, we were all in fine voice.  The concert for which we were preparing will, unless the bottom falls completely out of our world, still go ahead at the end of November, something to look forward to.  The ukulele group will also - hopefully - be playing, although our numbers are down (there has been a slight fall off in interest due to nothing happening for so long) and I will be doing a solo, yay for me!

Our forecast "rain event" wasn't very eventful but we did get some rain, for which the garden is thankful.

Pondering on Stuff in general, why does it take me so long to start something new?  Witness the quilt-as-you-go; I have watched countless videos, and read as much as I could, and thought long and deep, before actually making a start - only to find it was easier than I had thought it might be, and I actually did it well.  It probably stems from a childhood of feeling (and, indeed, being told) that, unless I was absolutely the best at something the first time I did it, it wasn't worth doing.  It would have been nice to have been boosted up instead of being knocked down so often, but that's not who my parents were.  You came first in your class - good.  You came second - do better next time.  You came third - you have to do better than that.  Below third.....well, that usually led to a painful beating so is it any wonder I didn't finish high school, let alone go on to further education, because what was the point of trying when the result was never good enough?  

Ah well.  It was a long time ago, but some things just stay with you, don't they.

"Sunday hospitalities.

In this country it is not expected that persons will call after informal hospitalities extended on Sunday.  All gatherings on that day ought to be informal.  No dinner parties are given on Sunday, or, at least, they are not considered as good form in good society."

Sundays are informal here, too.  We do strive to keep up our good form.

Enjoy your days!

Hi ho, hi ho........

......quilting as we go......

The first block in the Canadian quilt has been layered and quilted, yay for me!  Pics will be taken as more are quilted and joined.

This week's houses.

One surrounded by crawling caterpillars - that's what the fabric reminds me of; the reverse colourway is also in my stash - and a house which flew all the way from Missouri, now enveloped in a cloud of dragonflies.  Do you have dragonflies in Missouri, Sally?

Fiona has been showing her pretty blackwork embroidery of late and I have been promising to find mine, a stitch sampler from long ago......here it is, Fiona.  It was never intended to become anything, just a sampler of filling stitches which I found interesting.

The colour on the bottom left was also an experiment, one which I took no further.  From memory they are all worked with cotton floss, mostly one strand I think; it was a long time ago, after all.

Some of the stitches look 'the same but different'.  This is because an empty space in the first sample was filled with a cross stitch in the second, or the second sample was over more or less threads than the first.  A few designs are also made with pattern darning in which the thread is carried over a specific number of threads on both the right and wrong sides of the work; say, over three threads on the front and two on the back, with every row or second row being moved over by one stitch.

Blackwork embroidery is a technique which has been around for a very long time.  In the 1500s in Europe it was used to trim fine linen chemises and cuffs, worked in silks - usually black, but sometimes red or blue.  If you had a garment trimmed with such fine embroidery you were probably a person of some wealth and discernment.  I haven't made any garments, but I did make a table centre with a design of oak leaves and acorns worked in a warm brown thread on a yellow background.

How have you all been in these times of plague?  It has been another quiet week here Chez Wombats; we had our promised return visit from winter early in the week, and a very chilly visit it was too.  Snow was falling just an hour from us, while some people on the Other Side Of The River even had flakes of wet white stuff falling on them - a rare thing, indeed; last time snow fell here was back in 1984.

Now that we have passed the spring equinox we are heading into storm season, which officially starts on 1st October - next Friday - and continues until April.  There is a 'rain event' (great description, that) forecast for later in the week to usher in the storm season with style and panache, and get it under way.  Daylight saving time also starts here next weekend which will please me somewhat, as mornings have been far too light lately.  When one is not a morning person, as one isn't, one does like a later start to one's day without being blinded by sun shining into one's eyes at far too early an hour.

A few days ago I was entertained by some of the outfits worn on the red carpet for some award or other, I think this time the Emmys (or should that be Emmies?) - oh my goodness.  There was one frilly purple number that reminded me of the spare toilet roll cover of yore. There was a lot of boobage on display, not all of it flattering.....that tape must be pretty strong stuff, that's all I can say. One shorter green frock (most frocks were long) had a twirly skirt and fitted bodice and I absolutely lurved it, I covet it greatly although it would in no way fit me, and as for the shoes - it has been a long time since I could climb that high. There were, as usual, a certain number of frocks with vast amounts of sweeping skirts held up by tiny shoestring straps worn by slender little things; how the skirt doesn't drag the whole thing backwards off their narrow shoulders must be one of the mysteries of the universe. Blokes were being more adventurous with their clothing choices which is sometimes a good thing and sometimes......well......

We don't know who won. We have probably never even heard of the shows or people who won. We just look at the frocks.

"Parties in the country.

Morning and afternoon parties in the country, or at watering-places, are of a less formal character than in cities. The hostess introduces such of her guests as she thinks most likely to be mutually agreeable. Music or some amusement is essential to the success of such parties."

Well......we live in the country, and I could provide some ukulele amusement.....

Enjoy your days!

Anyone feel like sharing what I have?

Because I don't want it......don't know what it is, could be a cold, could be something else that makes me feel crook and saps my energy......but I really don't want it.

Never mind.  This too shall pass.

This week's weather hasn't been quite so fiercely hot, thank goodness.  January.....the less said the better, apparently it was the hottest January ever recorded.  Daytime maximum temperatures were 5.4 deg C over the long term average, and night time temps were 4.4 deg C over the average.  No wonder it was so nasty.  Actually, knowing that it really was hot makes me feel better, because then I know it wasn't just me being a grumpy old woman having a whinge - there was something to complain about.

Moving right along.

The large pin cushion mentioned last week is finished, done, but not photographed.  One more ticked off the list.  The charity challenge quilt is pinned ready to be quilted, for which I need orange thread - don't think one small spool will be enough, so that means a trip to Spotties.   Once that is done and out of my sewing room - with much relief - I can get back to my own projects.

Selfish as it may sound I have decided that I don't care about making charity quilts, I would much rather work on my projects.  The local quilt group has one or two members who churn out huge numbers of quilts for Ronald McDonald House as if there is no tomorrow, and a few members who make a (much) smaller number.  At my age not knowing how many years I have left to me.....not being morbid, just curious, after all I am on the downhill side of 70.....I would rather spend that time on my own Stuff.  The churners justify it by saying "I don't need any more quilts myself but I like to make them" - well, darling, that's fine.  You can do that.  Just don't force me the guilts on me to do the same because it won't work.

These are the embroidered Aussie flowers on the hanging made to go to Canada.

 All embroidered with one strand of DMC floss, the first was started with two strands but it was much too chunky.

 When these pics were taken they had not been trimmed down and pressed.....they looked more finished afterwards!

 The original pattern was for redwork but I like the look of old botanical etchings, that was the look I was going for.

 Or old sepia-toned photographs.

Back in the late 1990s-early 2000s two Queensland women started Oz Dye-Art to sell their own patterns and their own hand-dyed and printed fabrics.  The company lasted for several years until one moved interstate; however those of us who have those patterns still treasure them and use them, because they are Australian flora and fauna.  Not pretty flowers from overseas, not cute little animals which don't live here....they are all Australian, something which was quite difficult to find at the time.

My 1886 etiquette devotes a whole chapter to "The Language of Flowers" but even though it's revised for the Australasian colonies (of, I suspect, an American original) no Aussie flowers make the list.  Pity.....I would love to know what emotions the waratah and red flowering gum stood for!

"Bring one of the commonest field flowers into a room, place it on a table, or chimney piece, and you seem to have brought a ray of sunshine into the place.  There is a cheerfulness about flowers.  What a delight are they to the drooping invalid!  They are a sweet enjoyment, coming as messengers from the country, and seeming to say "Come and see the place where we grow, and let your heart be glad in our presence."

Indeed.

Enjoy your days!