Moving along slowly

Arboretum's label is finished, ready to be stitched on the bottom right hand corner of the back.

Two of the label edges have been finished with a narrow border of the backing fabric, the remaining sides will be tucked under the binding; a hem would be slightly bulky, as interfacing was ironed to the label before the embroidery was started.  The thread is DMC floss, colour 3781, using one strand.  I wasn't sure if quilter Margaret wanted her full name slathered across the internet, so....when in doubt, don't.

This is the controlled chaos of Arboretum, with its binding made, pressed and ready to be sewn on.

The Cunning Plan was to have it done by Tuesday morning so it could be taken along to quilt group for hand-stitching the binding to the back, but that may not get done.  Never mind....

.....because.....

tomorrow morning my guitars are coming home from the guitar spa!  They didn't suffer too badly in our two plumbing floods back in 2017 because they were in their cases, but the cases were on the floor sitting in water.  I have been meaning to get them made playable again, but you know how it - life gets in the way sometimes, doesn't it, and there is always something more pressing that needs to be done.  A couple of weeks ago our musician friend stayed with us for a night on his way to warmth and sunshine up north and I showed him my guitars, which he hadn't seen before.....oh, this is nice, rosewood with a cedar top, he said, and the other one has a Brazilian mahogany back, very very nice, he said.....when I'm back here in January I want to play these, he said, so I decided it was time to stop thinking about it and start doing it.  Off they went to Matt the instrument repairer, and it will be wonderful to have them back again.

Now my aging fingers will have to re-learn to play instruments with wider necks than a ukulele, but that's probably good for my equally aging brain.  The classical guitar has softer nylon strings but a wider neck to stretch my fingers, while the steel string guitar has a narrower neck but harder metal strings for my fingertips, so they require slightly different techniques.

It always saddens me when I see instruments in museums used for display but never played.  Some of them may be past playing, I understand that.....but just the same they need to sing, because they all have a voice which shouldn't be silent.

The wattle is now blooming.

It's difficult to take a decent photo of a plant which shivers in the slightest breeze, even my breathing is enough to move it, but hopefully it's in focus.  One needs to breathe even while taking a photo, doesn't one.

How has everyone been this week?  Stitches have been sewn, binding strips has been cut, joined and pressed.  No stitches were knitted but the coming week brings appointments, so they probably will be.  Songs were plinked and sung.  Words have been read.  Food was foraged, and so passed another week.

Despite some quite chilly frosty mornings, and the promise of more to come this week, days have been fairly pleasant.  A sheltered spot to sit on a sunny winter day can be a treat indeed.

We have finished with the duties of groomsmen, so now we move onto to domestic weddings.

"Weddings at home.

Weddings at home vary but little from those at church.  The music, the assembling of friends, the entree of the bridal party to the position selected, are the same.  An altar of flowers, and a place of kneeling can be easily arranged at home.  The space behind the altar need be no wider than is allowed for the clergyman to stand.  The altar is generally only a table with cloth over it.  Other floral accessories, such as the marriage-bell, horse-shoe or white dove, etc., can be arranged with ease by a skilful florist, if desired."

While I have been to weddings which were not held in a church (including our own wedding) I have never been to a wedding at a private home.    As far as my experience was concerned, home weddings only happened in movies.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

It's nearly wattle time again

I have just strolled around our large wattle bush looking - sadly, in vain - for some little yellow balls of fluffy goodness, but as yet there are none to report.  It shouldn't be long, though, until it's bright gold again.

There is a little breeze blowing, just enough to wave those branches around and make it tricky to take a clear pic.

Wok continues on Arboretum's label, which is now down to the last few words.  Once that's done the final trimming and binding can be done - and oh! how I am looking forward to seeing it finished.

This is a project from a long time ago, so long ago that it wasn't on the computer.  It wasn't a quilt, it was a banner made for the Scottish country dance group of which I was a member, back in the very early noughties.  Each year a school, 'Winter School', was held with visiting teachers and musicians, culminating in a ball with participants in full Scottish regalia, kilts for the men, tartan sashes and brooches for the ladies, and I'm sure it was a very grand affair; however, tickets were a bit pricey, so I never went.  One year each group was approached about making a banner to decorate the hall for the ball, so I volunteered to do ours.  We were given a large piece of unbleached calico (muslin, for some of you) with the design drawn on with black marker, sample pieces of poly/cotton fabric to use as colour inspiration, and a smaller copy of our design to help with colour placement.  Each design was different, and groups could choose their method, paint, fabric, whatever they wished.

Well, what fun that was, tricky but fun!  The original was used to make tracing drawings for placement, and to work out yardages of the poly/cottons.  I decided on the gold for the background and used the other colours in different parts of the design.  A whole roll - 30 metres - of black 1/2" wide bias was bought for the leading (24 metres were used), and an attempt was made at gluing down the smallest pieces of bias prior to stitching.  That didn't work too well, so pins were used and the bias was machine stitched down along both sides.  The under-over crossing of the design meant that all raw edges were covered.  The background had already been hemmed along one end with a casing for a hanging rod on the opposite end, something I didn't need to worry about doing; the design was about - from memory; it was a long time ago - about 36-38 in wide.

And, the best part - my banner was hung in the position of honour directly opposite the entrance!  It was considered to be the best, although it wasn't a competition with a prize.  I could have had it back afterward, but gave it to my group (after all, they paid for fabric and bias) and it was going to be hung every time there was a dance.  

How has everyone been?  I have been trying to make phone calls on Kevin's behalf, and ended up frustrated with people who don't return calls.  Some stitches were sewn but not knitted, words were read.  No songs were sung or plinked, but U3A ukulele starts again tomorrow afternoon; choir is still on a break.  We hunted and foraged.  We haven't starved.

We managed to keep warm despite yesterday morning being the coldest day of the year, it was very freezy frosty chilly.  It would have been nice to stay inside but no, it was my quilt group's AGM; we meet in one of the coldest buildings in town.  There are heaters but the ceiling is very high, it started life as a large old industrial tin shed and, although the interior walls are lined, I don't think there is any insulation so it's not ~ quite ~ warm inside.  Today is also fairly cool, but not as cold as yesterday's minus 6 C with a 'feels like' of minus 9.5 C.

Oh well, it is still winter, after all......

We haven't finished with our groomsmen yet.

"At the church the groomsmen are the first to arrive.  They stand by the inner entrance and offer their arms to escort the ladies, as they enter, to their proper seats in the church.  If a lady be accompanied by a gentleman, the latter follows the groomsman and the lady to the seat shown her.  The groomsmen, knowing the two families, understand where to place the nearer, and where the remoter relatives and friends of the bridal party, the groom's friends being arranged upon the right of the entrance, and the bride's upon the left.  The distribution of guests places the father (or guardian) of the bride at the proper place during the ceremony."

Do people still sit on the bride's or the groom's side of the room, or has that custom gone with the wind?  Where does one sit if one knows both bride and groom equally well, I wonder?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Quilted trees

Arboretum is back from its visit to Margaret quilter, and I couldn't be happier with it.

The quilting design shows more in the light blocks, as dark green thread was used.  The quilting pattern is, so Margaret tells me, called 'ebb tide' - but it evokes wind blowing through trees, to me.  The back is quilted with dark brown thread which blends so well with the fabric that it's difficult to photograph, so I didn't....but perhaps will when it's bound and finished.

Embroidery is continuing on the label, several lines have been done but there are still a few to go.  It's been my TV project for a few nights, however last night's program choice was so dreary that the TV stayed off and my book came out instead.  Goodness gracious, there is a lot of sport on free TV....far too much, for a non-sporty like me.  Kevin usually drops off to sleep so he doesn't notice if it's on or off anyway; watching through one's closed eyelids is a bit tricky.

Yesterday afternoon's choir concert went off very well, nice things were said to us and about us, and our audience seemed to really enjoy it.  Afternoon tea was excellent (much of it was provided by choir members) and was so generous that the organisers from the cancer charity plated up the leftovers and sold them off for the traditional 'gold coin donation' - i.e. a $1 or $2 coin per plate, each containing several pieces of something yummy.  I had some coins with me, so left a few behind and brought home a couple of plates of goodies.  My contribution was lemon squares, a recipe found many years ago on the web site of a now-closed quilt store in Ontario, Canada, which has become a favourite of ours.  

It tastes as good as it looks, too.

A phrase which has long puzzled newcomers to Australia is 'bring a plate'.  It is, of course, understood that the plate will contain a contribution to afternoon tea (or morning tea or lunch, depending on the time of day) but many a newcomer has turned up with an empty plate, expecting to have it filled!  At the last couple of Thursday rehearsals we were reminded "don't forget to bring a plate" to which some wag usually added "with something on it".  In days gone by it was usually "ladies bring a plate and gents bring a bottle".....which, back then, meant a bottle of beer.

Words have been read, songs have been sung.  Stitches have been sewn, but I don't think many were knitted as we had - for once - no appointments to attend.  We hunted and foraged, so we won't starve....although I have no idea what we are going to eat tonight.....no doubt something will come to my brain.  I just wish a food idea would come to Kevin's brain, for a change, but unfortunately there is little chance of that.

"The groomsmen's duties.

The groomsmen at the door of the reception room offer themselves as escorts to parties, who arrive slowly from the church, conducting them to the bridal party, and there presenting them by name.  This announcement becomes necessary when two families and two sets of friends are brought together for the first time.  If ladies are present without gentlemen, they accompany them to the breakfast or refreshment room, or provide them with attendants."

For many years a wedding reception was known as a 'wedding breakfast', because weddings often took place in the early morning.  Breakfast was then served before the happy couple set off on their wedding journey, with many daylight hours for travelling.  Even when most weddings moved to the afternoon, the wedding meal continued to be known as 'the wedding breakfast'.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

It's not ~quite~ warm here today

It is far from being freezing cold, it's quite nice when the sun peeks out from the clouds....but then it goes into hiding again and it gets cooler for a while.....still, July is the coldest month and we aren't even halfway through.

Never mind; it won't be long and we will be complaining about the heat again.....

Some diamond trios have been joined into strips.

Three strips, two of five trios and one of four, seams not yet pressed (which won't get done until I know which way they have to lie) but enough for a preview of the finished product.  The maths have been worked out; there need to be 11 strips of four trios and all the rest, however many that is, will be joined into strips of five.  First and every other row is 20 across, rows in between have 19, and the holes along all the sides will be filled with partial blocks continuing the pattern.  It's very therapeutic sewing, something much needed at present.

These days there are many phone calls to be made and some forms to be filled in on Kevin's behalf.  I have never liked filling in forms for any purpose....it makes me feel like I'm back at school doing a test, something I always dreaded, and I freeze up.  Ditto on the phone calls.  No good asking Kevin to make them, he gets confoozalated and difficult to understand, so it falls to me.  I find it quite stressful and I'm sure he has no idea that I do, because I can't seem to make him comprehend.  Come to that we don't really have many conversations about anything much, any more.

On to happier Stuff.

The choir has been practising for our winter concert to be held next Saturday afternoon, with proceeds going to a charity which supports cancer sufferers.  A few years ago our director Bill announced that we would no longer do concerts, and there was quite a bit of mumbling about that; just going along each week to sing is one thing but practising for a performance really gives us incentive to strive to do better, so we were all pleased when he eventually decided that yes, we would still perform after all.

Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  The label for Arboretum has been printed and traced onto fabric, a floss colour has been chosen (a warm brown DMC colour, a favourite for labels) and the non-woven interfacing has to be ironed onto the back before stitching can start.  It will take but a moment to do - the trouble is finding the moment!

Songs have been sung but not plinked this week as I've been too busy to pick up an instrument, and I miss it.

The new white kettle works very well.  The pretty green one would have worked equally well too, but would it make my coffee and Kevin's tea taste any better?  Well, that's the question, isn't it.....

Our musician friend has already booked his bed with us for next January's music festival, and we are looking forward to spending time with him again.  He, too, will be able to try out the new white kettle.  I'm sure he will be impressed.

Many folk during the past week have had phone problems, myself included.  I could send and receive text messages but couldn't make or receive calls.  That was somewhat of a nuisance so I had resigned myself to some time spent getting frustrated in the telecommunications shop trying to make young folk understand, but this morning I had a brainwave.  I turned the phone completely off then charged it fully.  Turned it back on, tried ringing Kevin's number - it worked, yay!  Tried ringing my phone from his and once again, it worked.  Fingers crossed that it stays working.

We are still finding out about the latest ceremonials.

"While the bride and bridegroom are passing out of the church, the bridesmaids follow slowly, each upon the arms of the groomsman, and they afterward hasten on as speedily as possible to welcome the bride at her own door, and to arrange themselves about the bride and groom in the reception room, half of the ladies on her side and half upon his - the first bridesmaid retaining the place of honour."

How many bridesmaids and groomsmen were in a wedding party, one wonders?  Sounds like rather a lot.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Doesn't look like much, does it?

However - it is, because this is block number 449.  The (hopefully!) last block which needed to be made for the design I have in mind.

Each block is three inches across, or at least that's the size on the diamond template.  I haven't actually measured them.  It's a useful size to work with, anyway.  The top diamond is lightest in colour, the right-hand side is darkest, and the left-hand side is something in between.

Two blocks have already been joined but not yet pressed, and another two are also being joined.

The Cunning Plan is to alternate rows of 20 blocks and rows of 19 blocks across, each second row needs to be shorter so the blocks fit together and create the design.  The tops and sides will be filled with partial blocks, because I don't like quilts with wiggly edges.  

Arboretum has gone off to quilter Margaret and should be home soon, although she has a few to be done before mine but that's all right; there's no tearing great hurry.  A label still needs to be made (it will be hand-embroidered) and I am dithering over the wording.  Name of quilt, of course....name of designer....name of maker (me)....name of quilter, because the quilting plays a part in how it looks....date (2025-26).....and a quote I found which appealed to me, "Trees are always a relief, after people" by writer David Mitchell (although I have left his name off the label, something which I plan to remedy before making it).  There are many quotes about trees but most of them are quite long-winded; I like this one because it is short, sharp and sweet, if slightly cynical.  Like what I am.

How has everyone been?  As you can see stitches have been sewn, and also knitted.  There are a couple of appointments in the coming week, so the knitting will come along to pass the time; I need to attend Kevin's appointments with him now as his speech is not always easy to understand, sometimes a translator is needed.  Songs have been sung and plinked, the uke group is now on holidays as U3A only meets during school terms, so we will be back later in July.  Words have been read.  Stocking up of the pantry took place, so we won't starve.

The great excitement during our week was on Friday afternoon when our electric kettle shorted out and blew all the power - we had lights, but no power.  We didn't realise at first what had happened.  When we arrived home from shopping Kevin brought the bags in while I poured coffee beans into the grinder and pressed the button on the kettle to heat water.  But - oh dear! - the grinder didn't work....bugger, I thought, and probably said too....then I became aware that the computer (which I had also turned on) was showing a blank screen, then I noticed the lack of music as the radio had stopped working too....then I checked the kettle.....all dead as the proverbial dodo.  Rang our neighbour whose husband is an electrician, he won't be home for a couple of hours she said....looked inside the fuse box but all that technical Stuff is a mystery to me, so closed it again....we rang an electrician who has done work for us in the past, and one of "the boys" (I'll send one of the boys to have a look" he said) came out to check.  He found the source of the problem fairly quickly; we managed by boiling water in a saucepan on the stove when needed, then yesterday we went shopping for a new kettle.  It works, it's the same brand as the previous one but a slightly different design, and is basic white.  I could have had a pretty pale green kettle, you know....but our basic model was $39 and the pretty green one was (gulp) $239 (gulp)!  $200 difference!!  So reluctantly (because it is a very pretty colour) I said, no, we'll take the white one.  Even though the green one is very pretty.....

"The latest ceremonials.

The latest Australian form for conducting the marriage ceremony is substantially as follows:

When the bridal party has arranged itself for entrance, the groomsmen, in pairs, march slowly up to the alter and turn to the right.  Behind them follows the groom alone.  When he reaches the alter he turns, faces the aisle and watches intently for the coming of his bride.  After a slight interval the bridesmaids follow in pairs, and at the alter turn to the left.  After another brief interval, the bride, alone and entirely veiled, with her eyes cast down, follows her companions.  The groom comes forward a few steps to meet her, takes her hand, and places her at the altar.  Both kneel for a moment's silent devotion.  The parents of the bride, having followed her, stand just behind her and partly to the left.  The services by the clergyman now proceed as usual."

Back in 1885 wedding parties must have been somewhat substantial, if there were enough bridesmaids and groomsmen for them to walk in pairs.  

If you search for "1885 wedding dress" you can see some amazing creations.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Not a very productive week

This week hasn't seen much accomplished, although stitches have been knitted and sewn...songs have been sung and plinked....the backing pieces for Arboretum have had one selvedge trimmed ready to be joined into a bigger piece....and, of course, words have been read.  Reading is my escape from the reality of our lives these days.

Never mind.

It is still midwinter.  I chuckle at those optimists who say "now that the winter solstice has passed we can look forward to longer warmer days" - well, yes, you can.  However, that doesn't happen instantly; scientists tell us it takes several weeks to notice much difference, and even then it's gradual.  We have had a few fairly cool days, and mornings with light frost, but so far (touch wood) it has been a fairly mild winter.

With that in mind, let's see if we can find some winter pics.

Back in 2009 we hitched up our caravan and headed for Nundle, a small village less than an hour south-east of Tamworth.  By then we had planned to move here the following year anyway, and we knew that once we did there was a very slim chance that we would take the van to Nundle - so we stopped there first.  Back in the mid-1800s Nundle, as well as many other towns, was the scene of a gold rush.  A steep drive from Nundle takes us to Hanging Rock, once the scene of a thriving settlement, but today just a few houses and a community hall.

This is one of the two Sheba Dams at Hanging Rock - and you cannot tell from this photo how cold it was.  It was a very still day with no wind, but the air was so crisp and chilly that we didn't stay out of the car for long.  The temperature was probably a low single digit.  In summer this is a popular camping spot, people even swim in the dams....but I wouldn't be dibbling my fingers in the water on a cold day!

Taken the same day, and yes, it was very cold.  Snow is not unknown at Hanging Rock because of its altitude.

At the top of that steep climb, before arriving in the village itself, is a path to a lookout overlooking the valley below.  That's Nundle in the distance on the right.

It's hard to imagine how busy and bustling those towns were in their heyday with a population of several thousand, but that is the story of so many gold mining towns, isn't it?  Some still thrived after the gold was gone, some stagnated with a few optimists hanging on, and some have disappeared completely.

Several years ago I read a book, "The Wallabadah Manuscript".  It was written when the author was getting on in years - dictated to his daughter, who wrote it down - and in it, he describes a shipment of gold taken on horseback from Nundle to Tamworth.  These days it's an easy 45-minute drive on a sealed road, but back in the 1850s it would have been a track through the bush which would have taken much longer.  The policeman leading the horse containing the gold, it seems, stopped at every farm along the way to slake his thirst; of course in those days it was safer to drink beer than water, so that's what he did.  He eventually fell off the horse somewhere, the horse continued on to Tamworth and arrived with the gold but with no rider.  As a result the policeman lost his job, something which doesn't come as a total surprise.

"Invitations to the ceremony only.

When the circle of friends on both sides is very extensive, it has become customary of late to send invitations to such as are not called to the wedding breakfast, to attend the ceremony at church.  This stands in the place of issuing cards.  No one must think of calling on the newly-married couple who has not received an invitation to the ceremony at church, or cards after their establishment in their new home."

I wonder if that is still done?  More than 30 years ago our younger son was involved in gymnastics, and two of the coaches married - the girls' coach married the boys' coach.  Kevin and I were invited to the wedding as were many of the parents, but all the kids - and there was quite a large number - were invited to just the church ceremony.  They still felt as though they were part of the day, and I don't blame the happy couple for not wanting to feed a horde of hungry teenagers.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Midwinter sunshine

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year...and the longest night.  The sun is shining brightly, but the warmth isn't ~quite~ there.  It's definitely not the day to be prancing around in shorts and bare feet, that's for sure.

This is today's view looking over the back gate.

Not so long ago there was no lush green grass, everything was dead and brown....but we have had good rain in recent weeks, and this is the result.

Looking to the left below we can see one of the cows from the other side of the hill, who roam freely from time to time.

Lots of lovely shades of green!

During World War II all this land was occupied by the Australian Army, and many soldiers spent time in camp here - my father included.  When I was a child, some of the old wooden huts which had been used to house soldiers were still in use as social housing; there was a great shortage of houses for all those returning servicemen (in those days they were nearly all men) and their young families.  In the early days of their marriage my parents lived with my maternal grandparents, certainly until after I was born....and, I think, until my brother was born just 13 months later.

When we decided to buy this house I had forgotten all about that connection, it only came to mind when I was looking at the photographic history of the town on my bookshelf.

How has everyone been this week?  We have been drifting along; the backing pieces for Arboretum have not yet been joined, but that's on the list.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Words have been read, many words (probably the reason why those backing pieces haven't been joined, if truth be known).  Songs have been sung and plinked.  My troublesome foot spent time with a physio but is feeling better every time it goes, so we are spreading the appointments further and further apart.  We hunted, foraged and gathered.

Much time has been spent on the phone trying to make the appointments that Kevin needs.  It's frustrating to be left on hold until a call drops out - especially as the hold 'music' is not something to which I voluntarily listen - or being told, "no, we're not the people he needs to see, you need to talk to so-and-so else".  No doubt there will much more time in future spent in the same manner, time in which I could be sewing, or knitting, or reading.  

Many years ago I spent six months working in the city - the heart of the Big Smoke - I was the telephonist, and one day had occasion to hear their 'on hold' music.  Much to my surprise it wasn't the latest hits, or even a spiel for the company (which supplied legal stationery and software), it was music of the Baroque era, early to mid 1700s, which is music I really like.  When I mentioned it to one of my colleagues he said that studies had shown that, when people have to spend time on hold, the music which puts them in the best frame of mind is Baroque music - who knew that?  Not me!

All I can say is, it doesn't happen these days......

Continuing on with our bridesmaids-less wedding.

"The bride leaves the altar, taking the bridegroom's right arm, and they pass down the aisle without looking to the right or left.  It is considered very bad form to recognize acquaintances by bows and smiles while in church.

The bride and bridegroom drive away in their own carriage, the rest following in their carriages."

These days it is smiles all around as the happy couple leave the church.....and oh, how perfectly spiffing it would be to have one's own carriage.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Behind the trees

Backing has been bought for Arboretum - much to my surprise I was able to find Just The Very Thing at the local quilt shop, so there was no need to take that drive north.  The batiks in the main part of the shop were all delicate tone on tone pastels in shades of pink, lavender, blue, etc.  Very pretty if that's your thing, but not at all what I wanted.

Let's have a look in the sale room, said the assistant......

.....where my eyes lit on this.  The background is a deep rich chocolate, with little yellow/gold - squiggles? commas? hooks?  

Here's a mock-up with the intended binding fabric around the edge.  Today is dull and cloudy, not ideal conditions for photography, as the colour looks more washed-out than it is in real life.

So, yes - Just The Very Thing!  I must admit I had been hoping for lighter brighter fabric but this suits the binding and the price was amazing.  If the bolt was emptied the price was even better, so there is now a leftover piece in my stash; a hanging sleeve will be needed as the plan is to enter it in both the local show in September, and our quilt group exhibition in October.

How has everyone been?  We have had a fairly quiet week.  Stitches were sewn and knitted, fabric shopping was done.  Songs were sung.  We hunted and we foraged in order that we may not starve, and that was the week.

To make up for missing out on my trip north let's go to a pub in a small - very small - village half an hour south, said I, so we did; we drove to Currabubula where we had lunch at the pub.  There has been a pub in the village for a long time.  Australian author Kate Grenville has written a book "One Life" about her mother, and her grandmother, and her great-grandmother....I came across it in the library several years ago not knowing of the local connection, and found it fascinating.  

The weather has been winter on-and-off.  Days are fairly mild but nights and mornings are cool enough that we are glad to have a fire to keep us, and the house, from cooling down too much.  We've even had some more rain - it's unbelievable how much every blade of grass has changed to bright green from the dead dry brown of just a few weeks ago; we are even seeing the occasional kangaroo on the hill behind us.

Finally the hay fever cough, the gift that keeps on giving, seems to have abated - for which I am thankful.  It still catches me unawares from time to time, but not as severely as before.  

"Ceremonials when there are no bridesmaids.

When there are no bridesmaids, the marriage ceremonials at the church are as follows:  The members of the bride's family proceed to the church before the bride, who follows with her mother.  The bridegroom awaits them at the church and gives his arm to the bride's mother.  They walk up the aisle to the altar, the mother falling back to her position on the left.  The father, or relative representing him, conducts the bride to the bridegroom, who stands at the altar with his face turned toward her as she approaches, and the father falls back to the left.  The relatives follow, taking their places standing, those of the bride to the left, those of the groom to the right.  After kneeling at the altar for a moment, the bride, standing on the left of the bridegroom, takes the glove off from her left hand, while he takes the glove off from his right hand.  The service then begins.  The father of the bride gives her away by bowing when the question is asked, which is a much simpler form than stepping forward and placing his daughter's hand in that of the clergyman.  Perfect self-control should be exhibited by all parties during the ceremony."

Today's quote is fairly long, but there isn't really a suitable place to break it into smaller bites.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The road ahead

At Kevin's last medical appointment the doctor confirmed what we had suspected for some time - a diagnosis of dementia.  He has Alzheimer's.  It's early stages yet but given that both his parents suffered from it in their later years, it's not surprising.  I don't know if there is a hereditary component, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was.

So we don't know if the road ahead will be bumpy - I suspect at times it will be - or smooth, which it mostly is now.  It will probably be a combination of both.  

Oh, well.  We can only do what we can do, can't we.....which is to keep our sense of humour as intact as we can as much as we can, and smile when we can't.

Moving on to happier Stuff.

We both had medical appointments during the week (mine was nothing drastic, just the Olde Pharte quarterly check-up) so the knitting came along with me to pass the waiting time.  The finished back and sleeves are plain knitting but I can't resist adding a pattern panel in the centre front; it's interesting to knit, and it's interesting to wear.

This is a cable panel from one of my knitting stitch dictionaries.  I can't remember what it's called, but its basketweave effect puts me in mind of wet sand on a beach as the tide goes in and out.

The collection so far of three-inch strips for the outer border on the house quilt.  It's a large quilt so is quite a long way round.....and I haven't cut very long pieces, which was probably a bit short-sighted of me......so some longer strips, which can be mixed in with the shorter ones, will be cut.

The house quilt will have its turn back in the sun once Arboretum is off being quilted, and I am looking forward to working on it again after so long.  There are a couple of days in the coming week which don't have commitments, so that drive to the quilt shop further north looks like being a goer; it certainly has a much bigger selection of batik fabrics than the local one here.  Kevin is still able to drive, for which I am thankful (I don't like driving but I know that one day I will have to be The Driver) so it's an excuse for an outing.

How has everyone been this week?  We spent time at appointments, and foraged enough to avert starvation.  Stitches were knitted, and also sewn by hand; the pile of diamonds waiting to be sewn together is getting smaller, then the three-diamond hexagons will be sewn in rows, or perhaps in blocks of three or four.  Yet to be decided....songs were sung and plinked, but there will be no uke group tomorrow as it's a public holiday for the monarch's birthday.  Most of my life it was the queen's birthday, it's been a few years but I'm still not used to saying 'king'!  There was a king when I was born, but I was quite young when he was replaced by a queen.

It's now June, so winter is well and truly here.  This morning was cold enough for a frost and quite frosty it was too, we are enjoying having a fire.  There is chicken simmering away in the slow cooker which, I suspect, will be welcome in a few hours; chicken thigh fillets cooked with Dijon mustard and maple syrup which we will have with rice and vegies to soak up the sauce.  On the kitchen bench is a butternut squash waiting to be turned into soup tomorrow as it's definitely soup weather now, and I haven't made any yet.  My version of pumpkin soup is cooked with green Thai curry paste, chopped onion and chicken or vegie stock, and some coconut milk stirred through once the squash is soft enough to be blended.  Depending on how heavy-handed one is with the curry paste it can be a good way of clearing out one's sinuses, too.

Neither of us like very spicy foods so there will be enough curry paste to an interesting bite, but not enough to take our breaths away.  We prefer flavour to heat - they aren't necessarily the same thing, you know.

"Presents of the bride and bridegroom.

Where the bride makes presents to the bridesmaids on her wedding day, they generally consist of some articles of jewellery, not costly, and given more as a memento of the occasion than for their own intrinsic worth.  The bridegroom sometimes gives the groomsmen a scarf pin of some quaint device, or some other slight memento of the day, as a slight acknowledgement of their services."

Pictures are appearing online of the wedding of a minor member of the British royal family, a second wedding for both bride and groom.  The bride went for the full white regalia, even a veil over the face when entering the church (an anachronism if ever there was one, I reckon; these days a groom is quite familiar with his bride's face before they meet at the altar) and the teenage daughters of both bride and groom had to wrangle a long train and veil while walking into the church in the rain.  I don't know what, if any, gifts were given.  Those girls certainly deserve a diamond or two each, for sure.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Only twelve months to go

My performance this afternoon went well considering I was feeling slightly less than fabulous, thanks to the hay fever which has turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving.  Never mind; I made it through both a poem and a song without disgracing myself, and had fun.

Now to think of next year's pieces....there is still twelve months, that should be enough time to decide....

Not much has happened on the sewing front so there are no pics to share, but let's see what's lurking in the photo vault.

Oh my, here's an oldie!  The doll is one I have had since childhood, a hard plastic doll with "Patsy" moulded onto the back of her neck - so, of course, she is called Patsy.

The little bed was bought from a now-defunct chain which sold all manner of  'decorator' items.  They sold a line of dressed dolls (nothing like Patsy, though, she is much older) and this little metal bed fitted her nicely.

This was one of the first quilts I made, machine pieced but - gasp - hand quilted!

I don't usually go for the pink and blue colour scheme but, as Patsy is a 1950s doll, she needed a colour scheme from that era.

Sadly I had no daughters, and no granddaughters.  I have a couple of other dolls, so perhaps I'll just sell them or even give them away.  Do children even play with dolls these days?  I used to enjoy making clothes for mine, rather than playing "mummy" with them.

How has everyone been this week?  We have had a fairly quiet week; words have been read, stitches have been sewn but not knitted.  The coming week, though, sees various appointments for both of us so knitting is a good way to spend waiting time, particularly as I now have to go along with Kevin to his various appointments.  Songs were sung (croaked would perhaps be a better word) and played.  We hunted and we foraged.

Fortunately next week doesn't look like being so busy, so a trip to a town an hour away for Arboretum's backing fabric is on the cards.

Best of all, we have had a lot of rain!  Not enough to break the drought which some say is already upon us, but good rain nevertheless.  It's amazing how little rain it takes for gardens and grass to suddenly look healthy and green, instead of dry and brown.  It's been chilly enough that the fire has, at times, been welcome, in fact there is one burning as we speak.

"Costumes of the bridegroom and groomsman.

The bridegroom and groomsman, at a morning wedding, wear full morning dress, dark blue or black frock coats, or cut-aways, light neckties, and light trousers.  The bridegroom wears white gloves.  The groomsmen wear gloves of some delicate colour."

Just as I chose not to wear a traditional white wedding dress, Kevin chose not to dress formally for our wedding.  His shirt was gold-coloured and he wore brown trousers....well, it was the 1970s, the decade of brown, brown and more brown.  His necktie and gloves were non-existent.

We were both happy with that.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A bit of a "ta-da" moment

Arboretum is now a finished top.

It was a bit too big for my regular holder-upper's help, so yesterday it came along to quilt group with me where some obliging arms helped hold it.  It was even a bit large for those arms, but never mind.  It's done.....and I am thrilled with it!

Now to join some wadding pieces together, and go shopping for backing fabric, and have it quilted.  And of course, not to forget to make a label.

The thought has even occurred to me that four more trees could be made and turned into a seasonal hanging....now, that would be fun.....

How has everyone been?  The Hay Fever from Hades is (mostly) moving back to from whence it came, thank goodness, although every now and then it makes an unwelcome return to tap me on the shoulder as a reminder of its presence.  We had some rain earlier in the week and more is forecast for the coming week, so perhaps that will wash away some dust.  The hill behind us was dry, dead and brown, but now it has a little coating of green.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn, but not knitted.  Much practicing of next Sunday's poem and song competition pieces have been taking place, and those errant chords are now firmly fixed in my brain along with the words; a little fine tuning, and it will be even better.  I made it to choir on Thursday afternoon after two weeks' absence and managed most of the notes, although there were a few which defeated me.  We hunted and foraged, our regular social activity - there's usually someone we know to chat to as we wend our way around the shops, so it's quite a sociable pastime for a couple of Olde Phartes.

There are still trees with autumn colour, but those leaves are rapidly dropping; a tree not far from our place will soon have bare branches as its glorious red/bronze leaves will be a thing of the past - but also of the future, because next year it will happen all over again. 

"The bridal costume.

The most approved bridal costume for young brides is of white silk, high corsage, a long wide veil of white tulle, reaching to the feet, and a wreath of maiden-blush roses with orange blossoms.  The roses she can continue to wear, but the orange blossoms are only suitable for the ceremony."  

I am assuming that the maiden-blush roses are artificial, as real roses could be used for one occasion only.  The "white wedding dress" with its accompaniments is a relative modern idea, started by Queen Victoria back in 1840; before then a wedding dress was not necessarily new (a bride would probably wear her best dress, no matter what the colour) or even white.  A white dress was not a practical idea in those days before modern washing machines, so only wealthy families could afford such an unsuitable dress for a daughter's wedding.  The 'virginal purity' symbolism of a white dress is, likewise, not such a very old idea either, just something which has become attached to the colour white over the years.

Besides which, white doesn't suit everyone, does it?

When Kevin and I married, my dress was a very 1970s long floral dress with a deep double frill around the hem, much in style for the time.  It was certainly not white.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A bit of a fizzer

Is what my birthday was.  

The Hay Fever from Hades had moved in earlier in the week, and from then on it has been cough-cough-cough and more cough.  Sadly the anticipated birthday lunch had to be postponed, but it went ahead yesterday and was all the more appreciated for being delayed.

I can understand why sleep deprivation is used as an instrument of torture, sleeping is so difficult when one is continually cough-cough-coughing.  However the cough is more settled now and I have managed a few nights of nearly uninterrupted sleep, which certainly makes me feel better.  The rib muscles which had been so painful (because: cough) and made machine sewing difficult as a result, are also easing.

Consequently, much as I had hoped it would be, the top of Arboretum is not quite finished.

The section on the bottom right needs to be joined to the section above it - you can see my yellow pin marker top centre on the blue peacock tree - then that whole section will be joined to the much larger section to the left.

Then - it will be done!

I could manage an occasional stitch by hand or by knitting needle in between coughing, but much of my spare time was spent reading because it doesn't require much physical effort.  This was on the "take one, leave one" table when I went to the physio recently; I have read another of Jane Harper's books so this one came home with me.

I enjoyed it, although it's by no means a light-hearted read.  It centres around an annual memorial for Sam, a man who disappeared on his 21st birthday five years earlier, and we find out relationships are falling apart....buildings are falling apart....the town itself is falling apart as a nearby mine encroaches closer and closer.  Despite that it's not all gloom and doom, and there is much positivity.  The book has now gone back to whence it came, for someone else's enjoyment.

Words, as you can see, have been read.  Stitches have occasionally been sewn or knitted.  Not one word has been sung or plinked; I haven't been to choir because it's difficult to sing when one is coughing, but that also means that no practice has been done for the Eisteddfod competition in just two weeks (eek!).  Appointments were kept, something which seems to be happening more and more these days.  We managed to go out for food to keep starvation at bay, and that was our week.

When one is spending more time at home because one isn't well one's world shrinks, doesn't it?  Not sick enough to need medical attention or to take to one's bed like the heroine of a Victorian novel, just unwell enough to feel tired and listless and to occasionally spend time in one's comfy chair wrapped in a quilt.  Which, of course, one made some years ago.

For many years it was my caravan quilt, and now it's my comfy chair quilt because it matches my comfy green chair and because it's warm.

Early last week we had a small rain shower which was very welcome, and more is forecast over the next few days.....which will be even more welcome.  Our drive on Saturday for lunch was to Bendemeer and we drove through very dry brown country, so that rain is needed.

Here we are back at the altar.

"The bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Only relatives and the most intimate friends are asked to be bridesmaids - the sisters of the bride and of the bridegroom, where it is possible.  The bridegroom chooses his best man and the groomsmen from his circle of relatives and friends of his own age, and from the relatives of his fiancee of a suitable age.  The dresses of the bridesmaids are not given, unless their circumstances are such as to make it necessary."

You notice that small children are not mentioned.  For many years now small children - some quite small - have been part of a wedding party, and I must admit to not being a fan.  A retinue of cutesy-poo kiddie-widdies seems to de rigeur at royal weddings; I remember reading many years ago it started with Princess Margaret of the British Royal Family as she and her groom were short and didn't wish to have bridesmaids towering over them, so her attendants were all or nearly all pre-teens.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The story so far

Arboretum's top is more than two-thirds done.

The resident holder-upper doesn't have a wide wingspan, hence the bottom is touching the ground.....but I love the stained glass effect looking out from our back verandah, don't you?  The remaining section will be done this week; it's a busy week with appointments, choir, quilt group, U3A ukulele starting back tomorrow, but somehow during those days I will find time to make three blocks each with nine trees in them, sew them together and join it to the right of this piece - then the top will be finished.

Getting this far is a good feeling.  Knowing how close the top is to being done is even better.

Thoughts have also been thought about a label for Arboretum.  One of the batik fabrics from the Big Basket is a pale yellow leafy print which will make a good label background while also looking suitably....leafy, and the details will be embroidered by hand.

When I retrieved the quilt from holder-upper Kevin's embrace a visitor fluttered in for a drink, a rainbow lorikeet, a species we often see hanging around this area.  

They are noisy chattering birds, and their bright plumage is very colourful.  When we moved to our last house in the Big Smoke back in 1987 we never saw them, but as the two Callistemon trees on the front footpath grew larger and produced more flowers - and more nectar - they were more frequent (and noisier!) visitors; by the time we moved out 23 years later their numbers had grown considerably.

Several years ago rainbow lorikeets were the inspiration for an art quilt challenge, with fun results.

Next Thursday, 7th May, will be the 16th anniversary of our moving out of the Big Smoke, and into this house.  It's been a good move, and we both know it's a better place for us to spend our declining years than in a huge metropolis with too much traffic, too many people, and construction everywhere you turn.  I used to like spending time in Parramatta which wasn't far away and which has some interesting old buildings to explore from colonial days, but these days it's just another huge city....and those attractive historic buildings are now dwarfed by their taller neighbours, something I'm glad not to see.  Some have even been deemed surplus to requirements and removed, knocked down, which I find a shame.

How has everyone been this week?  We have had the usual running around with appointments and shopping.  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Songs have been sung.  Some practice went into refining the song for the Eisteddfod concert at the end of this month (so close!), and it's coming along well.

No rain fell this week, not one dribble or drip.  It has now been over five weeks since the last shower of rain, but we have hopes that the next day or two may bring a little drizzle.  Temperatures are still mild but next Friday is forecast to be an early taste of winter, so the winter woolies had better be checked to make sure they are fit to be seen in public.

Continuing on with Etiquette of Weddings:

"After the marriage invitations are issued, the fiancee does not appear in public.  It is also de rigeur at morning weddings that she does not see the bridegroom on the wedding-day, until they meet at the altar."

I find it strange that a newly-engaged woman has to hide herself away from public gaze until she becomes Mrs Someone Else.  Perhaps the idea is to stop her finding a bloke she prefers to the one who finally plucked up enough courage to pop the question?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

One down, eight to go

Arboretum is being constructed in panels, for ease of handling.

The trees are set 11 across by nine down in the finished quilt, but four across by three down is a manageable size to work with.  New panels will be joined to the previous one as we go along; the next piece will go on the bottom of this one, hopefully that will be done later today.  There will be nine panels.

Some jiggling of blocks is still happening.  Every time I walk into that room and look at the trees spread out on the design bed another one or two get moved......but it is getting closer to being the final design.

It will go out to be quilted as I'm not sure that my sometimes-painful shoulder and wrist could handle machine quilting, even though it's not enormously huge.  It's about 60 inches across by 72 down.

How has everyone been?  We have dealt with our usual Olde Pharte appointments, and even fronted up with our sleeves rolled up for the annual flu shot early in the week.  Geez, I hate having pointy things poked into me.....apart from tiredness for the next couple of days and a slightly sore arm from the pointy poke there have been no side effects.  I've been having the flu shot for over 25 years without a problem, but I am not having any more covid shots after bad side effects from the last two.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  The shops were shuffled around for the weekly wanderings and food was purchased for the consumption thereof, in a never-ending cycle.  Songs were sung, and the realisation come to that I had better get cracking on learning the chords for my Eisteddfod song; the poem is in my brain, the words of the song likewise, but those chords have yet to follow - and they have just a month to do so.

Our autumn weather has been pleasantly warm, not hot, but it is oh-so-dry....no rain has fallen at all this month.  Not one dribble, not a drip.  Nothing.  Reports have been coming in on social media about kangaroos coming into town because their usual food supply in the bush has died off due to the complete lack of rain.  Apparently autumn is usually our wetter season, so a dry autumn does not augur well for the year's crops.

If wishing would make it rain we would have a flood, but alas......

Do any of you watch the program in which people get 'fake married?  Just seeing the ads is bad enough....I think to myself (and indeed, usually say out loud) "what drivel!"....there are far too many programs in which people are pitted against each other to win a cash prize, or perhaps a fake spouse....the TV stays off more than it is on in our house.  We don't subscribe to streaming (I nearly wrote 'screaming' there) services, either.   I would far rather read a book.  Growing up without television didn't bother my brothers and I; we were teenagers when it finally arrived in our town, and I was far too busy being a social butterfly to stay home and watch.  Kevin is a great one for channel surfing with the remote - it's a bloke thing - but doesn't end up watching much anyway.

 We have finished the chapter on Courtship and Marriage, so now we move onto Etiquette of Weddings.

"The circumstances under which weddings take place are so varied, and the religious forms observed in their solemnization so numerous, that to lay down rules applicable to all cases would be a matter of great difficulty, if not an impossibility.  Consequently, only those forms of marriage attended with the fullest ceremonies, and all the attendant ceremonials, will here be given, and others may be modelled after them as the occasion may seem to require."

Nothing here about fake TV weddings, you notice.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Laid out ready to be sewn together!

All the blocks for Arboretum are laid out on the design bed.

I think this will be the final layout, but of course it's subject to change.  Every now and then I look at the blocks then swap a couple around, but it's pretty close to being ready to sew now.  I hope.  I didn't go for the colourwash idea, because it's never appealed to me - I quite like random.  Nature is random, after all, it's not neat and tidy.

However, I am having second thoughts about the backing fabric.  It's black and white; although I really like it I would have preferred something more autumn-y, so perhaps I should go shopping again.  The black and white fabric can instead be used as the backing on another quilt in progress, one which has lots of black and white.  Decisions, decisions......looks were looked at fabrics during our trip away, but nothing jumped up and down and said "pick me, pick me"......

The labels for both Arboretum and the house quilt have been put into the brain cells to be worked on.  A few years ago a skein of multi-coloured floss was purchased for the house quilt label, and my brain is thinking it will also do nicely for Arboretum's label.

We have noticed that trees are finally turning, leaves are changing colour at last.  No pics of autumn colours were taken on our recent holiday, because there was very little to take; most trees were still wearing their summer clothes, albeit somewhat faded in places.  With the much cooler weather of late there would now be autumn colours galore down south, but we're not about to head off again to find out.

How has everyone been this week?  We've been settling back into our everyday life once more.  Stitches have been sewn but none knitted, although that should change this week.  While we were away the final stitches were knitted on the second sleeve, the page was turned to the instructions for the jumper front, and the knitting bag was reached into for the required 3.25 ml circular needle to cast on......but alas, there was none!  It had been left at home!  Never mind; off to the big op shop, but neither a 3.25 ml circular nor a pair of 3.25 ml needles were to be found.  Not to worry, a set of four 3.25 ml was purchased and when the predicament was explained to the helpful young bloke volunteering at the counter he gave me some rubber bands to improvise 'knobs' on the ends of the needles to stop stitches sliding off.  The required number of stitches was cast on for the front and many rows knitted before we arrived home, and the next row could then be knitted onto my preferred circular needle.

Words have been read.  We went out hunting and foraging to avert starvation, probably a good idea, but of course it has to be done again and again, doesn't it?  That troublesome wrist has mostly been behaving itself, the brace has been worn when needed, and all is (mostly) good.

Final words on Breaking an Engagement:

"Many men, in taking retrospective glances, remember how they were devoted to women, the memory of whom calls up only a vague sort of wonder how they ever could have fallen into the state of infatuation in which they once were.  The same may be said of many women.  Heart-breaking separations have taken place between young men and young women who have learned that the sting of parting does not last forever.  The heart, lacerated by a hopeless or misplaced attachment, when severed from the cause of its woe, gradually heals and prepares itself to receive fresh wounds, for affection requires either a constant contemplation of, or intercourse with, its object, to keep it alive."

Well, yes.  Time heals all wounds, as they say.  Or perhaps it's, time wounds all heels.....

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer