They call me mellow yellow

How many of you remember that song from back in our hippie days?  Yellow is a glorious happy colour, so here are some yellows from our recent trip.

The rose garden café where we breakfasted before leaving Cowra:

I'm always drawn to yellow/gold roses rather than pink or red.

Lovely molten gold roses, like this one.  There may have been a label telling its name but, if so, it was at ground level, and I don't get down that far because getting up again in a dignified manner....well......

I don't know what these pretties are called, I thought perhaps autumn crocus, but the leaves look wrong....I thought autumn crocus leaves were quite skinny, and these aren't.  Taken in Molong at the 'Yarn Cottage', a visitor information centre in a cottage dating from 1860 or so, with a Cobb & Co Coach House at the back; these flowers were growing in its garden.

Some fabrics bought in Canberra for the yellow quilt, the plan is to hopefully start it before the year is out.

Hopefully......not too sure about the fabric on the right, it could be a bit brown, but we'll see.

And these because I couldn't resist them, they were bought in Tumut at The Cotton Merchants:

Because one day there may be another autumn quilt in my future. 

How has everyone been?  Hopefully we have caught up with various appointments - for now, at least - and we won't starve, because some hunting and foraging has been done.  Words have been read, stitches have been knitted and sewn.  My right wrist is a little limited at present; it was broken in the fall two years ago (two years this coming week, actually) and, while it's mostly not giving much trouble, of late it has been sore.  On Friday the chiropractor said it appeared to have a slight sprain and recommended wearing a brace for a while....well, how lucky, there is a right hand brace in the drawer as it was worn after the plaster was removed.  So now my wrist is braced again, but the support helps with the discomfort so it can stay on.  It makes some activities a bit tricky but provided it's worn more than it's not worn, it can be taken off occasionally.

Best of all, summer has drawn its last breath!  Daytime temps have still been fairly warm, but last night a cooler breeze blew through....quite cool, and now it's properly autumn.  Today is cold enough to wear long sleeves, and even proper shoes with socks rather than sandals.  Some rain would be welcome, though, as it's been a couple of months since any rain worthy of the name fell from the skies.

The blocks for Arboretum are in the process of being laid out as we speak, and oh - they look so good!  There is a red house BOM to be made for my quilt group, and as soon as that's out of the way the trees can be sewn together.  More diamonds need to be cut, over 400 three-diamond hexagons have been made (although I don't think of it as a hexagon quilt) and diamonds for only another 10-12 triples need to be cut.  Without the brace.  The cooler weather gives my brain a boost, and it's easier to get motivated to do Stuff when one's brain cells aren't frying.

Continuing on with our wise words on Breaking an Engagement:

"It is generally best to break an engagement by letter.  By this means one can express himself or herself more clearly, and give the true reason for his or her course much better than in a personal interview.  The letter breaking the engagement should be accompanied by everything, by way of portraits, letters or gifts, that has been received during the engagement.  Such letters should be acknowledged in a dignified manner, and no efforts should be made or measure be taken to change the decision of the writer, unless it is manifest that he or she is greatly mistaken in his or her premises,  A similar return of letters, portraits and gifts should be made."

I can remember a song from the radio during my childhood 'A broken engagement is like a divorce'.  These days it would probably be considered a somewhat mournful country song....it was certainly mournful when my mother sang along with it, for sure.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Finished is a good feeling!

As, I'm sure, we all know.

The last stitches were taken on the binding nearly half an hour ago.

Stepping back and looking at it finished - well, I like it. A lot.  Were there things I would have done differently - possibly.  Would I love it any more if those changes were made - no.

Fabrics from my stash of Canadian fabrics, and from my stash of autumn print fabrics, and from my stash of low volume background fabrics.  My stash contains several sub-stashes, as I'm sure everyone else's does too.

A couple of corners.

The back.  The original plan had been to use the wide stripe for the whole back, but it wasn't quite wide enough.  The maple leaf fabric is from the same manufacturer as the stripe - Northcott Fabrics - so the colours blend.

Large-scale stripes can be difficult to use; I remember I hesitated before buying this one, but I liked the Canadian-ness of it so it came home with me.  It suits the back perfectly.

Now there is a block sitting on the sewing table waiting to be made for next Saturday's group meeting....some fabrics were supplied, you will need four large-scale floral fabrics, said the instructions....I managed to find four in the stash.  The coming week is busy with several appointments and commitments for us both, but no doubt I will find the odd moment here and there to make one block.  Even though one of the supplied fabrics is pink, and I really don't love pink.

Words have been read.  As you can see, stitches have been sewn but none knitted, however the knitting will come with me to those various appointments, and who knows how many stitches will be knitted while we wait?  Notes have been plinked and sung.  We hunted, gathered and foraged in order that we may not starve, and because we are lucky we get to do it all over again next week.

Kevin was scrolling through the offerings on TV earlier, and he came across a cooking program.  I don't know what it was called, but it annoyed the bejabbers out of me because it was a man and a woman demonstrating.....she made a sauce out of I-don't-know-what, I think there was cream involved, then HE laid the potato slices tenderly in their dish, HE poured over the sauce she had made, HE placed the dish in the oven, HE took the dish out......all the while he was grinning inanely as if HE had just re-invented the wheel.....which is why I don't care for male TV chefs who have the "step aside, little lady, and let a real man do this" attitude.  Yes, I know many men like to cook.  Good for them.  I'm sure they do so without the superior attitude of most TV chefs.

The same goes for ads with a man showing a woman how to do the washing....in my experience it has been a woman (me) showing a bloke (Kevin and our two sons) how to operate a washing machine and how to use the iron. 

And while we're on the subject......do any of you sniff the contents of the wash basket before they go into the washing machine? Or blissfully sniff those freshly washed contents as they hang on the line in the sunshine?  Because I, for one, don't, despite those ads which show it happening.

When I rule the world, things will be different.

The plans for our 50th Anniversary Mini World Tour next month are proceeding nicely, all our accommodation has been booked, and I am starting to suss out places to visit.  Op shops, of course, that goes without saying....maybe a fabric shop or two.....hopefully someone to play music with.....family to visit in Canberra (no doubt the One And Only Grandkid will be towering over me by now) and friends to catch up with.

Something I have forgotten to mention: during the country music festival last month we attended a morning of poetry and comedy; we have been in the past and always enjoyed it.  As we entered we were given a numbered ticket and guess what - I won!  A DVD of poetry and laughs from some of the performers; we haven't watched it yet, but we will.  Just goes to show that, sometimes, you can be lucky.

"The relations of an engaged couple.

A young man has no right to put a slight upon his future bride by appearing in public with other ladies while she remains neglected at home.  He is in future her legitimate escort.  He should attend no other lady when she needs his services; she should accept no other escort when he is at liberty to attend her.  A lady should not be too demonstrative of her affection during the days of her engagement.  There is always a chance of "a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip"; and over demonstrations of love are not pleasant to be remembered by a young lady, if the man to whom they are given by any chance fails to become her husband.  An honorable man will never tempt his future bride to any such demonstration.  He will always maintain a respectful and decorous demeanor toward her."

That's right.  No PDAs please, folks.  One never knows where to look when one is a spectator to such an activity.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Trees within a tree

More fabrics have been bought.

On Friday a trip was undertaken an hour north to Armidale, because Armidale has two quilt shops.  One has quite contemporary fabrics and is run by a young bloke whose machine quilting is amazing and wins prizes - I spoke to him about my house quilt as I plan to have him work on it - but has no batik fabrics.  However, the other shop more than made up for that.

Aren't these fun fabrics?  A few are Aussie native flowers....the orange/red with yellow grevilleas fourth from the right, and the two on the far right which have eucalypt blossoms although they are both quite different....and, of course, some green.  With what was bought recently, that should be enough to make the required trees.

I also bought fabric for backing, a black and white  print of Callistemon flowers, otherwise known as Bottle Brushes.  We have a few growing in our garden, but ours aren't black and white.

The maple leaf fabric planned for binding suits well, and adds colour contrast.  As many of the fabrics came from Australia and some came from Canada, the backing ties down the links between those two countries quite nicely.  Perhaps it can be a Canaussian Arboretum.

So onto this week's trees....a pinkish-beige with enough life in the print to stop it looking like a blob of indeterminate colour, paired with a goldish-pinkish-berry-grape contrast.

A green tree with more trees in the contrast, so....trees within a tree.

That makes 83 and 84.  Those new fabrics were purchased at just the right time, because next week's two trees will use the last of the already-in-the-stash fabrics.

How has everyone been this week?  We mooched along as usual; went for our Nice Sunday Drive to Armidale on Friday which we quite enjoyed, but which gave my ears trouble coming back down into our valley (reminding me why we don't go up the hills more often); and we hunted, gathered and foraged to keep the wolf from the door.  Stitches were sewn and knitted.  Songs have not yet been sung because our choir leader is still unwell, but I have high hopes for next Thursday afternoon.  Many words have been read.  Some household chores have been attended to.

We are getting adjusted to daylight saving.  Today's forecast is for possible showers later which would be welcome, as things have been somewhat dry of late.  Kevin is watching the Bathurst car race on TV and it seems to be pouring rain down there; we betook ourselves for a spin (not literally!) around the track earlier in the year.  As a boy racer in his younger days he would have enjoyed not being limited to only 60 kms an hour, but he was very good and stuck strictly to the speed limit.

Despite a wet start to that day it was dry when we had our trip round the track.  This is the car we sold a few months ago.....I have suggested that we take the new(ish) car for a whirl next time we're in the area, too.

My house quilt has been calling, lately.  In my stash of black and white fabrics is one from several years ago of little cat footprints in black on white which I have decided to use for a one inch wide inner border.....so it is on the cutting table waiting its turn for the cutter.  The quilt also needs trimming before the borders are sewn on, so perhaps that should be done first.  Decisions, decisions......it was coming along nicely early last year before I fell and broke my arm, so it had to be shelved for a while.  It's now time it came off the shelf.

For nearly 30 years now I have been a member of an online quilt group, and recently an interstate member posted that she was coming to a local town for work.  We arranged to meet up last week for dinner at a local pub in a village between the town where she was working and here, and what a fun evening that was!  She asked if I would take along my tree blocks as she had seen my pics online, so I did....we had fun going through them.....and now she, too, is making trees, spreading the tree love over more forests.

"Another requisite for conjugal happiness is moral and religious sympathy, that each may walk side by side in the same path of moral purpose and social usefulness, with joint hope of immortality."

Probably.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A cactus or a tree?

 They are not the same - cactus aren't classed as trees, they are a different species altogether.  However, one has snuck in with my trees, so it can stay there.

A desert cactus......

And an autumn foliage tree.

Two very different trees this week, numbers 81 and 82.  Only 17 to go!

During the week I managed to fit in a visit to the local quilt shop where I found a few batik fabrics to add to the stash.

No doubt they will make excellent trees.  

Every now and then this pic comes up on the computer.  It was taken at Butchart Gardens back in November 2012; we were visiting with friends, and their car was parked in front of a tree which was busy dropping leaves.  The fallen leaves put me in mind of some of my batik fabrics.

If you have ever visited Butchart Gardens you will know how beautiful they are - if you haven't been and the opportunity arises to go, take it.  It is a never-to-be-forgotten experience at any time of year.

How has everyone been this week?  We have managed to survive a whole week with no medical visits necessary, for which we are thankful.  Hunting and foraging, as usual, filled in some time.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Words have been read.  Sadly no notes have been sung; I was all geared up for choir on Thursday afternoon but received a message from the director earlier in the week to say there would be no choir on Thursday.  So......now I am doubly eager for this coming Thursday to roll around!

Last night daylight saving began, so our clocks (body clocks, and horological clocks) will take a few days to re-adjust.  I don't mind daylight saving, although there are those (a couple of women in my quilt group come to mind) who are vociferous in their dislike - nay, hatred - of it, but why waste energy?  There is nothing they can do about it; it is here to stay having started over 50 years ago in our state, so all their moaning and whingeing won't make it go away.  Not being a morning person, particularly not being an early morning person, means I don't mind darker mornings so it doesn't bug me too much.

Over 20 years ago we were visiting southern Queensland in summer.  Queensland doesn't have daylight saving, and it was a great shock when the mornings were getting light at about 4 a.m.!  At that stage we had been used to daylight saving for well nigh on 30 years, so our bodies had adjusted to it.  We stayed in Toowoomba, a nice town, which seemed to close down at about 5 p.m.....which is no wonder, when it's daylight again not long afterward......

We are having a quiet long weekend lying low.  There is a massive footy (i.e. rugby league) carnival taking place in our town with thousands upon thousands of visitors, so we are keeping out of it.  It's the annual Labour Day weekend which can often be busy, but a peaceful day suits us.  Workers - stonemasons - in Victoria, Australia, were the first in the world to achieve an 8-hour working day, so that's something to celebrate.

"Mutual trust and confidence are other requisites for happiness in married life.  There can be no true love without trust.  The responsibility of a man's life is in a woman's keeping from the moment he puts his heart into her hands.  Without mutual trust there can be no real happiness."

This is probably so.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

That was fun!

Last Sunday's treadle demonstration and ukulele gig went well and was fun, but oh my....it was a busy day.  By the time we arrived home, unloaded the car, put the machine back together and sat down with a cuppa I was done for the day, so no blogging.

This is the base - doesn't it put you in mind of a skeleton!

It looks a bit naked without the cabinet and machine, doesn't it?  The cabinet screws into four holes at the top of the base.

The green bag was started and finished during the demonstration and the red bag would have been finished too, had it not been for the machine having conniptions with its tension.

See the tension wheel on the front left?  Part of the tension assembly includes a fine wire spring which had slipped out of place and moved, allowing the thread to wrap itself around the next guide, pull taut and snap.  Fortunately Gina (a choir friend who knows old machines inside out and backwards) was at hand to help, we fixed it and had it going again.

The ticking fabric was given to me by a former boss who, with her husband, had a side business restoring old furniture.  They did the wood finishing themselves but had an upholsterer do the seats, backs and pillows who didn't stint on quality fabrics......I know because she gave me some bags of leftovers; this sturdy ticking was included.  There were two long pillow forms already sewn along the sides and ends with openings left for stuffing; cut across the middle they make good sized bags, with strips cut off for handles.  The backing on the straps matches the lining fabrics from my stash, so they are colourful as well as being strong.

Our ukulele songs were well received, people said nice things to us and about us and the young children who danced around to our music had a great time, so much so that we have been booked for the next Spring Fair - in two years' time!

The big news item in recent times has, of course, been the death of Queen Elizabeth II.  While I sympathise with her family losing a loved mother and grandmother I really don't understand the outpouring of grief from those who would never have moved in the same circles.  She (and various other family members) visited Australia several times, but I have never seen the attraction of being squashed in a crowd just to see a hand waving out a car window.  I would, however, love to put dibs on all the emeralds....she had some beautiful emeralds, I am quite fond of green and emerald is my birthstone.....she often wore a beautiful Golden Wattle brooch which my country gave her on her first tour and which I covet mightily.  There is also a gorgeous diamond and sapphire brooch which was a gift from Canada which I really like, but will leave for my Canadian friends to fight over.  There are some very pretty jewels and trinkets in the royal vaults, I do like a nice trinket....and these are very nice indeed.

Some quilting has been done on the Canadian quilt border, yay!  Hopefully some more can be done later today.  More stitches have been knitted, more diamonds have been joined.  Words have been read, notes have been plinked.  Hunting and gathering has been done, and so passes another week with more of the same to come.

Much great excitement here on Friday, after very heavy rain the previous night we had a flood with two of the three river crossings in town being closed.  The river has gone down for now but more rain is expected later in the week, goodness knows where it will go as the ground is so wet already.  Those Who Know have assured us that another flood is possible.  Meanwhile, smaller towns downstream are currently seeing major floods with the prospect of being cut off from the outside world for several days, so I don't suppose they will need more water.

It hasn't been the weather for a barefoot frolic in a flouncy summer frock.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"When balls are given, if the weather is bad, an awning should be provided for the protection of those passing from their carriages to the house.  In all cases, a broad piece of carpet should be spread from the door to the carriage steps."

Such an awning would have been needed here on Thursday evening.  Fortunately the building in which our choir practices are held has such an awning going from the door nearly to the street, so one didn't have to sprint through the raindrops for too long before arriving at one's (self-drive) carriage.

Enjoy your days!

One of these days....

....this quilt will have its borders pinned ready for quilting.

It seems that every time I have a block of time to get it done, something intervenes....it is so frustrating....time had been reserved yesterday but we went shopping for a dishwasher.  By the time we returned home, had a cuppa, fiddle-faddled around for a bit, there wasn't enough of the day left for something I prefer to do in natural light.

Oh well.  The coming week doesn't look too hectic....fingers crossed....

Just because I love autumn pictures:

Taken on a cool damp day outside our B&B in Goderich, a small town in Ontario.  If I ever moved to Canada (not much chance of that; I don't think I would survive the first winter) I would live in Goderich, it's a very pretty town.

How have you all been this week?  It's still winter here, not much has changed, life for these two Olde Phartes drifts along.  

A few of us from the ukulele group provided some entertainment on Friday for a Refugee Week function, which was interesting; it makes you realise how lucky we are to live in a safe country free from conflict.  When I was a child we heard about 'displaced persons' as European refugees were called after World War II.  Many came to Australia in search of peace; most found it, although life here in what was still considered a colonial outpost would have been so different from the life they were used to.  

When I think about the bland boring food we grew up with - lamb chops served with mashed potato and peas, every week - I am so pleased times have moved on, driven by people who have settled here from other countries.  My mother didn't like cooking, it was a chore she did from necessity, and as a result she was an unimaginative cook.  A pinch of curry powder in the savoury beef mince - always boiled, never browned in oil - was the most adventurous dish she served.

I remember when convenience foods started appearing in shops, and my mother seized the opportunity with both hands.  Packet cake mixes were her favourite, she made two double-sized cakes a week because my father took lunch from home.  'Smoko' (morning tea break) was not considered complete without a large piece of cake for those doing manual labour - including bricklaying, my father's occupation.  Many older Ozzies still call the morning tea break 'smoko' even though a much smaller number of people now smoke than used to, and many of us (myself included) have never ever not once lit up even one surreptitious puff.  Not ever.

Something else which pleased her was the advent of synthetic fabrics, fabrics which advertised themselves as 'wash and wear', no ironing needed.  However Ozzie summers can be fearsomely hot, and the last fabric you want to swathe yourself in is a non-breathable fabric; we have gone back to realising that cotton and linen fabrics are more comfortable.  If ironing bugs you, then don't do it - who is going to care if you are wearing wrinkled clothing?  Not me....

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"When dancing a round dance, a gentleman should never hold a lady's hand behind him, or on his hip, or high in the air, moving her arm as though it were a pump handle, as seen in some of our western cities, but should hold it gracefully by his side."

Yes indeed, gentlemen.  I have danced with blokes whose dancing style is....shall we say.....creative.

Enjoy your days!

Back again, again

What a busy time it's been.  We had a lovely visit with our Canadian friends (in which a little fabric shopping may or may not have been indulged), and there is a week in which to draw breath before the next uke gig.

We took our friends for a Nice Sunday Drive - on a Sunday, no less! - to Barraba, a small town an hour north of here, to see the silo art.  Painted silos have become quite The Thing in Australia, and they are amazing.  Just imagine a painting on a canvas 40 metres high, spread over three concrete silos, and you have the idea.

 The end of the left hand silo has a bird hovering near the man's right shoulder, but we weren't in a good position to photograph it.

Last year while in Canada I bought a calendar pictures of northern Ontario, and while cutting fabric I noticed how similar it was to October's picture......so the calendar came down to join the fabric on my sewing table.  Isn't it a wonderful match?

 Piles and piles of triangles, each pile has ten pieces......so that is 200 pieces right there.  Needless to say, there are many more than just ten leaf and ten background fabrics!

Last night the choir sang at a fundraising concert, and the ukulele group also played.  It went very well.  This morning the uke group played at a Christmas (yes, the C word) market, an annual fundraiser for medical research, and considering the adverse conditions - it was very smoky, with dust and smoke being blown from fires east of here - we managed to finish.  I now have very little voice left, a combination of a lot of singing and smoky air, so not many words will be spoken for the rest of the day.  Kevin can enjoy some peace and quiet, for a change.

We have a week to recover before playing next Sunday at a regular market, held in a small church just out of town.  Indoors.  Not singing outside in smoke again.

The fires are quite devastating and many properties, homes and businesses, have gone.  Sadly four people have died.  Not wishing to laugh at others' misfortunes, but there has been a slight touch of humour in all this; at Ebor, a small village north-east of here, a fire recently did a lot of damage.  The culprit, it seems, was a local man who deliberately lit it so he could backburn around his cannabis crop to protect it from being burnt by wild fire - but his fire ran away and did untold damage.  He is now before the court.  Ebor is at a high elevation and prides itself on its "high country" lifestyle......"high", that's for sure!

Are you all gearing up for the Big C?  It is looming ever closer, you know.  We will actually have company this year as our Canberra son, his wife and The One And Only Grandkid will be visiting between Christmas and new year, first time since his birth nearly five years ago the One And Only has ventured this far north.  We are the distant grandparents he seldom sees and doesn't know very well, while his other grandparents live just a few streets away.  That's how it goes sometimes.  As a child I spent quite a lot of time with my maternal grandparents (I suspect my mother sent me there to get me away from her, we were never close) but we didn't see as much of my paternal grandparents as they lived several days drive away.  Even with today's improved roads and cars it's a long drive, in those days it could be a nightmare.

Following on from last post's quote on feet:

"The hands receive frequent washings every day.  Once a week is quite as often as many people can bestow the same attention upon their feet.  A tepid bath at about 80 or 90 degrees, should be used.  The feet may remain in the water about five minutes, and the instant they are taken out they should be rapidly and thoroughly dried by being well rubbed with a coarse towel.  Sometimes bran is used in the water.  Few things are more invigorating and refreshing after a long walk, or getting wet in the feet, than a tepid footbath, clean stockings, and a pair of easy shoes.  After the bath is the time for paring the toe-nails, as they are so much softer and more pliant after having been immersed in warm water."

Well......I don't know about you, but I would have thought that washing one's tootsies only once a week wasn't frequent enough?  Especially in summer........

Enjoy your days!

We're nearly being blown away here

Considering it's now spring today is not very spring-like......sunny at times but with threatening clouds, and very strong winds.  We aren't being blown as much as some districts are, but even so it's quite unpleasant.  It's also very very cold.

Ah well.  Not much we can do about that, is there?

Some more pieces were joined on the blue and orange batik quilt, it's going to be somewhat bright......even brighter than I had hoped.

 One print has words, many are abstract, there are leaves, flowers, and one has butterfly wings.  No bodies, just detached wings.  Poor butterflies......does this mean that, if they can't fly, they are just butter?

My favourite of all the black and white fabrics currently being joined is this café print with curly chairs, cakes and candlesticks.  I have no memory of when or where it was bought, there were probably other prints in the same range which might have been just as much fun - but we will never know now, will we?

Hard to believe that just one year ago today we were winging our way, as they say in travel brochures, over shark-infested waters on our way to Vancouver.  That long flight was followed by a (fortunately) shorter flight over bear-infested forests to Toronto, and it was with much relief that we laid our weary heads down that night having flown half-way round the world and been up for nigh on two days.  Next weekend we will be heading off again; we will be driving the long way to the coast and, while we will enjoy a nice break from our humdrum daily routine, an Australian beach in spring won't have the gloriousness of Ontario in Autumn.

Sigh......in several months it will be autumn again here, but first we have to survive summer again.

Over the past week or so we have started seeing local folk in summer clothes, I'm not that brave yet (certainly not today, that's for sure......I'm not hanging my bare arms or legs out in that freezing cold wind) but recently my wardrobe has increased by new black sandals, a black and white top and new capri pants in both royal blue and teal ready for warmer weather.  The sandals are pretty, I couldn't decide between black or brown, perhaps after we come home I shall buy the brown ones too.  One needs to keep up appearances even when one is a retired Olde Pharte, you know; those new clothes may even come to the coast with me, because one likes to make a good impression when travelling.

"Travelling dress.
Comfort and protection from dust and dirt are the requirements of a travelling dress.  When a lady is about making an extensive journey, a travelling suit is a great convenience, but for a short journey, a large linen overdress or duster may be put on over the ordinary dress in summer, and in winter a waterproof cloak may be used in the same way.  For travelling costumes a variety of materials may be used, of soft, neutral tints, and smooth surface which does not retain the dust.  These should be made up plainly and quite short.  The underskirts should be colored, woollen in winter and linen in summer.  The hat or bonnet must be plainly trimmed and completely protected by a large veil.  Velvet is unfit for a travelling hat, as it catches and retains the dust; collars and cuffs of plain linen.  The hair should be put up in the plainest manner.  A waterproof and warm woollen shawl are indispensable, and may be rolled in a shawl-strap when not needed.  A satchel should be carried, in which may be kept a change of collars, cuffs, gloves, handkerchiefs, toilet articles, and towels.  A travelling dress should be well supplied with pockets.  The waterproof should have large pockets, and there should be one in the underskirt in which to carry such money and valuables as are not needed for immediate use."

Well, I'm not sure......I was thinking of travelling in jeans and tee shirt with my hair down, yes it's long, and definitely no neutrals.  I don't do neutral.  Neutral is so.......neutral.

Enjoy your days!

Glorious oceanic lusciousness!

Late last year I was lucky enough to win a giveaway on Linda's blog, and yesterday my fabrics arrived from Sew Sisters in Toronto, Canada......aren't they gorgeous?

Colours of the ocean, from a tropical lagoon to a stormy sea!  Thank you, Linda, for letting me join in, and thank you to Sew Sisters for such beautiful fabrics and for sending a second parcel when the first one failed to arrive.

The cunning plan is to put these with more blue batik fabrics from my stash and to add touches of yellow/gold for contrast, what do you reckon?

Only one block on Euan's quilt to be quilted, then the border, and then it can be labelled and bound.  It might just be finished in time.......machine quilting is hard on one's neck and shoulders, so after every block I take a break to stand up, stretch, walk around, have coffee or bring in the washing, all of which slows down the quilting but makes for a happier body.  Right now it's coffee o'clock.

If you were here with me now, enjoying coffee, you could also listen to my new CD purchased recently in the Big Smoke, "Pilgrimage to Montserrat" by Australian early music group The Renaissance Players.  Musical from the middle ages really speaks to me, goodness knows why - it's not as though I can remember hearing it when it was new!  We do have shops here where CDs can be purchased but they are not all my taste, so I content myself with online ordering and the occasional visit to a Larger Smoke when I can treat myself to some new old music.

Lately we are seeing signs that summer is on the way out, today is beautifully mild, but looking ahead at the forecast for later in the week hot weather is to return  - with a vengeance!  Hopefully, though, not too hot and not for too long.  We've even had a little more rain, so gardens are smiling.

This quote from my 1885 book is for my friends in colder climes.

"Putting away furs for the summer.
When you are ready to put away furs and woollens, and want to guard against the depredations of moths, pack them securely in paper flour sacks and tie them up well.  This is better than camphor or tobacco or snuff scattered among them in chests and drawers.  Before putting your muffs away for the summer, twirl them by the cords at the ends, so that every hair will straighten.  Put them in their boxes and paste a strip of paper where the lid fits on."

I hope that advice is helpful......are muffs still used anywhere?

Now I am going back to the sewing room to quilt, and to fondle my new fabric again.

Enjoy your days!

Some fabrics

These are the fabrics I will be wearing in my role as Mother of the Groom next February, what do you think?  The rather scrumptious green cotton on the left will be a top, while the multi-coloured fabric will be a flared skirt.  The dull teal behind is the skirt lining, we tried out different colours at the fabric shop and believe it or not this was the choice which brought out the fabric's colours best.....even better than a deep olive/gold lining, which was surprising.  Extra skirt fabric was bought to make a matching scarf/wrap, the plan is to bead the ends to give it weight as it's a very light silky poly fabric, almost as light as chiffon.

Fabric for the next bag, the blue Jinny Beyer paisley is the outer fabric and the smokey green (would you believe it's from a range of Christmas fabrics?) is the trim and lining.  Managed to get most of the large piece quilted last Saturday at quilt group, finished it off earlier in the week and cut it out yesterday.  I wasn't going to cut it, but then decided that the project would be easier to pack in the cupboard if it was cut out first, so cut out it was.  It won't be touched again until the wedding sewing is done.

Had my visit to the specialist on Monday and he confirmed what I have been suspecting for over a year, that my shoulder will not get better unless it is surgically fixed.  The operation date is now set for next month after we come home from our holiday, so on Tuesday 19th November I will be Going Under The Knife.  While that is something that doesn't see me dancing round with glee it will be good to - eventually! - be pain free.

Last week when I posted it was a horribly windy day, and it is again today....and it was on Tuesday, too......no doubt about it, we are certainly being blown into summer.  At least we had some rain a few nights ago so the hill behind us isn't looking too dry now.  Our garden is doing well, our plants except for one which is to be replaced are flourishing, and more pics will be taken soon so you can see how pretty they are.

Oh dear, one sees some unfortunate sights these days.  Who decided that tight leggings, which should never be worn outside a gym in my opinion, are outer wear?  And quite honestly, why do large girls wear stretched-to-the-max black leggings with a top which doesn't cover their bum, in public?  It's not pretty.  I'm not exactly svelte myself these days....once I was, alas.......but some of these young women would make at least two of me.  Occasionally one sees a larger girl dressed in clothes which flatter her and don't draw attention to the bits she would probably rather not feature, and she looks really good.  Really tight pants don't flatter very skinny legs either.

I don't watch TV shows which take women in hand and dress them in clothes they probably wouldn't choose for themselves - I find them too arrogant for my taste -  but I do wish some people would look at the back view in their mirror before they set out.

"Indifference to dress.
Indifference and inattention to dress is a defect of character rather than virtue, and often denotes indolence and slovenliness.  Every woman should aim to make herself look as well as possible with the means at her command."

I do try.

Enjoy your days!

Today.........

........I dabbled my fingers in Lake Huron, at Lion's Head on the Bruce Peninsula.  Can't help it, when there's a lake or a river I just have to try it out.  It was fairly cool but not cold, and certainly didn't freeze my fingers.  A cafe in Lion's Head sells delicious butter tarts and date squares, you will be pleased to know that should you ever visit.

All the Canadians we have met have been delightful and very helpful.  We have stayed in a couple of lovely B & Bs with very helpful hosts but tonight are slumming it, we're in a motel.

Have taken several photos but so far they haven't been uploaded to the computer.  The fall colours here have been spectacular and that's what most of my pics are!  Something to remember when we get back to Australia, because going into summer there won't be any autumn colours.......we will have to wait several months for them, and they won't have the rich colour that is found in Ontario.

Last Saturday I attended a quilt show and really enjoyed it, as seeing what others are doing is very inspirational.  Have also found a few quilt shops and bought some souvenir fabrics, isn't that a surprise?

Yesterday in Owen Sound we were entertained, if that is the right word, by two local male persons (one hesitates to use the word 'gentlemen') who were fighting in the main street.  Many naughty words were spoken, many punches and kicks were exchanged, and it all seemed to be caused by one man using the word 'plagiarist' to the other.  To look at them one would not have thought that either of them even knew the word, but perhaps one should not judge by first impressions.  Just as well there was no road traffic when they carried their fight to the middle of the street.

Tomorrow our journey continues.

Enjoy your days!

Cool WOW

This is a four-piece puzzle probably meant for small children......made from wood, so I use it as a trivet.

My little pinwheel blocks are coming along - slowly - but at least they are coming along. I think it will be a very pretty quilt when it's finished. The quilt from which they are leftovers was made several years ago from fabrics collected over a few years, and I had forgotten how pretty the fabrics are. New fabrics are scrumptious, but a whole quilt made from a coordinating range can be a bit too matchy-matchy for my taste. I like the scrappy look, or a planned scrappy look like my blue and yellow quilt or all reproduction fabrics. Have you noticed that more and more fabric ranges seem to only speak to themselves...they're not always happy to mix with fabrics from other ranges or other designers? And so many new fabrics are released each month that one gets dizzy (not to say bankrupt) trying to keep up with them all. Quilters of days gone by used a mixture of leftovers from family sewing and some purchased fabrics, can you imagine the reaction of some of those folk to the fabrics and gadgets we take for granted today?

We're very lucky to have so much choice.

Our little corner of the world has been sweltering for a few days, yesterday was 40 degrees C - that's well over 100 degrees C - Sydney in a heatwave can be like living in either an oven (dry heat) or a sauna (humidity), and yesterday was an oven. At about 1am a cool wind blew through so today is much more pleasant, we have even had light rain showers for which I'm sure the garden is thankful.

Kevin is back to painting my sewing room again now that it's cooler. The room is on the north-west corner of the house - the sun is to the north in Australia - with a flat metal roof, so can get rather warm on days like yesterday. But it's a lovely room when the weather's cooler! We are keeping the door shut to keep the cats from getting into mischief with the paint paraphenalia (don't trust those kitties) but that keeps the room hotter in this weather too.

"Keep your temper.
In discussing business matters, never lose your temper, even though your opponent in a controversy should become angry, and in the heat of discussion make rude and disagreeable remarks and charges. By a calm and dignified bearing and courteous treatment you will conquer his rudeness."

Now I shall finish my coffee, and press the latest batch of pinwheels.

Have a wonderful week.

Jennifer

Somehow I seem to have lost a day........it's WOW day already

Today's Wombat of the Week is a cute little feller (I think they are all cute!) - it's a hand puppet. Try as I may I could not get a good picture of this wombat with my hand up its bum, so we will have to settle for a reclining hand puppet resting on one of my quilt books.
This little bag was made as a gift for a visitor from Sweden. The pretty fabric is an Australian wildflower print, the bag is lined with sky blue. The waratah bowl was made at Pilliga Pottery and bought in Tamworth last year; I have a soft spot for our native flowers. And the pretty Teneriffe lace cloth on the table belonged to Kevin's mother, I have a lovely stash of beautiful hand-made linen that belonged to my mother, her mother and aunts, and Kevin's mother and grandmother.

Do you know, I could have sworn that yesterday was still January....had my days mixed up...I thought that February started today. It's all the fault of that big machine in Europe, it's mucking around with time.

Last week Kevin and I hung some net curtains in the lounge room, they are very sheer but help keep some of the hot glare out. The receipt was still in the bag of curtain fabric, it was purchased on 22nd January 2005 which means it sat in that bag for four years and one week. Shame on us. I seem to remember we were waiting for Bianca The Beautiful to grow out of the destructive kitten-climbing-up-the-curtains stage before we hung the new curtains.

For the Aussies, stay cool. For those living in the midst of snow and ice at present, you lucky folk!

Jennifer