Some days....

....I swear some of the rubber bands holding my brain together just snap....

Yesterday afternoon quilting was started on the Canadian table centre.  When this pattern was made several years ago the quilting was a few parallel rows of stitching inside the borders; the first row was 1/4 in inside the border then another row 1/2 in inside that row.  A gap of a couple of inches then two more rows half an inch apart finished the quilting for the centre section.  It was easy and looked good, so the idea was to quilt the Canadian centre the same way.

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon:  first the bobbin thread ran out - my own fault for not checking before I started, that was the first rubber band snapping.  The bobbin was filled so off we went again; the first row was stitched 1/4 in inside the border with no problems, then the second row started 1/2 in inside that.  Somehow, though, when the first corner was turned the second row became 1/4 in inside the first instead of 1/2 in, and that was kept up until the last corner was turned.  When it was realised that those two rows of stitching were not going to line up the decision had to be made - lots of unpicking to sew the second line 1/2 inch away from the first, or a very small amount to continue with 1/4 inch away.  Not much choice, really.....

So the first two rows are now 1/4 inch apart, and will stay that way.

Subsequent lines will be stitched 1/4 in apart, to finish off quilting the centre.  The borders will be quilted in the ditch (not my favourite method of finishing a project, but all that this simple design needs) and it will be bound in a red maple leaf print.

This pic was taken at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden the same day as last week's waratah pics, this is how they grow in the wild.

A flowering waratah bush is quite a sight.  Sadly they don't grow around here as the soil is wrong - they grow on sandy ridges, something we don't have - and being in a valley, our summers are too hot.

How has everyone been?  Fortunately it has cooled here - not a lot, but still better than the extreme heat of late January - a little rain fell last weekend, with more forecast tomorrow.  Just in time, because the garden is getting crispy from the heat.  I had plans earlier in the week but a severe (fortunately only occasional, and not usually this bad) flare up of bursitis and sciatica laid me low for several days.  Never mind; all is much better, I can move again without agonising pain on every step, and my energy is back.

Words have been read, many words, because when one is feeling poorly and in severe pain one finds it difficult to be energetic so sitting in one's supportive chair reading is a good way to pass the time.  Stitches have been knitted, stitches have been sewn, more diamonds have been cut for my tumbling blocks quilt; the design requires 449 hexagons, each made of three diamonds, which by my calculations makes 1347 diamonds in total.  There are three bags each containing 100 completed hexagons, and that fourth hundred is also proceeding nicely.  We hunted and foraged.  That was the week, that was.

Monday afternoon ukulele is back, yay!  We seem to have lost a couple of people but have gained two newies who want to progress beyond easy chords, so that's good.  Choir also started back last Thursday afternoon, so my musical life has resumed once more.  It is very much missed when in recess.

While out and about recently we have become aware that several trees seem to be preparing for their autumn change, something I have noticed happens here in late summer.  Either that, or they are just stressed by the heat the same as humans are.  First the green leaves lose some of their brightness then they begin to look washed-out and faded, even though it's still a couple of months until autumn.  I don't remember seeing these changes when we lived in the Big Smoke, but then the climate is very different down there; autumn passed by in a flash, winter likewise, and before we knew it it was back to summer's never-ending humidity.

The winter sports carnival is on again overseas.  I am not, and never have been, one for sport; at school I managed to get out of most sporting activities, not that it was a difficult decision to do so.  In those days it was all about winning rather than taking part - I suspect it still is - and as I was never going to be a world-beater in any physical activity I had no interest in it at all.  Didn't then, don't now.  For many years my chosen activity was dancing, international dance - Irish and Scottish, dances from Australia's past, just about any form of social (as opposed to theatrical) dance, and great fun it was too, but sadly that twice-broken foot means that my dancing days are done.

Sigh.....

"The position of an engaged woman.

An engaged woman should eschew all flirtations, though it does not follow that she is to cut herself off from all association with the other sex because she has chosen her future husband.  She may still have friends and acquaintances, but she must try to conduct herself in such a manner as to give no offence."

This is so.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Around the octagon

All four rows of strips have been added to the moose fabric centre, which makes the top complete.

As there aren't enough Canadian themed fabrics in the stash, some of my favourite autumn prints have also been added.  The top measures a smidgeon over 20-1/2 in across....

....but the stripe fabric chosen for the backing isn't quite that wide, it only measures a smidgeon over 20 in across.....

It's long enough in the other direction being the full width of fabric selvedge to selvedge, but when it was purchased this project wasn't in mind.  Never mind; it's an opportunity to be creative, isn't it.

Sewing has been a good pastime in the heat; today is a wee bit nasty hot although not as bad as many other areas are getting.  With the fires down south, and cyclones up north, it's definitely summer in Australia, folks.  

How has everyone been?  We've been staying inside, and keeping as cool as possible.  I'm ready for autumn to arrive as summer is for enduring rather than enjoying, in my book.  Just a few months to go.....we are making plans for our annual trip down south for our older son's Major Milestone Big 0 birthday in March, and we hope it may be a bit cooler by then.

Words have been read....many many words, as staying inside and reading doesn't use much energy in hot weather.  Stitches have been sewn by hand and machine, although that voile top still isn't done....My Lovely New Bernina is set up with the right colour thread, and the right presser foot, and the right throat plate to do so.  However, that machine will be needed for quilting the moose table centre as my 1950 Singer Featherweight doesn't have a walking foot, so that top had better get done first then thread, foot and plate can be changed for quilting.  No stitches have been knitted this week as it's been a bit warm for having wool on one's lap.  

A few days ago was my annual eye exam, and they received a very good report - so good, in fact, that my glasses prescription doesn't need to be changed, which is not bad for a decrepit Olde Pharte of my advanced years.  Besides which, I like my pretty green glasses and will be sorry when the time comes to say goodbye to them; new lenses were put in the same frames last year, but that's not always possible as the frames get older.  The slow-growing cataract on my left eye which has been hanging around for a few years hasn't advanced which is probably a Good Thing, despite the fact that many folk in my age group have already had surgery for theirs.

We will just have to see what the future holds, won't we....eye eye, sir....

People are gearing up for the big country musical festival, which starts next Friday.  Camping areas are filling, and buskers have started appearing in the main drag.  Many locals loathe it, many leave town to avoid it, while others can't get enough of it.  We're somewhere in the middle although we tend to avoid crowded loud venues - I would rather stay home than have my senses assaulted by sound.  It is said "if it's too loud you're too old", but I beg to differ; back when I was young (and slender....sigh....) sound gear wasn't what it is now, and certainly wasn't cranked up to the same volume as it is these days.  There will be ukulele sessions, something which hasn't been done before - not in our time living here, anyway - so I might trot along to the first one to suss it out and decide if I wish to continue.

Who knows, perhaps fame is just around the corner!

"No true-hearted woman can entertain any other feeling than that of commiseration for the man over whose happiness she has been compelled to throw a cloud, while the idea of triumphing in his distress, or abusing his confidence, must be inexpressibly painful to her."

Perhaps the true-hearted woman's name is Tess?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Rolling along nicely

But - we don't have much choice, do we? 

We have noticed that there is less traffic on our suburban street than usual.  It forms a semi-circle joined at both ends to a minor highway so doesn't get much through traffic, even though there are a few short streets leading off it and for whom the only access is our street.  It's always been a quiet street, and has become even quieter than before.  There is also very little air traffic over us, it's a rare thing to hear a plane!

How are you all coping with your house arrest?  We make one, sometimes two, trips out during the week for hunting and gathering, and one to the pharmacy for a drug run if needed.  It's enough to give us hope that other people are still alive out there, and if we are very lucky we even meet a friend to have a sociable chat.....at a suitable distance, of course.  Apart from those trips, we stay home.

Sewing has happened.  The next block, Quebec, has been stuck down.

Only two to go!  Although it doesn't look like it, those fabrics were pressed first.

There has been a bit of a thing online about making house blocks lately.  Many people seem to be quite taken by this one, which I quite like......but I wanted my houses to have a garden, which would make the blocks longer.  Aha, I thought to myself, I wonder what EQ7 has in the way of house blocks?  So I checked; there are several but I quite like this six inch square block called 'Little house', because it has a garden.  So.....fabrics were chosen, a purple house with an orange roof, a blue spotted sky, yellow window and bright checked door, plus a beautifully manicured lawn.  I can see many more of these in my future.....my Vintage Singer Featherweight (nigh on 70 years old) and I made it outside, in Birdland.

I did make a change to the sky; the original block provided templates to cut two pieces reversed but I thought again to myself, I reckon you could sew diagonally across a 2-1/2 in square of sky fabric for each corner and it would still look good - as well as being easier.  It does, it was, and the roof pitch is now a different angle.

Meanwhile the knitting continues, the tumblers keep tumbling, the tree hanging is not much further along.  When it comes to machine quilting I hesitate because I know my skills aren't very good, but then - if I never practice they never will be, will they.  I would really like to get it done so will have to hoick up my big girl pants (which used to be much smaller......sigh) and Have A Go.

Meanwhile, we spend a lot of time online, not much time watching TV, and are having fun discovering online radio stations which play music that we like.  I also managed to get an arrangement done for the uke group.

Yesterday I really pushed the boat out and made Anzac bikkies.  Some people like theirs thick and chewy, I prefer thin and crispy - which these are, but they are also a bit crumbly.  Because I have some I added 1/2 tspn of pumpkin pie spice, which doesn't hurt the flavour at all.....even though I am sure purists would shudder, but then they don't know what they are missing.

"Pastry should be eaten with a fork.  Everything that can be cut without a knife should be eaten with the fork alone.  Pudding may be eaten with a fork or spoon."

If you would like to try one of my crumbly Anzac bikkies with a fork alone, good luck to you......these are definitely finger food only.

Enjoy your days!

Meet the newest member of the Thursday night choir

This is Reggie.

 He's only a little feller, just a few months old, and his hopping skills aren't very well developed yet.

His mum was in a traffic accident and didn't survive, but Reggie was rescued and now lives with a member of the choir and her husband.  When he is bigger - another eight months or so - he will go a local marsupial park to be with other kangaroos.

The countdown is now on - just nine days until we drive to the Big Smoke, and ten days until we fly!  Now that the week is finally over (one of the busiest weeks we have had for a long time) we can concentrate on packing Stuff which has to be taken and Stuff which, if it's forgotten, won't stop the world turning.

My quilt pieces only weigh a smidgeon over 620 grams which is less than 23 ounces in old money, so they will be on the trip with me for sure!  When I quoted 840 pieces that was a miscount because I forgot to allow for the 48 half pieces for the sides.......so, 888 pieces.  Apparently the Chinese regard 8 as a lucky number so three eights must be extra extra extra lucky, yes?

Working on a project in the sewing room was very frustrating today, the top thread broke while free motion quilting; the assumption was that there was a bit of thread somewhere in the bobbin assembly, so it was duly taken apart, cleaned and put back together.  Snap - thread broke again.  Take bobbin apart again, clean again, put back together again.  Naughty words were on the brink of being said by this stage.  The top thread was removed because when all else fails you re-thread the machine - right?  This enabled the sewing genius here (hah) to see that the top thread was catching in the bottom of the spool and also wrapping around the base of the spool pin, thereby causing said thread to snap.  A naughty word was duly said......the thread spool was turned the other way, the machine re-threaded and quilting resumed.  It went like a dream, just the way it should.  Lesson learned.

At sewing guild on Wednesday I took along some yoga pants to shorten, plus my machine and overlocker (serger) to do it with.  Another member measured me for length, one leg was pinned up and they were tried on - perfect length.  The overlocker was used to trim off the excess before folding up a hem for sewing......but sewing genius here overlocked along the fold line, cutting off the entire hem, instead of a couple of cms down to allow for the fold......so now those pants have 1/4in hem which of course flares and frills out like you wouldn't believe.  Just as well they only cost $5 on sale, I would be spitting chips if I had paid real money for them and then buggered them.

I told you it was a busy week, goodness knows where my brain went.

This morning's gig went off well, a fun way to finish up before our holiday!  The uke group has been asked to do two definite and one possible gigs while I am away, shame to miss out but there will be others in future.

"There is nothing that tests the natural politeness of men and women so thoroughly as travelling.  We all desire as much comfort as possible, and as a rule are selfish.  In these days of railroad travel, when every railway is equipped with elegant carriages for the comfort and convenience of its passengers, and provided with conductors and servants, the longest journeys by railroad can be made with perfect safety and but little annoyance." 

Indeed.  These words of wisdom from 1885 could apply equally to flying today, couldn't they?

Enjoy your days!

What a week

Let's not get too hung up on negatives, though......the world is still (mostly!) an amazing place.

Last week we went for a Nice Sunday Drive on Friday to a small village 40 minutes away and stopped off at a water storage lake which we last visited in mid-September, when there was much less water in it than there is now.

Water in this section of the lake was nowhere near as high as here, and the trees now in the water were still a long way from the bank a couple of months ago.

As promised (sorry, can't remember who was promised but I know I told someone there would be pics) the backing for my Winding Ways quilt.

 The backing has to be joined, so why not make a feature of the join?  The centre two stripes are four inches finished, the next two are eight inches, and I have forgotten how wide the two outside stripes are but they were duly measured and cut.  I quite like this idea and may use it again.

 Lots of circles in these prints.  The quilt is being finished - finally - for my group challenge, which this year is "Circles", hence the decision to get a move on because it fits in with the theme.

Mind you, it still may not be completely finished by the deadline which is two weeks from tomorrow.......never mind, it can still be taken along and flourished aloft, then brought home to be completed.  Quilting will follow the lines of the circles in the blocks on the front and will be done with the walking foot, using a black and white variegated thread.

And I can tell you now that Madame President won't like it.  Not enough garish colour for her taste, but it's my quilt and I do like it.  I like it a lot.  I'm thinking of calling it "The long and winding road".

Last weekend we had a tutor visiting from the Big Smoke, it was lovely to renew our acquaintance; many many years ago we were members of the same group.  I have long admired her work and it was interesting to have a go at machine embroidery/thread painting/whatever you like to call it.  The background is different tones of silver-grey and is more textured than it looks here, the large copper-coloured leaf will be finished once a new bobbin is wound with dark maroon thread and the remaining white spaces filled in with colour.

This technique is quite hard on one's neck, shoulders and back, and the fact that my machine was sitting on a regular table and not in my own lower sewing table with my own chair adjusted for my own short self made it even more difficult; I was quite stiff and sore by Sunday evening and haven't sewn a stitch since.  Despite that it's now number two on the list of Stuff That I Really Want To Finish, and will have its turn after Winding Ways is done.

We're having a little taste of summer now with the occasional warmer day - today isn't too hot but it is, surprisingly for here, a little humid.  Rain is forecast for tomorrow, that might explain it......for once my hair isn't dead straight!

Every now and then the thought crosses my mind to get my hair cut shorter and just as quickly my mind says "oh, don't be silly.  If you have it cut you will look the same as all the other old ladies in town."  So I don't listen to the thought and I keep my hair long, because I like to be a little different.  Perhaps when it's all grey or white might be the time to cut it shorter and have coloured streaks put in - green, of course - but, considering my somewhat advanced age (big significant birthday coming up next year, you know; I'm trying to ignore it) there is still a lot of its natural auburn colour left, so while I still have it I'm going to flaunt it.  Nothing like wearing one's hair up with a flower pinned in to make a slightly frivolous statement, is there?

The uke group has a gig next Sunday morning so yes, there will be flowers.  I'm thinking the blue orchids, because my plan is to wear bright blue clothes.

"The dress for the theatre.
The promenade dress with the addition of a handsome cloak or shawl, which may be thrown aside if it is uncomfortable, is suitable for a theatre,  The dress should be quiet and plain, without any attempt at display.  Either a bonnet or hat may be worn.  Gloves should be dark, harmonizing with the dress."

Well......we will be performing but not in a theatre, we will be outdoors in a garden at the local racecourse, and considering that it could be anything from a bit warm to stinking hot we'll give the cloak or shawl a miss.  Definitely be wearing a hat though, my wardrobe includes several Noosa hats which keep the sun off my face in, hopefully, quite a stylish way.

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!

Gee, it's good to be back home again!

So goes the song, so I feel.  Kevin was born and bred in the Big Smoke, I lived there for forty years, but we feel so much more at home here since moving to the Small Smoke nearly five years ago.  We enjoyed our visit but aren't in a hurry to return.

However we will be returning later this year, because we have booked (and paid for, so we can't change our minds) plane tickets to Canada in September.....yay!  We will get to see our younger son again and his lovely partner, and spend time with our Canadian friends once more.

We're not getting too excited about that trip yet, though, because we have another trip coming up much closer to home, our annual trip to Canberra to catch up with our older son and his gorgeous wife, and of course our grandkid Euan The Wonder Kid, and to spend time at a folk festival over the Easter weekend - something we have been doing for 20 years now.  Once we return from Canberra we will be able to get excited about our Canadian trip.

This is where we spent some of our time in the Big Smoke.

 Not in the pool, though.......just admiring it.  I don't do water.

These pics were taken on a previous visit but the view hasn't changed, the only difference is that this year it didn't rain.  According to my 1885 etiquette book, in the language of flowers hibiscus stands for 'delicate beauty' - now that's a surprise, I would have thought 'bold and flashy' was more like it.

The day before we drove to the Big Smoke we had a phone call, one we have been expecting for a while, to say that a friend had passed away.  Kevin and Bob were friends of very long standing having played tennis together as teenagers and Bob was best man when we married, so it was a sad goodbye to him at his funeral on Friday.

Progress on Euan's quilt is being resumed......better get a move on, hadn't I!  It has still been fairly warm though, and the last thing one feels like doing in the heat is sitting at the machine, quilting.  Summer can finish now, I am over it, seems like ages since we had a day under 30 deg C.  However we have been thankful for a little rain, not enough to get gardeners excited, just enough to help our dry thirsty gardens slightly, with the possibility of more later today.

"Ladies invited to funeral ceremonies should always wear a black dress, even if they are not in mourning; and it is bad taste to appear with a gay bonnet or shawl, as if for a festive occasion."

Bob's funeral was held in a Catholic church and while some women wore dark colours or black with a touch of colour - myself included, I wore a black skirt with a dark emerald top and black accessories - many wore black from head to toe as is customary at a funeral, but the surprise was the styles being worn.  A black lace dress with almost bare shoulders and very little back at a funeral mass?  Another dress with black lace overlaid on white satin?  We both thought such dresses, pretty as they were, more suitable for a night out than a formal church funeral.......but then, what do we know?

Enjoy your days!

Finally......quilting has started!

Yesterday the sewing room was re-organised, small tables were moved to better positions to support the weight, and today the first quilting stitches were taken on Euan's quilt.

 It's quite bright.......that orange sashing and border is only one inch wide, so I am quilting a wavy line down the middle using the walking foot.  My first thought was something more adventurous but it is for a baby, so the quilting doesn't need to be worthy of taking first prize in an international show.

As promised, here are some of the flowers and buds on one of our pretty correa plants.

It's not very big yet, so I hope you appreciate that I had to get down on hands and knees to take this.  Getting down is still not too bad, but getting up again is a different story.........

On Tuesday I had a minor medical procedure.  For some time now there has been a blemish right smack dab in the middle of my forehead; it has been frozen/burnt off twice but still comes back, so I made an appointment to have it seen to.  The doctor didn't think it is anything ominous but as Australia has the highest rate of melanoma and other skin cancers in the world, I felt it was worth checking.  I almost wish I hadn't, now.......first there was an injection at the edge of the blemish, then a couple of minutes later another one nearby.....I don't like injections at the best of times, and having to have two - TWO! - in my forehead was a bit much......then he took two scrapings of skin to be sent for biopsy, one for each injection, because there were two patches of scaly skin.....then the nurse slapped on a large white dressing, and I was given instructions on how to care for the wound.  The dressing looked like a headlight, a beacon shining forth from my head, but as the instructions were to soak it off in the shower the following morning the indignity of wearing it was only for one day.  Then there was the delight of having a scabby forehead that looked as though I had taken on someone bigger and stronger than myself, and lost.......but it is healing nicely now, although a small bruise next to the wound will, I suspect, take a little longer to go away.

If the biopsies don't show a problem then nothing more needs to be done, but if there is cause for concern I will be notified about a follow-up visit.  No news yet, so fingers crossed!

Like many Australians my ancestry is from the British Isles, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, and like many Aussies I have skin which would be better off in a milder climate away from our harsh sun.  However I was born here, my parents were born here, two of my four grandparents were born here, some of my great-grandparents were born here, great-great-grandparents too......my family roots in this country go back to at least 1800.  Like many people of my generation we were sent outside to play, we wore no hat, no sunscreen, no shirt - skin cancer hadn't been invented then, obviously.  I can recall being quite badly burnt more than once in my life, and people of my generation are now paying the price for that neglect.

"To remove freckles.
A good freckle lotion is made of honey, one ounce, mixed with one pint of luke-warm water.  Apply when cold."

Ladies in 1885 were really concerned about having freckled skin.  Apparently the reason was, a woman who wasn't a lady might spend time outside, gardening, working in the fields, hanging out washing.....but a true lady didn't do those things.  She stayed inside to preserve her complexion, and if she needed to venture forth she wore a hat, long sleeves, gloves, and kept a parasol over her head at all times.  The emergence of a freckle would have been greeted with horror.

Enjoy your days!

Done!

Maritime Beauty is finished - berthed - safe in the harbour.  Colours of the sand, sea, rocks and sky......I haven't been to the maritime provinces of Canada, but this is how I imagine their shore looks.

 Shells to collect, and ripples in the sand.

Thank you very much, Karen!  Karen very generously gave me this pattern, one of her own designs.  It's very well written, easy to understand and to follow, and I can highly recommend it.  Should you wish to see Karen's designs (and perhaps make your own Maritime Beauty) you can do so on her website.

Wiggly quilting on this block is easy, and fun.  Just imagine that the spikes are hills and the backgrounds are valleys.  Starting at the top of a hill wiggle your way down to the bottom of the valley, then wiggle up to the top of the next hill......across the top........wiggle down the next valley, up the hill on the other side, across the top.......all the way round the block, or in this case round the whole quilt.  The spikes are left unquilted, but of course that is optional.

Later this month Maritime Beauty will be in an exhibition, an annual quilt show which is held to raise money for a local charity; it was dropped off this morning, so sadly I can't have the pleasure of looking at it here until it comes home again.

The current project under the needle is a cardigan in a very lightweight knit fabric, and for a bit of light relief I may start cutting pieces for the grandkid's quilt because the last weekend of this month is my quilt group's UFO weekend.  The chosen block is Economy Patch or square in square, easy to piece and effective in bright fabrics, so that will be a good project to take along - although it will be a USO because it is not yet started, so it can't be a UFO.  There is always a lot of talking on these weekends, but we manage to get quite a lot of sewing done too!

Life is going to be quiet here for a couple of weeks, uke group is on holidays and so is Thursday night choir as the musical director is overseas.  I shall really miss the music, but the uke can be (and is) picked up and strummed at every opportunity.  Playing guitar is getting easier too, my left arm is able to manage the stretch along the neck a little easier and the strength to press and hold down strings at the end of the stretch is slowly.......very slowly, mind you.......coming back.

"A call should not be less than fifteen minutes in duration, nor should it be so long as to become tedious.  A bore is a person who does not know when you have had enough of his or her company, and gives more of it than is desirable.  Choose a time to leave when there is a lull in the conversation, and the hostess is not occupied with fresh arrivals.  Then take leave of your hostess, bowing to those you know as you leave the room, not to each in turn, but let one bow include all."

Indeed.

Enjoy your days!

Stitching away

The binding on Maritime Beauty is being hand-sewn to the back, yay!

In my stash are three different blue batik fabrics but none of them were quite the right binding fabric, I was prepared to make a choice from them although one was too bright, one was too dark, one was too green - but in a local shop recently this blue fabric jumped off the shelf and into my hands, and like Goldilocks, it was Just Right.

Do you like the wiggly quilting?  Several years ago I attended a New York Beauty workshop with a tutor from New Zealand, Donna Ward, and she showed us this quilting design that she uses for the outer block points.  I liked it so much that I used it on the quilt from that workshop, and on this too.  The best thing about a wiggly line is that it never looks badly done, and because it is done in one continuous line along all the points in the block it is very easy.  I'm all for easy, you know.

The back of the dark teal jumper (sweater) is finished, the front has been cast on.  I am determined to wear it next winter.  That yarn has has three false starts already, so this will be it.

In a few weeks daylight saving will start again here and the mornings will, once again, be slightly dimmer for a short while.  The sun is coming up at stupid early o'clock now, so unless I get up before the crack of dawn for the morning walk I am looking directly into the sun while walking home up the hill.  Once I tried walking in the opposite direction to avoid the sun in my eyes but my brain didn't take to it; for one thing the uphill trudge is much steeper, for another the walk along the main road is on the wrong side of the road, and at that time of the morning people are driving into town for work so there is a steady stream of bike, cars and trucks.  Sometimes the trucks are carrying cattle or sheep for livestock sales on the other side of town, and the odour as they pass me is very........rural.

In my opinion, the term "fun run" is an oxymoron.

Spring now seems to be starting because the air is smelling different, the neighbour's jasmine is blooming over our side fence, and once it has finished flowering I will see how much I can cut back before it starts to take over the whole universe - because it will if allowed, you know.  When we first moved here it was climbing on the back fence too, but not now.  Plants which are quite benign in other parts of the world become weeds in Australia because of our climate; except for a few areas our winters are not severe enough to knock them back, so they grow all year ground.  And grow.  And grow.  And keep on growing........

Our wedding gig went off well, the bride was gorgeous in her vintage frock and she joined us for a song or two, which was delightful.  Because the music school follows academic school terms we have one more Tuesday this term then we are off for a couple of weeks.  By the time we come back we may be starting to think about end of year/Christmas concerts.  I don't know about you, but it sometimes feels that my life is flashing past before my very eyes while I sit back and watch it go by.

"It shows a want of courtesy to consult your watch, either at home or abroad.  If at home, it appears as though you were tired of your company, and wished them to be gone.  If abroad, it appears as though the hours dragged heavily, and you were calculating how soon you would be released."

It does seem to be that watches, rather being an item of jewellery, are falling out of favour because so many folk these days have smart phones which they use instead of a watch.  My phone is not smart, it's quite dumb really.......but time still passes by, just the same.

Enjoy your days!

Charging ahead

Here at the Chateau des Wombats we are going great guns.  Progress is being made on the knitting when the shoulder permits, and on the flower basket blocks - some blocks have already been joined, so the first set of nine blocks is under way.  Also under way is quilting on my Maritime Beauty topper.

You can see some of the shells already quilted, and the current one under the needle.  Only one or two blocks are quilted per session, because that is enough for my shoulder at present.  The paper is being torn away as designs are finished and thread ends are buried as I go instead of leaving that tedious job for the end of the quilting.

A couple of days ago Anna The Nice Young Physiotherapist said that, while my shoulder doesn't seem to have suffered further damage, the muscles fore and aft of the shoulder took the brunt of the jerk when I grabbed the crepe myrtle to keep from falling.  She did quite a bit of massage work on said muscles much to their disgust, and has suggested exercises to build up more strength in that area.  It has been a bit tender since and last night at uke group it was very unhappy, but feels a little better today  That was a relief to hear, because I was getting a little concerned that worse damage had been done.

You will no doubt be pleased to hear that the crepe myrtle didn't suffer either, and indeed has been enjoying the rain which fell yesterday and today.  Not enough to break the drought, but good soaking rain just the same.

Speaking of uke playing, this weekend a small town 45 minutes south of here is having a uke workshop with visiting tutors so I have put my name down for the advanced group.  Hopefully it will be fun, and we might even learn something!

Lately I have been looking at front doors.  A house two doors away from us has been undergoing renovation, and a painter's truck was parked out the front for a few days.  It now has a newly painted front door and side panels in an unfortunate shade of battleship grey - considering that the house is dark brown brick with white trim I keep hoping that it's only an undercoat and will soon be covered with something more cheerful, but alas no, the painter appears to have moved on and the door and panels are still grey.  Many houses in this area are all brick in various colours (our house bricks are tan, and our trim is all white) while doors and trim seem to be invariably white, dark brown or an unhappy shade of beige/putty.  I know your own house is your own house and you can paint it whatever you wish, but the rest of us have to look at it, you know.  Should our front door need repainting I'm not sure what colour it would be........but it certainly wouldn't be mission brown or beige/putty, and it may not even be white.

Perhaps it might be green.  Have I ever mentioned that I am quite fond of green?

"When a color is chosen which is favorable to the complexion, it is well to associate with it the tints which will harmonize by analogy, as to use contrasting colors would diminish its favourable effect.  When a color is used in dress, not suitable to the complexion, it should be associated with contrasting colors, as they have the power to neutralize its objectionable influence."

House colour schemes are just as important as colours in clothing, yes?  They are probably left in place for longer - clothes are changed more often than houses are painted.

Enjoy your days!

Crystal clear!

Quilting stitches are being taken on my Maritime Beauty topper, isn't that great?  A couple of shells are being quilted at a time, then my shoulder is given a rest as it hasn't quite forgiven me for that almost-tumble in the garden last week.  These are the designs being used, they were found at colouring pages online.

 

 The bottom shell has my pencil marks to show me a path to take while quilting.  The top design will only use the centre shell, not the interesting scroll border, which will however be kept for future reference......because I like it.

While on things I like, here's another bird at the wildlife park, a yellow-tailed black cockatoo engaged in a favourite pastime - stripping a tree in its aviary.  They have very sharp beaks, as you can see by  its progress so far!  Cockies are very handsome birds, and this one was being chased by a mischievous young magpie half its size; every time it turned its back the magpie lunged for cocky's tail, and with a "gotcha!" look in its beady little eyes it finally succeeded in pulling out one of cocky's beautiful yellow tail feathers.

I was laughing so much that I couldn't take a picture as magpie stalked away with a "see me, I'm so clever" look.  Poor cocky was a bit disgruntled at losing some of his magnificence, though.

Recently an antique fair was held here in town, and like many other locals I took myself along because the trinkets on sale each year are really drool-worthy - some gorgeous antique jewellery, and furniture, and all manner of lovely goodies to buy if one is into spending money and amassing stuff.  A pretty bracelet did come home with me, natural pale yellow-green stones (could be jasper or agate, but I'm not an expert) with sparkly crystal beads in turquoise and lavender.......an odd combination of colours, but it works for me and will spark up my wardrobe in spring when we can let our bare arms see the light of day again.  My best buy was a book about coal mining in New South Wales which has a lot of information on the incident in which my mother's cousin was killed in 1929, including many historic photos I had never seen.  On entering the hall we paid our admission fee, and bought a raffle ticket - I had a few coins in my purse so I lashed out and bought two tickets.  Imagine my surprise last Sunday on receiving a phone call to say I had won a prize!  I now own a lovely crystal-glass bowl which will be used rather than hidden in a cupboard and forgotten, because I really like glass.

Our uke gig on Sunday went really well, people have said lovely things to us and about us, and the feedback we have received has been wonderful.  We performed two songs, "I am Australian" and "Walking after midnight".  Except for our two young tutors, we are a group of older folk - probably the oldest group at the concert!  As our tutors Sam and Brooke said, we are an example to others, even younger people, who think they are too old to learn an instrument or take up music.

It's probably better to be a shining example than a dreadful warning, yes?

"During the performance complete quiet should be preserved, that the audience may not be prevented from seeing or hearing.  Between the acts it is perfectly proper to converse, but it should be done in a low tone, so as not to attract attention.  Neither should one whisper.  There should be no loud talking, boisterous laughter, violent gestures, lover-like demonstrations or anything in manners or speech to attract the attention of others."

The audience was quiet when we performed, and even applauded - which made our practice worthwhile.

Enjoy your days!

It's a quiet time here at the Chateau

Not much of anything to report, which is why there hasn't been any reporting for a couple of weeks.

Action is starting to happen in the sewing room, isn't that a cause for rejoicing!  My Maritime Beauty top is being prepared for quilting, some designs of sea shells were found on the internet and traced off onto light paper.  These are now pinned on ready to be quilted through, after which the paper will be torn away.....and if the stitching should stray off the line, well, who would ever know?  This method leaves no lines to be washed out so no fear of said lines reappearing in the future.  It might not suit everyone, but it works for me.

Last night another flower basket block was finished, that makes 223 done, only two to go!  Hopefully the count is correct.  Way back when not many had been made I counted up how many were done and wrote the number in my diary, then each year that total was transferred to the new year's diary, but over so many years it is possible a counting mistake was made.  Ah well, we will find out soon, won't we?

Recently while going through some pictures on our computer I came across some taken while on holiday Over At The Coast a couple of years back, so here they are.

 I don't know the name of this little pink flower, but suspect it's an orchid.

 This rather interesting plant is an Aussie native, a grevillea called "Peaches and Cream" as my research found out.  The colours were so bright and luminous, they really glowed.

Ever wondered what the back end of a peacock looks like?  Well, wonder no longer.  We were walking past some birds at a wildlife park when we heard an odd rustling whirring noise, which turned out to be a peacock fanning its feathers to entice a female bird.  It had its back to us so this is the backstage view of a peacock display, sadly without sound so you can't get the full effect.

Earlier this afternoon while pottering in the garden I nearly did myself a mischief, somehow lost my balance and almost fell downhill into a rose bush.  We live on a hill, not the steepest hill in the universe but a hill just the same, and while bending over to pull out a weed I found myself continuing to topple forward.  Fortunately I managed to grab the crepe myrtle rather than the rose bush, but after that fright I decided that was enough excitement for one day and came inside.  The other weeds will have to wait.  Of course I managed to wrench my sore shoulder too, so now it's hurting, which is a bummer.  Perhaps I won't be able to cook dinner tonight, wouldn't that be sad?

Is anyone else irritated by the overuse of the "keep calm and - whatever" phrase these days?  I believe "Keep calm and carry on" dates from England during World War II and that's where it stayed for a long time, but over the past few years it has made its way onto cups (keep calm and drink tea/coffee), fruit (eat a banana), other food (eat chocolate, drink wine) and so on ad nauseum.  Perhaps it's about time the world became agitated instead.

Last Thursday a few of us from the uke group performed a few songs for a local charity lunch, and nice things were said to us and about us.  This coming Sunday is the Major Annual Concert for the music school, so amid all the serious string quartets, orchestras and choirs will be our uke group playing and singing.  I suspect we will be a bit of light relief.  Perhaps even comic relief.......

"Correct use of words.
The correct use of words is indispensable to a good talker who would escape the unfavorable criticism of an educated listener.  There are many words and phrases, used in some cases by persons who have known better, but who have become careless from association with others who make constant use of them."

Does this also apply to the overuse of keeping calm?

Enjoy your days!

Counting down......

.....not long to go now, only 11 days until we walk out our front door and start driving to Sydney!  The next day will be a very very long day, our flight leaves Sydney at 11.25am and will take 15 hours to fly to Vancouver arriving in the morning of the same day, then we hang around the airport for a couple of hours, then we get on a plane and fly to Toronto which takes four and a half hours, and we are due to arrive in Toronto at 4.16pm the same day we leave Sydney.  Isn't that something to contemplate?  I tried to work out how long our day will actually be and gave up at 39 hours, because it hurt my brain.

Here are some of our new plants, this sweet little one is Pink Myrtle (Hypocalymma augustifolium) - the new buds are pink, and they open into tiny white flowers.  It is about eight inches tall now but will grow to about three feet, won't that be pretty?

Don't you just love this one?  Eriostemon Buxifolius 'Cascade' is its name and its small white flowers open from pink buds.  It will only grow to about six inches high and is a mass of flowers and buds now.

  And just because it's so gorgeous, another pic of the Eremophila Nivea, its pale grey leaves are almost white in sunlight.  This plant is Kevin's favourite.

It will be interesting to see what difference six weeks have made to our garden, when we return.

Aren't you proud of me, the quilting on the pinwheel quilt is done!  The paper is being removed now; I draw my quilting design on tracing paper, pin it on and quilt through it, then tear it away.  Not everyone may find that a good way to quilt, but it works for me - removing the paper is a bit tedious but there are no pen marks on the quilt.  Then the edges will be trimmed and straightened, and the binding sewn on.  And a label.  Mustn't forget the label.

The next project is so far in the future that it's not even in my head.  Next year I would like to get at least two of my tops quilted, so that is something to work toward.  It costs many many dollars to have them done professionally which, being a retired Olde Pharte, I can't justify......and if someone else quilts them I won't have the opportunity to improve my machine quilting, something I would like to do.

I would rather spend a little of that money on upgrading my ukulele next year.  Recently the uke song book I ordered arrived, it has 365 songs - a song for every day of the year, if one is so minded!  There weren't many I didn't know........wonder just how many songs are tucked away in my brain?  When I was a child TV hadn't arrived in Australia but the radio was on all day, and we learnt the songs of the time, and of times past too.  In the 1960s that station played music of the 60s, and the 1950s, and the 1940s, and even further back - those songs seeped into my brain by osmosis and many of them are still there.  Even if the whole song doesn't come to mind, the chorus usually does.

"The bow is the touchstone of good breeding, and to neglect it, even to one with whom you may have a trifling difference, shows deficiency in cultivation and in the instincts of refinement.  A bow does not entail a calling acquaintance.  Its entire neglect reveals the character and training of the person; the manner of its observance reveals the very shades of breeding that exist between the ill-bred and well-bred."

The bow is something which is not practised as it used to be, is it?  How many people of your acquaintance bow when they chance to meet you in the street?  The lack of a bow doesn't show ill or good breeding - just that times have changed.

Enjoy your days!

Life has been getting away from me lately........

This is one of the new plants in our back garden, it's an Aussie native called Eremophilia Nivea from Western Australia.  Eremophilia plants are called emu bushes because emus eat the flowers and fertilise the seeds in their gut.  We have others too; red and yellow flowered ones will attract birds, while blue and pink ones will attract insects.  The insects in their turn probably attract birds too, and so the cycle goes on.......the foliage of this bush is a pale soft grey, almost white.  It is very pretty.  And tricky to photograph on a windy day.

 When we lived in the Big Smoke we had no luck growing cyclamens, so I am giving it a go here.  So far, so good.  Perhaps the drier inland climate will suit them better, they certainly didn't like the humidity.  We've started with this pretty cerise one which is waiting patiently to be potted.

The radio station is still going ahead, I have been sitting in with a couple of announcers watching and learning as they present their programs, and when we return from our holiday I will be trained in earnest.  Looking forward to that!

Ukulele group is also going along nicely.  We're getting a little advanced now, even trying some finger picking - those of us who are game to do so, anyway.  Some of the beginners haven't progressed past strumming yet, but they will.  Fortunately the pink uke was sitting on the other side of the room so I was spared being punched in the arm again.

Quilting on the challenge quilt has temporarily halted but will resume again today.  All the setting blocks are now done, the outside setting triangles are next.  Last weekend was quite busy and took on a life of its own, or the quilting would be much further along.  On Saturday a friend and I drove two and a half hours to a quilt show in a quite small town, and had a good time, then drove two and a half hours back home.  One of the few things I miss about living here compared to the city is the lack of quilt shows within, say, an hour's drive.

Sunday afternoon was taken up with a choir concert for a local fundraising group, our concert proper is on this Sunday so we gave a shorter program.  It was a good chance to iron out a few bugs.  I have become the choir percussionist because I play tambourine, drum, and rhythm clapping for this concert of African-American gospel and spiritual songs.  The Christmas concert will have to happen without me this year, because I will only be able to make two or three practices.

It is 27 days until we start our holiday.....that's less than four weeks, yay!  Not looking forward to the long flights, but it will be worth it when we arrive and see our son and his lovely girlfriend, and our Canadian friends, again.

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

How long should a couple be acquainted, I wonder, before a suitable time has lapsed for a proposal?

Enjoy your days!

My new quilting space

So far it working well.  My Lovely New Bernina (13 years old this month and still going strong) sits in its Sew-Ezi table; the darker table behind it is a typewriter table bought more years ago than I can remember in an office supply place, it has a shelf which slides out on which ever side you need (it's out on the left side here); and the lighter table in front was bought a very very long time ago, at the time it was the latest and greatest thing to hold one's sewing machine.  Usually my overlocker sits on the dark table and my Singer Featherweight on the light one, but when the tables are needed for quilting those machines have to sit elsewhere for a while.....like the floor.

 As you can see this set up works well - the tables to the back and left hand side support the weight of the quilt nicely.  The challenge quilt is finally being quilted, it posed for you so you can see how this works.

This is my suggested colourway for the Coronation block, for my quilt group tomorrow - what do you reckon?  Dark blue with brights.  If several blocks were being made there wouldn't be any repeated fabrics, this happens when you make only one.

The k-niddling is also coming along nicely after having to buy a longer circular needle, because more than 300 stitches is a lot when crammed onto a shorter needle.  It's now been divided for the fronts, back and sleeves with one sleeve currently being worked on - 72 stitches per row is an improvement on 300, let me tell you.

This week we have really been back in the depths of winter, with heavy frosts and a cold wind.  Towns barely an hour away had snow.  Today is sunny, and the wind isn't so strong or cold, for which we are thankful - but it's quite dry, some rain would be very welcome.  We have both noticed our skin is drier since moving here so I for one am making sure that vitamin E lotion is daily applied to lots of me, even the bits that never see daylight.

Some family history stuff: recently I found out that one could apply for divorce records online, so I applied for a copy of the record of my maternal grandmother's divorce from her first husband in 1923.  It must have been a deep scandal in those days.  The divorce was instigated by her husband on the grounds that she had been absent for at least three years, and the decree nisi was granted in April 1923 with the proviso sternly stated "If you marry before this decree is final you will be committing bigamy".  No beating about the bush there!  The decree absolute came through in 1928.  However in September 1923 she married my grandfather - no doubt my mother's birth seven months afterwards provided a reason - but I am now wondering, was that a bigamous marriage?  And if so, does that make my mother and her brother illegitimate?  Skeletons in the family cupboard!  Yesterday was open day at the local family history centre but the lovely folks there couldn't shed further light on the matter, except to agree with me that yes, her second marriage was probably bigamous.  Perhaps if I took the papers to the local court house, there might be someone more versed in legal matters than I am who could tell me.

57 days until we start our holiday.  Better get cracking on that sewing, hadn't I?

"Intruding on privacy.
Never enter a private room anywhere without knocking.  Sacredly respect the private property of others, and let no curiosity tempt you to pry into letters, desks, packets, trunks, or other belongings of another.  It is ill-mannered to read a written paper lying upon a table or desk; whatever it may be, it is certainly no business of yours.  No person should ever look over the shoulder of another who is reading or writing.  You must not question a servant or child upon family affairs.  Never betray an implied confidence, even if you have not been bound to secrecy."

Does digging into one's family history constitute an intrusion on privacy - bringing to light matters which have been hidden for years, or indeed never known at all?

Enjoy your days!

Would you like to join me for afternoon tea?

Following a link on Debra's blog I found this recipe for lemon squares, so yesterday a batch was made.....it's very yummy, and I can recommend it.  Recipe is here, so do yourselves a favour and make some.  Many thanks, Debra!

 The lace doiley was made by my mother's Auntie Laura who died when I was a wee baby and is tatted lace.  Not tattered.  There is a difference.......the pretty plate is part of a Royal Doulton set which was a wedding present when my parents married in 1946, as was the silver fork.  Life was more genteel in those days, wasn't it?

 The backing for my pinwheel quilt has been pieced.  I couldn't bring myself to waste these last three little blocks so used them in the backing.  As the fabric had to be joined in width, a strip of background fabric with those three remaining blocks was inserted - so now all 128 blocks have been used!  The quilt and backing are on the spare bed waiting to be layered and quilted.  But first they need to be pressed.....

This is the design which will be used for the border quilting, it compliments the rose-printed white on white background fabric beautifully.  All designs for the 16 alternate blocks and 20 setting triangles have been traced, as has some of the border.  The paper is sold here as unwaxed lunch wrap and is excellent for this purpose as it is easy to quilt through and tears away afterward with no trouble; freezer paper could also be used, but the paper is easy to position as it is semi-transparent.  The design is from one of Mary Covey's packs, 'Follow the line'.

You will notice that this blog is a sport-free zone.  Nowhere here will you find mention of any tennis games, or sweaty blokes in lycra cycling round Europe, or the sports carnival which will happen one of these days in England.  All that money just so one bloke can run faster than another bloke.......our dancers, musicians, writers, scientists etc travel overseas and are much acclaimed everywhere they go, but as soon as they come home they disappear back into their own world.  However if a sports person runs faster or jumps higher than someone else they have the world at their feet.  Not to take away from anything they may achieve - but isn't it time that all fields of human endeavour were recognised, not just sport?

There is no danger of my running faster or jumping higher than anyone else, I can tell you.  Since it has got so cold even the walking routine has suffered because getting outside bright and early on a cold frosty morning has no appeal for me.  But when the weather warms up again I won't have that excuse, will I?  If someone could invent a gene that could be magically turned on to make us enjoy exercise they would make a fortune, I'm sure.

You will also notice no gossip here about so-called celebrities, because frankly I have no interest in who is divorcing who or what they had for breakfast.  Wouldn't it be ghastly living one's life in what amounts to a goldfish bowl?

"Even when persons habitually eat alone, they should pay due regard to the rules of etiquette, for by so doing they form habits of ease and gracefulness which are requisite in refined circles; otherwise they speedily acquire rude and awkward habits which they cannot shake off without great difficulty, and which are at times embarrassing to themselves and their friends."

So if you are eating a lemon square, make sure you are dainty.  Don't stuff the whole piece in your mouth at once.

Enjoy your days!