Pretty flowers

A gorgeous arrangement of flowers sent by our older son for my birthday/Mother's Day.

 They really brighten up the house, as you can see.

Bless him - when he ordered them he told the florist "nothing pink" (he knows it's not my favourite colour) and I love these orange, red and purple of these flowers.  The tulips haven't finished opening but are very purple.  It's a great arrangement for autumn!

Yesterday the Monday night choir performed at a concert, they give two or three concerts a year.  It was well received, the audience enjoyed listening and we enjoyed performing.  Not sure when the next concert is to be but no doubt we will be told in due course.

The other day I was cutting borders for the quilt started recently and a little piece of elastic in my brain must have stretched too far and let go, because instead of lining up the fabric with the edge of my 6-1/2 inch ruler I lined one strip up with the half-inch mark and cut it six inches wide instead of six and a half inches.  Stupid stupid stupid.  This of course meant that unless I was prepared to cut a strip one inch wide and join it on, I didn't have enough fabric for all the borders.  However all was not lost as I had already decided to buy more of the border fabric to back the quilt, so I just bought a bit more.  It isn't really possible to have narrower borders as some of the pieced blocks are used in the borders.  Any leftovers, including that six inch wide strip, will end up in the stash.  Not that it needs any more contributions.....and I also have A Great Idea for the back which will entail piecing a strip of the fabrics used in the front.  Once this top is done it will take its place as number three in line waiting to be quilted.  The current challenge quilt will be number one, if ever it gets its borders done.

The grey pants which were having new elastic in their waistband probably should be done again as it wasn't pulled taut enough, they are a bit loose.  Not enough to fall down, just enough that I feel I need to keep hitching them up....which is a bit of a nuisance.  If I really feel inspired it will be done again but there are no guarantees.

We could really do with some rain, and fortunately some is forecast for the coming week.  The bird bath in our back yard is a very popular place lately and provides us with a great deal of entertainment.  We are seeing species of birds who haven't used it before, and some birds are quite territorial - they lose no time in letting others know they aren't welcome.  It can be very funny at times.  I'd love to get some pics for you but those birds move very quickly!

On 7th of this month we celebrated two years since moving out of the Big Smoke and into this house.  We are really glad we made the move, it's been a good one - we both feel very much at home here, even though the locals joke that you don't become a local until you have lived here for at least 20 years!  I was born here, moved away in my early 20s and never wanted to come back, but in 2005 spent a few days here digging into some family history.....and everyone I had contact with was so helpful and friendly, and so nice, that for the first time since leaving I thought that perhaps I could live here again.  So here we are.  As my family roots in the district go back to the 1870s.....I suppose I'm a local.

Our house in on land that during WWII was an army camp.  My father was one of the soldiers stationed here, he was from Melbourne, nearly 2,000 kms south and my mother was a local girl.  They met at a dance, although it seems my father wasn't much of a dancer, married a few years later and had three children.  It wasn't a happy marriage and after 25 years he left and went interstate, but my mother lived in this town all her life.  When I was growing up the area where our street is now was all bush, and some of the old army buildings not far from here were used for social housing - they are gone now.  Never thought, all those years ago, that I would be living here.

"Christian names.
There is a class of persons who, from ignorance of the customs of good society, or from carelessness, speak of persons by their Christian names, who are neither relations nor intimate friends.  This is a familiarity which, outside of the family circle, and beyond friends of the closest intimacy, is never indulged in by the well-bred."

Oh my, haven't times changed?  We don't have Christian names these days, we have given names.....and these are used on first acquaintance by many people, whether we like it or not.  I don't always.

Enjoy your days!

I'm just about caught up with sleep

Here are pics of the bag I made for my musical friend Liz, she of the beautiful voice....there is even a fabric with musical notes somewhere.
The bag in the pattern illustration was more subdued and 'country' but I thought I would try something different.
I used the same pattern to make this bag.
The lining is purple, because Liz loves purple....and I lined the pockets with black and white check, as you can see.

We are catching up with the sleep we missed while at the folk festival, for the first time in 15 years of attending we had slightly inconsiderate camping neighbours so we had disturbed nights. I even managed to stay up till nearly 3am on the last night, we were having such a great time in the singing room that it seemed a shame to finish. It's difficult to say what were the highlights, as there were so many wonderful performers. I even joined in a couple of ukulele workshops and picked up a few ideas. What a shame it's a whole year until the next time!

Had a funny happening when I was working in the office while the festival was being set up. One of my duties was signing out keys to various buildings and vehicles, and as they were signed out I entered the time on a record sheet. On the second day of working I signed out a key and looked at my watch (which I had forgotten to wear the previous day) which said 9.15. Clock on wall said 12.15, I had started my shift at noon. Took me a few minutes to realise that the last time I had worn that watch was in Canada, the day I fell and broke my arm in Toronto; I had to take it off in hospital as my arm was swelling very quickly and painfully, and of course it was still set to Toronto time.

The countdown is now on for the big move, while we were away the people working behind the scenes brought the final date forward by two days. Now two days may not seem like much, but when you haven't yet packed anything.......however this afternoon I have packed my beading supplies, so that's a start. I get the heeby-jeebies just thinking about packing up my sewing stuff, but no doubt when I start it will become easier. A few weeks ago I cut out three projects but am determined not to start them until we have moved and unpacked. Two are table runners, and I am looking forward to seeing them on the table in our new house. Sewing can be my therapy when the unpacking all gets to be too much, as no doubt it will.

Over the next few weeks there will be some farewell lunches with friends, and also my last night at choir and at my folk club. Have to say, I won't miss Sydney but I will miss some of the people. Three weeks from today I will be leaving Sydney, and Kevin will follow a few days after. While we have enjoyed living in this house and bringing up our sons here - we don't really mind leaving.

"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."

Autumn has finally arrived here so we are enjoying the cooler weather - it's wonderful for knitting again, and for sewing - and probably for packing -

Jennifer

Packed Up WOW

A friend gave me this wombat as a thank-you for driving her to quilt group....he can leave his little house, but I think he looks cute with that little head peeking out! And of course - this is one wombat all packed and ready to move.
Last week I made one of these little bags as a gift, it's now on its way to America with some fabric. The fabric is Australian flannel flowers and it's lined with soft green. I hope its recipient likes it.

Well, we have done it....our house is now listed for sale. We are feeling quite excited! For many years now we have dreamed of leaving Sydney, and hoped for and sort-of planned for, and now it getting much closer. We still have a son living here so of course we won't be able to see as much of him as we do now, but he has his life. I will miss friends, my sewing and musical friends, but I won't miss Sydney. We won't miss the inconsiderate neighbours, and we won't miss the horrendous traffic. We are hoping to make new friends, and to learn all about living in a smaller community, and it will be an adventure. We are looking forward - not back.

On my sidebar you can see one of the blogs I follow is "Freebies for Crafters", they have a link to the cutest cat stitcheries by Bronwyn Hayes - I don't need any more projects in my life just at the moment, but that is very cute - I might need a project to help with the stress of moving our own cats, might I not? Can't you just imagine two kitties, each in their own cages, howling and wailing their way through a six hour car journey? Not really looking forward to that......

"Dress of hostess at a dinner party.
The dress of a hostess at a dinner party should be rich in material, but subdued in tone, so as not to eclipse any of her guests. A young hostess should wear a dress of rich silk, black or dark in color, with collar and cuffs of fine lace, and if the dinner be by daylight, plain jewellery, but by gaslight, diamonds."

At present the house is open to the weather, we have the windows and doors open to get fresh air - the past week has brought a lot of rain! The last thing we want now is to have a musty house. I love to have the windows open when it's raining but that's not always possible, as rain blows in depending on the direction of the wind.

Now I am going to finish my coffee, and try to sew; today has been quite exciting! Last time we signed papers to sell a house was early in 1987. The new bag has been started, the pieces to make five Maple Leaf blocks - each three inches square - are all laid out ready to be joined. If I get a move on I could have them all made before I head out to choir practice this evening.

Wonder if there will be a choir to join in our new town?

Have a wonderful week, may your seams all match and your points not be too far off matching!

Jennifer