We have carpet!

Everywhere in the house which should have carpet now does.....bedrooms, family room, hallway, and good room.  (Anyone else have a 'good room' in their house when they were growing up?  We did; back in those days children were told 'stay out of the good room' because it was kept pristine in case of visitors.  The rest of the house could be a total pig sty but our parents - mostly our mothers - made sure that one room was fit for the odd guest.  We were then allowed in under sufferance.)

We like our carpet choice much better than our pick last time, and much more betterer than the carpet which was here when we moved in.  Now we look around and see our choice of carpet, our choice of tiles and our choice of wall colour (although those pink pink walls we inherited still give me goosebumps at the very thought).  The fussy frilly curtains and pink blinds were also replaced a few years ago by our choice of slightly textured cream blinds and no curtains, and now the rooms are a restful unfussy very-slightly-buttery light cream.

Sigh of contentment......

Packing, unpacking and sorting has commenced in the sewing/stash room.  The plan is to be totally ruthless and only keep anything I like and hope - I nearly wrote intend, but I may not live that long - to use.  Under the window is now a set of cubbies with a shelf top, four spaces across by two down, replacing a larger desk which had become "somewhere to dump stuff".  The two new cupboards are smaller than the cupboards they are replacing so that will leave me with more floor space for moving around.

Consequently the camera hasn't seen the light of day this week, so there are no new photos for you!  However do not despair, to counteract the fierce heat which has been making our lives miserable for the past few weeks here is a colourful foretaste of autumn.  Only a couple of months now.....

This was taken with the late afternoon sun shining through the trees.  I can't identify these trees for you, I'm sorry!  Perhaps the Canadians will know; I can recognise most of the garden flowers we have seen on our visits but the trees have me stumped.  Except maple.  I can usually identify maple trees.

 The evergreens with deep gold in front, then bare trees......I love it.

 On a rainy day, our last day in Toronto before we flew to B.C.  The suite where we have always stayed and where this was taken has been sold, quelle horreur!  We will have to look for somewhere else as convenient.  Those blue spruce trees are so pretty.....we don't have them here.

Only a couple of months to go.....fortunately it has cooled down for a week or so, and we are relishing the chance to enjoy temperatures lower than average for a while.   It will, sadly, warm up again by the end of next week.

The home renno TV channel sometimes shows people house hunting and/or renovating in Canada or U.S.A. during autumn, and the colours are soooo glorious.  We like renno porn.

A few more tumblers have been joined, and a few more cut.  Currently the total stands at 366 cut, leaving 474 still to be done.  Better get cracking......

"Unmarried ladies should not accept presents from gentlemen who are neither related nor engaged to them, nor indebted to them for some marked favors.  A married lady may accept presents from a gentleman who is indebted to her for hospitality."

I wonder if this still holds true?  In my giddy youth the implication was, if one accepted a present from a bloke to whom she was neither related or engaged, she was under an obligation to repay "in kind"......and I'm sure I don't need to spell out to you what that means.

Enjoy your days!

Australia Day

The annual celebration of all things Aussie!  It's also Robert Burns' birthday, for those of you who - like myself - have Scottish blood flowing through your veins.

Each year the "we should change the date of Australia Day" voices grow louder.  On 26th January 1788 the First Fleet dropped anchor in what is now Sydney, and modern Australia has grown from that event.  The native aboriginal people didn't always come off well in encounters with the new settlers and vice versa.  There is documented evidence of Dutch visits to Australia's shores in the early 1600s, even an attempt at settlement from shipwrecks, but until 1788 it remained the land of those born here.

Some parts of Australia think of Australia Day as being a celebration for the east coast only and for Sydney in particular, but I think that's a bit simplistic.  That early rag-tag settlement of convicts, guards, marines/soldiers and a few settlers grew and in time spread over as much of the inhabitable land as it could, for good or ill.  Many people now look on 26th January as "invasion day" but European settlement in this land was inevitable; a French ship landed only two days after the First Fleet, so who knows......we may have all been parlez-vousing instead of speaking English!

Incidentally, here's a snippet of historical trivia for you:  That French expedition was captained by Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, who was shipwrecked and didn't make it back to Europe.  A promising young cadet, a skilled navigator, was to have sailed with him but decided to go into the army instead of the navy, and stayed in France.  His name was Napoleon Bonaparte.....the course of European history would have been very different, had he sailed.

We will have carpet next week!  The carpet-laying blokes are coming on Monday morning and my sewing stash room is still not yet packed.   A new cupboard was bought to replace the one in my machine sewing room but it's smaller than the old one (which was pretty old, let me tell you; it came up from Sydney with us, as did the two in the other room) and shelves are shallower.  Consequently some of the baskets holding my stash won't fit, they are now too deep.  The new way of thinking is obviously "we won't raise the price, we'll just make the cupboard smaller".  Because of the harsh Aussie sun fading fabrics left uncovered I prefer to have my stash behind closed doors, so there will need to be some re-jigging of shelves to help that happen.

News from the slowly-coming-together sewing room, the second hexie rosette is done.

 All that red makes you feel hot, doesn't it?  From here the pin cushion is assembled by machine, and I haven't sat at a machine for months.  Let's hope I still remember how to use one.

Three units of four tumblers each.  In order to mix up the fabrics as much as possible I thought to join them in pairs then in fours, light-dark-light-dark.  I think I'm going to like this even though it's very different to my usual taste.....or, perhaps, because it is different.  Been a bit slack on the tumbler-cutting front lately because of the heat, but that is supposed to ease during the coming week.....it can't come soon enough for me.

Our summers have usually been fairly warm, a period of warm to hot days followed by a cooling down period, perhaps some rain, then it heats up again and the cycle continues.  This summer, however, started hot and hasn't cooled much at all; nights have been a bit too warm for restful sleep which makes it hard to spring into life each morning.  By the time I start springing it's well into the day......clouds are building up as we speak, and showers/thunderstorms are forecast.  Rain would be very welcome, everywhere is dry and brown.  You can tell which people water their lawns.....

Our gospel ukulele gigs went off well!  Sundays breakfast at a small church was very well received, and earlier in the week we had also been asked to play at the gospel tent which is part of the annual huge big country music festival.  We did so, but geez......it's difficult playing an outdoor gig with not enough microphones and dust billowing around.  Never give a bloke a leaf blower......one of the people connected with the tent took it upon himself to clean the "floor" while we were setting up and he blew all the dust our way.  With one voice we all yelled "hey!"  Oh sorry, he said, but by then he had stirred up quite a lot of fine dust which was very slow to settle.  Never mind, we soldiered on womanfully but were glad to finish.

"Receptions at Government House.
Stated receptions are given at Government House by the Governor, and all are at liberty to attend them.  Sometimes these are morning, and sometimes evening, receptions.  Upon entering the reception-room, the caller gives his name to the attendant, who announces it, and upon approaching the Governor, is introduced, by some official to whom the duty is assigned, both to the Governor and to the members of his family who receive with him.  The callers pass on, after being introduced, mingle in social intercourse and view the various rooms until ready to depart.  A caller must leave his card."

No doubt these receptions were accompanied by soft tasteful music......don't you think a ukulele ensemble would liven them up a bit?

Enjoy your days!

In which we are one whole week into a new year

Doesn't time fly?  At this rate it will be Christmas again before we know it.

We are on the third day of a predicted four day extreme heatwave, and it is nasty hot.  Not quite record-breaking hot, but still most unpleasant.  It is certainly hot enough that I feel ill, and am guzzling water like there's no tomorrow.  We have today and tomorrow still to survive, then hopefully a little cooler.....for a while, at least.  Rain would be nice too, but we may have to wait for that.

Happy to report that our son is doing very well, and is hoping to go home in a few days.

This morning I took down the decorations, such as they were.  You know how some people just love Christmas and decorate their whole house from top to bottom?  We don't.

 Family room tree, on my grandmother's 1924 Singer 66 treadle.

This tree is on Kevin's mother's Singer from the late 1960s.  Just as well we have sewing machines to decorate, isn't it?  The pretty mat is from my ukulele-playing friend Claire.

That's it, folks.  The extent of Christmas 2017 in this house.

A week before we came home to a flooded house my jumper was finished, too late for last winter but nice and early for winter this year.

My own design.  For the basic jumper I used a Patons Classics book - one of two books sadly lost in the flood, not yet replaced but will be because it's so useful - and the travelling rib panel on the front is from a Patons leaflet with instructions for four different Aran-style jumpers published in the early 1990s.  Yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills Rustic 8 ply in Hydrangea, blue with a hint of lavender.

Right now I don't have a sewing room at all.  Machines and furniture were moved out a couple of days ago, so the floor could be washed and so the furniture which is being thrown out could be removed.  The marks left by the flood have now been cleaned and the floor is spotless.  While standing in an empty echoing room I looked at the walls and thought to myself.......I thought......."perhaps this is the time to paint the walls?"  Which will be done later in the week when it's not so hot, then machines and stuff can be moved back in, and replacement furniture purchased, and I will be a happy woman again.

The tumbler project is not packed away so at least boredom can be staved off occasionally, and there is always an instrument to pick up and plink because there is a big gig coming up in a couple of weeks.  Those hexies are now being joined into big flowers for the top and bottom of a pincushion.

Now that the Christmas/New Year break is over we are hoping to hear about our house repairs, what is to be done and when.  We're looking forward to having it all done, finished and put back to rights again, we have had enough of living in limbo.

"The obligation of an introduction.
Two persons who have been properly introduced have in future certain claims upon one another's acquaintance which should be recognized, unless there are sufficient reasons for over-looking them.  Even in that case good manners require the formal bow of recognition upon meeting, which of itself, encourages no familiarity.  Only a very ill-bred person will meet another with a stare."

Do people still bow on meeting?  It seems they did back in the early 1880s, at least.

Enjoy your days!

The measure of a wombat

The newest wombat in the house thanks all those who commented on its beauty, and was flattered that some asked for another view.

It's not as menacing as it looks here, and is the right size for nestling in a hand.

It checked out my sewing room today while I am having a break from cutting fabrics for this weekend's workshop.  According to my massage therapist this morning I have overdone the cutting and strained some muscles on my right side, arm and shoulder, so no cutting today......it might be finished tomorrow.  My cutting table is a good height for cutting with scissors but a bit high for rotary cutting because of the different action required, and my being short compounds that even more.

Ah well......it probably doesn't matter if not all the fabrics are cut, because I suspect we will not get four large foundation-pieced blocks finished in two days anyway.

To tell the truth I am not feeling very enthusiastic about this weekend.  The teacher has been hard to pin down if we have any questions, the only contact on her website is an email address - no phone number - and she doesn't answer emails.  One member of our group has previously attended workshops with her and says she is a very good teacher......she might be absolutely fantastic, but she doesn't seem to be a good business person.

End of moan, thank you for listening.  Returning you to your regular station now.

Last night the last stitches were knitted on the second sleeve of my alpaca jumper, and now it is being sewn together ready for the neckband to be knitted on.  Hope it fits; it may be a bit big, but that makes it all the warmer because I can wear another layer underneath if I need to.

Only 47 days until our holiday starts!  Our first day will be en route to the Big Smoke, we fly out the following day, but as far as I am concerned - once we leave our driveway, we will be on holidays.  We bought ourselves some noise-reducing earphones for the journey, because the noise of the plane engines, while not deafeningly loud, is relentless......to say nothing of the crying children, and there are always a few of them.  Our last trip home across the Pacific Ocean was accompanied by the Symphony for Plane Noise and at least 97 wailing infants.  I don't mind flying, I'm not phobic or paranoid about it, but the thought of floating around Up There surrounded by 300 or so of my new best friends gives me the heeby jeebies.  It's a personal space thing, and my space is pretty wide.

If we could afford to fly in the rarefied atmosphere of first-class, or if it were possible to cross the Pacific Ocean by ship then cross two-thirds of Canada by chauffeur-driven limousine without using up every cent we own, I would........but that would take more money than there is in the whole universe, so sadly we won't be able to do it.

More cheerfully, last Sunday afternoon the uke group played at a concert put on by the music school which runs our classes, and it went well.  We performed two songs by the Beatles and came on after a young soprano singing Mozart, and a group of 4-to-5 year olds doing cute things with a song and some bells, so I suspect we were there as comic relief.

"Writing as an aid to correct talking.
To converse correctly - to use correct language in conversation - is also a matter of importance, and while this can be acquired by a strict attention to grammatical rules, it can be greatly facilitated by the habit of writing down one's thoughts.  In writing, strict regard is, or should be, paid to the correct use of language, and when a person, from constant writing, acquires the habit of using correct language, this habit will follow him in talking.  A person who is accustomed to much writing, will always be found to use language correctly in speaking."

I would say so.

Enjoy your days!

58 pieces in one 12inch block

They smallest piece is cut two inches square.

 When several blocks are joined together a secondary pattern of smaller stars emerges where the corners join.  Next week is my turn to provide a block of the month at quilt group, and I thought a challenging block would be more interesting to make than a block made entirely of squares.  My sample block (in progress as we speak) will use this same deep blue background with different coloured pieces for the various star points.  The block is called 'Coronation', and if you should fancy making one for yourself the instructions can be found here.  My block doesn't quite follow those directions but the result is the same.  This blue and gold block was made a while for our Canadian girl-in-law.

This morning a re-organisation took place in my sewing room.  When we moved here a large desk came with us, as it was a good surface for my sewing machine and overlocker - it wasn't ideal because it was a bit high for me (I'm fairly short, you know) but it had sufficed for quite a while.  Then one day I bought a Sew-Ezi table, and some months later a Horn extendable cutting table with storage cupboards, and that room was becoming crowded and getting difficult to work in.  This week the desk was given away and now there is so much more space in the room!  I can even open the cupboard without having to move something first.  The only time the desk may be missed is when I am machine quilting....it was handy behind the machine to take the weight of the quilt being worked on.....but that can be overcome.  So My Lovely New Bernina sits in its Sew-Ezi table, and my Bernina overlocker sits next to it on a table bought many years ago at an office supply shop - it's a typewriter table, remember when we used typewriters? - and my Singer Featherweight sits on a table bought nigh on 40 years ago.  These three small tables plus a four-drawer chest don't take up much more room than that one large desk did, and the space is used more efficiently.

We have had some more wintry weather this week - Thursday was the coldest August morning for goodness  knows how many years and the water in the bird bath froze again.  Days are sunny and pleasant but when one steps into the shade, or rounds a corner into the breeze, there is a distinct coolth in the air.  The actual temperature feels several degrees less than the numbers would have you think; for instance the latest temperature reading is 18.3 deg, but it only feels like 13.5 deg.  But spring won't be far away, and then summer, and we will be complaining about the heat.

The knitting is proceeding very well and the lace pattern is giving no trouble at all; I wonder why it wouldn't go right during the first/second/third/whatever attempt?  Mind you, it takes forever to knit one row as there are now over 300 stitches on the needle......I had to buy a longer circular needle to take them all.  There aren't many rows left until it's divided up for the fronts, back, and sleeves.

It is 64 days until we start our Canadian holiday.

"Keep yourself quiet and composed under all circumstances.  Do not get fidgety.  If you feel that time drags heavily, do not let this be apparent to others by any visible sign of uneasiness."

I shall keep myself quiet but busy in the meantime, even if I am quietly panicking when I think of what I want to achieve in that time.

Enjoy your days!

WOW for the wall

Isn't this wall plaque a cutie? We bought it at a local shopping centre this morning. Love the detail....the maker has even made the claws look real. Wombats have very good claws for digging, they live in underground burrows and it all has to be dug by hand......sorry, paw. I think it will hang in the beer garden, we need to decide where we would like it.
This is proof that one night our kitties slept by the fire together! They are not related, and Binky was already six years old when Bianca came to live with us. They live together fairly amicably, but aren't close pals. However a few nights ago when it was cold Binky was on the rug in front of the fire. Bianca usually gets there first, she considers that is her spot.........so eventually she decided she would curl up in the cat bed next to Binky, and make the most of what she had. A photo opportunity like this may not arise again so I had to seize the moment.

A few days ago I cut out fabric, backing and thin pellon wadding to make a new bag. I bought the fabric in Canada last year at Cock-A-Doodle Quilts, but what with breaking my arm, and moving house, and settling in here, I have only just now gotten around starting it. I'll have a pic when it's under way. Fabric for the outer bag is a pretty green print, trim fabric is a cinnamon brown print, and the lining is a softer shade of cinnamon. Pattern is McCalls 4118, bag B, the yellow bag in the illustration. I've made that one before, and also made bag A twice. When I bought the fabric I didn't have the pattern with me but thought I knew how much I needed........but my brain didn't remember right........so I had plenty for the outer bag and not enough fabric for the lining and trim. I solved that by buying a different fabric for the lining and it will probably be better anyway, as it's a paler colour. Don't want a bag to be too dark inside, do we? Finding anything in it would be like digging into a dark hole. The three layers (outer and lining fabric and wadding) are quilted in a diamond grid first, then the bag pieces are cut out and assembled. While it's not difficult, all that straight line quilting is a bit tedious......haven't started it yet.....need to be psyched up first........perhaps after I finish this blog entry and my coffee.......

And I have been thinking a little about my challenge entry, the maritime quilt. Haven't yet taken cutter or scissors to fabric, but at least I have thought about it. That's something. It will come together in my head first, then I will make it. That's how my brain works. Can't cut any fabric until I have a plan in mind.

Last Thursday I found out it takes forty five minutes to walk home from quilt group. Uphill. On an uneven surface.

On Monday night I went along to The Only Choir In Town again, they don't meet during school holidays so there has been a break. I have a form to fill out, to officially join. Managed to sing my way through everything OK, then talk came up about a forthcoming concert. Opera was mentioned........my heavens.....never in my life thought I would be singing opera.

Yesterday I tackled my second sewing room, it has cupboards for fabric storage, and open shelves for other stuff, and a desk and chair. The desk had all sorts of things on it and the surface couldn't even be seen let alone used, it was getting too difficult to contemplate doing anything about - so I went in there, set the alarm for 15 minutes and wow! what a difference that 15 minutes made. Shall do it again. The door is shut to keep the cats out unless I am in there, and that also means I can't see if it's untidy. When we were unpacking it was easy to just put things in there and sort them out later, and the sorting isn't yet finished.

Heavens, it's just started pouring rain - was bright sunshine a moment ago!

Now I have finished my coffee so I shall start that quilting. First, however, a word from the 1885 etiquette book.

"Suppression of Emotion.
Suppression of undue emotion, whether of laughter, of anger, or of mortification, of disappointment, or of selfishness in any form, is a mark of good breeding."

Wishing you happy hours!

Jennifer

The view outside

This is a small part of the view over (and of!) our back fence looking north I think, or perhaps slightly north-east. The grass isn't quite that green now as it's browning off for winter, I took this pic when we first viewed the house in early March. But the trees are still there, and we never tire of just looking at the trees and the birds. This morning I saw a couple of King Parrots in the trees slightly to the left of this view, those trees are fairly close to our fence and are a popular resting place for a variety of birds. The parrots were chattering away while I was hanging out the washing - then off they flew, to the trees in the distance. I have the door onto the outdoor patio open at present and the birds almost sound as though they are in the room with me.

And you can all stop panicking, My Lovely New Bernina has been found and is set up for sewing. But the tin containing the different feet is obviously at the bottom of a large box, because it hasn't surfaced yet. Foot no. 1 is wider than a quarter inch so I have stuck a strip of tape on the machine bed to make a seam guide, because.......I have started to sew! I have started on a table runner from some very pretty fabric that I won in Tammy's giveaway earlier this year and cut out before we moved. The ' Woven Squares Table Runner' pattern is from "Fat Quarter Frenzy" by Susan Purney-Mark and Daphne Grieg, fabric colours are creamy white with pink, red and brown - I'm hoping it will look very flash on the new table that we ordered a few days ago.

At this stage I don't think I can unpack any more boxes marked "sewing rm misc" or "sewing rm materials", because I need a couple of cupboards moved into what is to be my other sewing room - the smaller room is good for sewing because it has a large window and is bright, but it is too small for storage as well. So cupboards, shelf units and a desk will go into the fourth bedroom (because I doubt that we will ever need all those bedrooms) which also means that the smaller room will not be too cluttered. Mess is the enemy of creativity, I have decided - one takes a look at the untidyness, and making sense of it all becomes too much, so one just walks away without having sewn a stitch or knitted a row. So this move is giving me a chance to organise my creative space for the better, I hope.

Speaking of knitting, the cardy that I made twice is sewn up and being worn, it is slightly loose around the shoulders but that means more room for layers underneath. Unfortunately the remade sleeves are a bit too long and I am blowed if I am going to unpick it yet again, so I have turned them back to form cuffs. It is quite warm because of the wide sailor collar adding another layer over my shoulders and back, even if the width of the collar makes me look as though I am rather enormous. But you know, it's so warm that I don't care.

All this unpacking and putting away has made my wrist a wee bit sore so I have gone back to doing the exercises prescribed by the physio after the plaster was removed late last year. I've only been doing them for a couple of days and can already notice the difference. I have also started wearing a wrist brace when I am moving and unpacking boxes - I'm trying not to lift anything too heavy and it's usually possible to slide boxes instead of lifting them. After the plaster came off I had to wear the brace for a while for support, and while the physio said it's best not to use it for too long - it is certainly helping at present. And it's a temporary thing, because once the boxes have been unpacked and removed I won't need it.

Once again I apologise, but the etiquette book still hasn't been unpacked, because not all the bookshelves are in their final positions. So talk nicely to each other, and be kind to the people you meet, and just pretend those wise words came from the etiquette book instead of my head.

Now I am going to sew another stitch or two......I am enjoying it very much!

Jennifer

We are online again!

This is the view we have each time we step outside our new front door....it goes on forever! But it's not so sunny today, we could get rain later. Yes, that is a bus stop right across the road, very handy.

Yesterday we found the box containing all the computer bits so we are now connected to the world again. That means I can keep up with my favourite blogs once more, I have missed you all.

We are slowly unpacking and deciding where things are to go. When the furniture was delivered we could only say "put that one here......and this one there" as we weren't sure what was going in which room. Now that we have been here for ten days we have more of an idea where shelf units and cupboards need to go. No doubt there will be a local handyman who can help two Olde Phartes organise their lovely new home.

My new sewing room has a window looking up the hill to the trees - no other houses in sight, just natural bush. We can see neighbouring houses when we are outside, but not when we are inside looking out.

The kitchen is unpacked and organised, and we have unpacked our clothes. So we have food to eat, and clothes to cover our nakedness! Today I unpacked my Singer Featherweight machine but I haven't yet come across My Lovely New Bernina, although the extension bed, cords and foot pedal were in the box with the Featherweight and sewing desk lamp. Every box unpacked is a voyage of discovery........haven't found my etiquette book either, so unfortunately there will be no quote today. The wombats that have been unpacked so far have already had their turn as wombats of the week, but don't worry - there are more still hiding in boxes. Unpacking and organising my sewing space will be a big job but one I am looking forward to doing, because then I will be able to sew again.

Have a lovely week, I am going to look in another box to see what is lurking!

Jennifer

First WOW for the new year

This is a really tiny wombat, as you can see! A couple of years ago I was walking by a jewellery shop window, I happened to glance in....as you do......and what did I see calling my name but a little gold wombat on a neck chain. So the shop and I did a deal involving an exchange of money and a small package, and the little wombat came home with me. Would you believe I have never seen another one of these, ever, anywhere else? It's probably not the only teeny gold wombat in existence but goodness knows where the others are hiding.
Isn't this impressive? Today I looked in the manual for My New Overlocker, and had a go at threading it, and even used it, and it works. Yesterday I cut out fabric to make a skirt, and having an overlocker gives such a professional finish to the seams. I owned an Elna overlocker for over 17 years and it did sterling duty in that time, but its tension was never wonderful. When My Lovely New Bernina (on the left) went to the sewing machine spa just before our Canadian holiday last October I looked at new overlockers, and this one was on special - "yes please" said I. So it was duly ordered, and collected when the other machine was ready. Because I haven't been able to sew for so long I looked at it occasionally, and sighed, and bided my time until my hand was usable again. Now the desk looks like a proper sewing centre.

Speaking of the hand, two days ago a real milestone was passed.....chuckle if you will, but it's a milestone just the same.....I can now do up my bra by myself! Before Saturday morning the last time I managed that small task was 15th October last year, the day of The Great TO Tumble. The pressure for using a ruler and rotary cutter is not quite there yet, but it's getting closer. Still to come - driving the car (the swelling in my hand and fingers means I don't have much strength in my grip yet) and playing guitar. The hand has its next appointment with the nice young physio bloke tomorrow morning so hopefully he will give it a good report. While there are a couple of promised items in my UFO list I decided that the next thing to tackle would be a skirt which was cut out with scissors. The promised items need the use of a rotary cutter so they will be done as soon as I can manage it. A few days ago I finished the Flower Basket block that I started in Canada, and knitting is relatively easy again, so my crafting life is slowly returning to what passes for normal.

Today I received a package from Carol, we're having a swap between ourselves - Carol has sent me some lovely patterns in exchange for some Aussie magazines. Getting parcels from overseas is exciting! Thank you Carol, and I hope your parcel doesn't take too long to arrive. Speaking of which, early in December I won a giveaway on a blog - an Aussie blog, in Queensland, not a blog on the far side of the known universe - and my giveaway hasn't yet arrived, which is sad. It was one of several prizes posted the same day, one apparently arrived fairly quickly but the others didn't. I feel sorry for the ladies who organised the giveaway as it's not their fault, but I suppose these things happen from time to time.

Carol and her husband have a little teardrop trailer, we have our 12ft Nipper caravan - we don't need a huge RV to have fun. Kevin sometimes makes noises about getting a bigger caravan, more space could be useful.......but I must admit I have a soft spot for our little Nipper. The more space we have the more things we will take away with us, whether or not we need them.

"Accepting Hospitality A Sign Of Good-Will.
As eating with another under his roof is in all conditions of society regarded as a sign of good-will, those who partake of proffered hospitalities, only to gossip about and abuse their host and hostess, should remember, that in the opinion of all honorable persons, they injure themselves by so doing."

Now I am going to tinker around in my sewing room for a while, then get ready for the first choir practice of the new year. Have a lovely week!

Jennifer

Christmas WOW

Last year I posted a pic of my wombat Christmas decorations - since then I have two more. The wombat in the Santa hat was part of a Secret Santa gift and is quite bristly; I'm not sure what he's made from, but if he stands on four legs the tip of his hat touches the ground and his cute little face can't be seen, so he sits erect. The dark wombat with presents and a tree was a recent gift from my older son. As a change from a Christmas tree they are posing under a crystal tree; the leaves are green aventurine, and the base is bloodstone. That was a gift too, several Christmases ago from my younger son. And the tatted doyley was made by my Great-Aunt Laura who died when I was a wee baby, I have some of her exquisite tatting - she did beautiful work. That probably dates from sometime in the 1930s. (no, I am not that old)

A couple of pics of the recently painted and curtained sewing room, the first looks to the west over the back yard.....
....and this one overlooks the new house next door in all its huge glory. Today is cloudy, those pics were taken before 3pm, perhaps I should have turned on the lights so you could see the mess better. The pics are not quite so dark when they are full size. And of course you must admire the curtains.....true works of art, are they not? especially when hemmed by a woman with less than two working hands.
Our carol singing concert went well on Friday night, apparently - it's not always easy to tell when one is in the middle of the singers! But people sang along with us and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Good King Wenceslaus and his page made a hit, as did the poor man gathering winter fuel. Nothing like making a production number from a carol.

Judging from a few comments on my blog post one is entitled to be crabby at times...here's the gist of what I wrote in reply. Isn't it funny how we, as women, feel we have to continually present ourselves to the rest of the world in a 'good' light? and when we let our guard down and we say what's on our mind, it doesn't always go over well? especially for those of more advanced years, as it makes us out to be grumpy old women. I have decided that much of my life has been given to pleasing other people, and now that I am on the brink of maybe one day possibly being a 'senior' I am going to say what I really think, although I would never intentionally hurt anyone by doing so.

I have read - sorry, but I can't remember where - that as we become older, we become the person we were always meant to be.

Do you know, we haven't put up our Christmas tree or put out any decorations? Partly because they were packed away after last Christmas, and as things have been moved so we can paint the Christmas decoration box has been covered, and I didn't have the strength to lift boxes and move things, let alone climb ladders and hold on with one hand while trying to hang stuff. Also partly because we are having Christmas Day with our older son and his girlfriend so the house doesn't need to be titivated. And partly because, I suspect, I am just slack. Let's face it, if the tree and decorations aren't put out then they won't have to be packed away again.

Last appointment with the physio tomorrow for a few weeks as he is going away. The swelling is slowly going down, and I am getting more use of my hand and fingers, but I'm a long way from having the range of movement I had before the break. However I am getting better at knitting, my tension isn't too bad now, and last night I managed to plait my hair! It was very painful and slow, by gosh it hurt, but I managed to get it done. One person will be getting an IOU as part of their Christmas gift - I bought a kit earlier in the year and should have sewn it there and then, but not me.....plenty of time before Christmas, I thought.....little did I know......when I can use a ruler and rotary cutter it will get made and handed over.

"Never refuse a present if offered in kindness, unless the circumstances are such that you cannot, with propriety, receive it. Nor, in receiving a present, make such comments as would seem to indicate that your friend cannot afford to make the present. On the other hand, never make a present which you cannot afford to make. In that case the recipient, if he or she knows anything of your circumstances, will think that you had better kept it yourself."

Have a lovely week, and don't let Christmas preparations stress you out too much.

Jennifer

We're healthy

Many thanks to the caring folk who commented on my last blog - we are both well and healthy. Kevin's eye is fine, according to the specialist it's nothing to worry about and the bleeding in his eye will disperse. In a week or two it won't be noticeable. My bone density test shows (so says my doctor) that I have the bones of a younger woman. He didn't say how much younger. But he suggested having another test in a year as a comparison, as I am reaching The Age where things don't work as well as they used to, and start to deteriorate. It's all downhill after 25, you know.

It's raining today and very welcome it is too, after such a stinker as we suffered through yesterday. 42 deg C (that's 108 deg F, for those who still think in old money), it wasn't nice. Today is much cooler, and grey, and wet. Lovely! But according to the people who know these things, we are in for more hot weather next week. There were bushfires on the outskirts of Sydney about 40-50 minutes from here, and we have already had fires last month. That doesn't bode well for the rest of summer.

The new sewing room curtains are up and look very nice, while they don't completely block the view of the large house next door they do screen it somewhat. I have been making a blockout curtain for our front door, which has a large glass panel - it's more glass than door, actually - it will keep the sun out on hot days and keep next door's lights out at night. As it's just measuring, pinning and sewing a straight line it's not too difficult. Yesterday I tried a little hand sewing, tried is the word.......can't yet hold much in my left hand as my fingers don't close enough. But that will come. So I knitted instead. It is slower and more painful than before the break, but to be doing any at all is good according to the nice young physio bloke. The other day he was very pleased with my progress; it seems slow to me, but then I don't know what to expect.

I know you all think I am a crabby old woman, complaining about next door.....no, not really. After having no neighbours for over two years we now have a young family with two small children, one of whom has some sort of motor thing that he revs up and down the driveway....up and down....up and down.....irritating little motor going the whole time. That takes a bit of getting used to. After having darkness all that time we now have large uncurtained windows overlooking us, and lights under the eaves along the driveway next to our bedroom. Even though we have blockout curtains, the lights shine in at the sides and top. That takes getting used to as well. And we have a young bloke who does things like knock down a dividing fence (which legally is shared property, not his alone) and then lie through his teeth, saying "there was no one home at the time to ask". What rubbish, our son was here. And the sounds of building are still going loudly in the evenings, long after local council regulations say they must cease. Listening to tiles being cut with a motorised tile cutter is teeth-grindingly dreadful.

On another note, tonight my choir is singing Christmas carols and songs in a small concert...guess who has the solo part of Good King Wenceslaus' page...only because none of the other women were brave enough, or silly enough, to do it. And because I own a cloak.

"Consistency in dress.
Consistency in regard to station and fortune is the first matter to be considered. A woman of good sense will not wish to expend in unnecessary extravagances money wrung from an anxious, laborious husband; or if her husband be a man of fortune, she will not, even then, encroach on her allowance. In the early years of married life, when the income is moderate, it should be the pride of a woman to see how little she can spend upon her dress, and yet present that tasteful and creditable appearance which is desirable. Much depends upon management, and upon the care taken of garments. She should turn everything to account, and be careful of her clothing when wearing it."

Keep stitching.

Jennifer

Another helpful WOW

Quite a small wombat holding down a pinwheel block on my Singer Featherweight machine. The block is less than three inches square, so as you can see the wombat is little too. He normally sits on the kitchen window sill for a bit of kitchen wombat cheer.

On Friday the orthopedic specialist was quite aghast at how swollen my hand still was so he prescribed anti-inflammatories - to be taken at night as apparently this particular one can cause drowsiness. (doesn't seem to though) Although I have only taken three so far it has made quite a difference to my hand - I can move my fingers now (the joints were too swollen before) and I can nearly use my left hand to pick up and hold things. Nearly....but not quite. Tomorrow I start physiotherapy so I'm betting it will be quite tender tomorrow evening! But as I want to get my hand moving again it will be worth it.

Things are moving along with the house fixing-up. My sewing room is all painted and I am gradually starting to move 'stuff' into place. New living room furniture is being delivered tomorrow, the older furniture was taken today; we passed it on to a charity who will give it to someone who needs it. There wasn't too much wrong with it but we made a mistake when we bought it several years ago - the fabric is a cat-hair magnet, and we have always had cats; and being synthetic it was hot to sit in during summer. But to someone who doesn't have a sofa and two chairs it will be a godsend. The new furniture is leather so the cats will be having regular manicures. And as this summer looks like being quite hot (erk) (I don't like hot) (roll on autumn) let's hope it is a bit cooler than synthetic fabric.

First job in the newly painted sewing room will be to make curtains for that room. It already has pull-down blinds, and I bought sheer fabric a few years ago to make curtains. As we have decided to move I was unsure about making curtains but they don't take much making; the hem is scalloped already and the top has tape in place. All I need to do is cut a very long piece of fabric into four, and hem each side, that's eight hems. I can do that. It's on the sunniest corner of the house - lovely in winter but a bit warm in summer - but even sheer curtains will cut glare and hopefully make it more pleasant. And the room will present better to anyone who comes looking to buy when the house is on the market.

Just pottering around in my sewing room has been quite a tonic. A few days ago I tried crocheting again, and while it was awkward it was better than the last time I had a go. Scissors are OK to use, but a ruler and cutter.....not yet. I can't put pressure on my left hand to hold the ruler without a certain amount of agony. But that will ease in time. And as it's summer in Australia, the cricket is on TV....hours and hours of cricket........mind-numbingly boring cricket......I will continue to potter, and leave the TV to Kevin so he can watch the cricket.

"Invitation to a large party.
The invitation to a large party is similar to that for a ball, only the words "at a ball" are omitted, and the hour may be earlier. The notes of acceptance and regret are the same as for a ball. If the party is a small one, it should be indicated by inserting the words "to a small evening party", so that there may be no misunderstanding. A large party calls for full evening dress, and it would embarrassing for a lady or gentleman to go to a house in full evening dress, expecting to find a large party there in similar costumes, and meet only a few friends and acquaintances plainly dressed. If there is any special feature which is to give character to the evening, it is best to mention this fact in the note of invitation. This the words "musical party", "to take part in dramatic readings", "amateur theatricals", will denote the character of the evening's entertainment. If you have programmes, enclose one in the invitation."

I wonder what the folk of 1886 would make of email invitations?

Jennifer