Nothing much to show for the week

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you seem to be busy, but then have nothing to show for the busy-ness?  That was me, this week.....running hither and yon, lucky to fit in the odd stitch or two.  Some tail-chasing may also have come into it.

Never mind.  Onward and upward!

The heat is upon us, as is storm season.  Last night storms passed us by, probably fortunate considering there was lightning involved and everything is very dry right now.  Fires are started by lightning strikes, so we don't want them.....but a drop (or two, or three) of rain would be useful.

Our plans for celebrating Kevin's birthday changed a little.  The idea of heading up the ranges to cooler climes was attractive - but the thought of coming down again in a storm (it's a fairly steep road) did not excite us, so we had lunch at a pub in a small village just out of town.  We then went to the local French bakery for coffee and cake to finish - yummo!

So.....we will admire more of the beautiful work by the two Lauras.  This filet crochet piece was made by Kevin's grandmother Laura.  The lace design is lovely to see on a wood table, isn't it?  The flowers look like watarahs, the floral emblem of our state, making me think it could be by Mary Card, as some of her designs featured Aussie flowers.

A couple of small tatting doilies made by my Great-Aunt Laura.  I have always liked this one with its lace centre.

Another with a linen centre, a little larger.

I like the contrast in texture of the linen and lace.  The colour of these two is probably what was called 'ecru' which used to mean the colour of unbleached linen, a light tan, but it seems that its meaning has changed over time and now the word refers to a different shade.  

As well as Auntie Laura's tatting, threads, shuttle and crochet hooks I have one of her books of tatting designs written by Aussie designer Norma Benporath who had many tatting designs in several publications, despite having only 60% sight in one eye, and who lived from 1900-1998.  Despite have a lot of designs to her name and being well known in the tatting community there doesn't seem to be a lot written about her, just little snippets here and there.

Of late I have been wondering what will happen to this lovely work when I am gone.  I have no female descendents and doubt very much that either of my sons will want it.  Perhaps it's time to start looking at museums to see if any of them would be interested - one museum in the Big Smoke has quite a collection of lace; I was there one day when I just happened upon the lace rooms and was was fortunate to be shown drawers and drawers of beautiful lace, some of it several centuries old.

Stitches have been sewn, diamonds have been cut but more need to be done.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung, and some of the Many Piles Of Music have been sorted; those piles have been threatening to take over the universe and I couldn't find the particular songs I wanted, so putting them in order is a good thing.  Blocks have been made for the quilt group, so my halo is shining.....but eventually I will be able to get back to my own Stuff when those blocks are finally finished, and it will shine even brighter.  

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Opening the door for a lady.

A gentleman should always hold open the door for a lady to enter first.  This is obligatory, not only in the case of the lady who accompanies him, but also in that of any strange lady who chances to be about to enter at the same time."

Having a door held is helpful if one is carrying something.  I myself have held the door for others, whether they are burdened with parcels (or even a small child in arms) or not.

Enjoy your days!

Follow the yellow brick road to the neighbourhood

How are you all this week?  

During the week some of the house blocks were sewn into rows, and I can honestly say I have never used such narrow sashing before ever never.  It finishes at just one half inch wide.

However - the blocks are busy and the sashing is bright so that narrow sashing is, like Goldilocks, just right.  Oh, what a poet I am!

The plan (the hope!) is to get more rows joined this week, and to soon start cutting strips for the long sashings between diagonal rows.

Another piece of Kevin's grandmother Laura's filet crochet.....the flowers look like poinsettias, don't they.  This is a small piece, just the right size to sit on a circular tray adorned with a blue vase.

There are many different types of lace.  This tatting was made by my great-aunt Laura, who died in 1948; her tatting is beautiful.  I have two of this design.

Some of her unfinished pieces in pink and cream......

.....this is also pink, the same colour as in the pic above.

More unfinished work, and some of her unused 80 and 100 threads.

There were also some very fine metal crochet hooks with the threads when they came to me, they are now with my own (chunkier!) hooks.  Crochet hooks are used to join pieces of tatting.  I also have her tatting shuttle made from - possibly - Xylonite, one of the synthetic materials popular in the Art Deco era of the 1920s-1930s.

In 'Gone with the wind' Scarlett O'Hara is mentioned as having made "yards and yards of tatting" to sell at a fundraising bazaar.  Perhaps it was a narrow edging intended for trimming a handkerchief - or even for sprucing up a lady's unmentionables.  I remember my mother having a long nightdress made of delicate cream fabric trimmed with darker cream tatting, which was made for her mid-1940s trousseau.  My mother didn't sew but her mother Edith did, so perhaps the nightie was made by Edith and trimmed by Edith's sister Laura.  It was probably in the clothes passed on to charity after my mother's death.

Diamonds have been joined, but more need to be cut.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung.  No stitches have been knitted but that may change on Tuesday - Kevin's birthday - as we plan to go for a Nice Sunday Drive and have lunch somewhere, and I usually knit on trips.  

Summer's heat is well and truly upon us now, but now that February is upon us and days are getting shorter there is the promise of autumn to come.  In this heat gadding about early is the Thing To Do - not an easy thing when one is not a morning person, but preferable to gadding later in the day when the temperature is fierce.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Keeping step.

In walking together, especially when arm in arm, it is desirable that the two keep step.  Ladies should be particular to adapt their pace, as far as practicable, to that of their escort.  It is easily done."

It is probably also "easily done" for a gentleman to adapt his steps to that of a lady.  Why should the woman always have to be the one to adapt?

Enjoy your days!

WOW day - and what a WOW!

Yesterday friends called to visit and presented us with a wonderful surprise - a retirement gift, especially hand-made just for us. Knowing of my wombat collection (the whole world knows of my wombat collection by now) Alison painted a beautiful bowl in my favourite colours, and personalised it with a special message too.
Thank you so much! Friends are very special folk.
Earlier this month Carole posted on her blog about some lovely old and embroidered linen she bought, including a white piece that she was unsure about. It's a tea cosy, shaped like mine. This one was made by my mother's Auntie Laura (who made the lovely doyley in last week's WOW post) I am guessing in the 1930s; the outer layer is beautifully tatted lace, front and back are the same, and the lining is green rayon taffeta with a shirred panel joining the front and back pieces. Inside that is a cosy made of white cotton fabric padded to keep a teapot warm. I can't tell what the padding is as the white fabric is tightly woven, but it feels as though it may be unspun wool. It would probably fit a four-cup teapot.

Somehow I don't think this was in everyday use....I think it would have been kept "for good". I also have a beautiful cloth that Laura made, with an ecru linen centre and a very wide tatted lace border. My mother always told me that one day it would be mine, and when she died ten years ago all these lovely pieces came to me. When I die.......who knows?

Jennifer