Three quarters bordered

Is where the house quilt is up to now, and it's looking good.  It's quite large for a full photo, so here is one corner.

I have hopes of getting the final border attached today, then that will be the top finished.  There are, of course, threads to be trimmed on the wrong side, and it needs to go out for quilting - arrangements for which have not yet been made, but which will be over the next couple of days.  The plan is to take it to a town an hour north....with me driving, eek....to Jackson.  (And an hour back home, then another hour up and back to collect the quilt when it's done....double eek.....)  While my quilt will be a long way from being a prize winner, just having it quilted by someone of that calibre will make it feel special.

At our January meeting early this year we each decided on a UFO to finish off for our annual challenge, and this was mine.  Considering the year it has been there's a good chance that the quilt won't be completely finished by the time of the Big Reveal at our 28th November meeting, but I'm sure I will get a pass on that as it's just for fun.  Arboretum was finished, at least!

At our show last weekend the local quilt shop had a corner with many goodies for sale including the bottom fabric, which was in a bundle with country-themed fabrics.  Tamworth has its big (huge) (humungous) country music festival in January; most of the bundled fabrics weren't really 'me' but this print of guitar picks tickled my fancy, so during the week a visit was made to the shop and some purchased.  The orange fabric was also bought, don't they hold hands well together?  They are destined to become a cushion for our musical friend who will stay with us again during the festival - and who really doesn't care for orange, but we are good enough friends that he will laugh and appreciate his gift anyway.

The orange fabric is part of a range called 'Echo' by Moda designer Emily van Hoff; any of the colours would have looked good with the picks, but the orange goes particularly well.  The picks also came on a dark background, but the details didn't show as well as on pale.  I popped into the music shop next door to the fabric shop where the young owner loved the picks so much he took a photo with his phone, sent it to his wife and said that she would buy some to make a onesie for their little kiddo.  He will be a very smart little kiddo, for sure.

The music shop had a sparkly lime green drum kit....I now have sparkly lime green drum kit envy, it is very pretty.....

How has everyone been this week?  We had appointments, two of them - one introductory, then a follow-up a few days later - with the helpful folk at the government agency which has programs for Olde Phartez like us who may need help with day-to-day Stuff.  At this stage we are managing but that may not always be the case, so it's best to be registered for when that day comes.  (The agency is, serendipitously, just across the road from the quilt and music shops, how good is that?)  As a result some knitting was achieved, and of course stitches were also sewn by hand and by machine.  Songs were plinked and sung.  Words were read.  We shopped for food.  Occasionally I was able to just sit back, put the balls down for a while and relax for a brief minute before picking them up again.

We have had the odd shower or two of rain, and more is forecast.  This morning at stupid dark early o'clock we were rudely awoken by loud rolling thunder and probably lightning too, the heavy curtains kept that outside where it belongs.....and very heavy crashing rain.  It didn't last long but made up for it with the amount that fell, and the garden is washed clean again.

Now that the ceremony is over and our new Mr and Mrs have done the marital deed, we move on to the next step.

"The congratulations.

At the wedding feast or At Home, friends who congratulate the newly-married couple should address the bride first, if they have any previous acquaintance with her, then the bridegroom, then the bridesmaids, and after that the parents and family of the bride and groom.  They should give their good wishes to the bride and congratulate the bridegroom.  If they are acquainted with the bridegroom and not with the bride, let them address him first and he will introduce them to his bride."

Both bride and groom are probably breathing an inward sigh of relief, now that the ceremonial part of their special day is over.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

It's not ~quite~ warm here today

It is far from being freezing cold, it's quite nice when the sun peeks out from the clouds....but then it goes into hiding again and it gets cooler for a while.....still, July is the coldest month and we aren't even halfway through.

Never mind; it won't be long and we will be complaining about the heat again.....

Some diamond trios have been joined into strips.

Three strips, two of five trios and one of four, seams not yet pressed (which won't get done until I know which way they have to lie) but enough for a preview of the finished product.  The maths have been worked out; there need to be 11 strips of four trios and all the rest, however many that is, will be joined into strips of five.  First and every other row is 20 across, rows in between have 19, and the holes along all the sides will be filled with partial blocks continuing the pattern.  It's very therapeutic sewing, something much needed at present.

These days there are many phone calls to be made and some forms to be filled in on Kevin's behalf.  I have never liked filling in forms for any purpose....it makes me feel like I'm back at school doing a test, something I always dreaded, and I freeze up.  Ditto on the phone calls.  No good asking Kevin to make them, he gets confoozalated and difficult to understand, so it falls to me.  I find it quite stressful and I'm sure he has no idea that I do, because I can't seem to make him comprehend.  Come to that we don't really have many conversations about anything much, any more.

On to happier Stuff.

The choir has been practising for our winter concert to be held next Saturday afternoon, with proceeds going to a charity which supports cancer sufferers.  A few years ago our director Bill announced that we would no longer do concerts, and there was quite a bit of mumbling about that; just going along each week to sing is one thing but practising for a performance really gives us incentive to strive to do better, so we were all pleased when he eventually decided that yes, we would still perform after all.

Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  The label for Arboretum has been printed and traced onto fabric, a floss colour has been chosen (a warm brown DMC colour, a favourite for labels) and the non-woven interfacing has to be ironed onto the back before stitching can start.  It will take but a moment to do - the trouble is finding the moment!

Songs have been sung but not plinked this week as I've been too busy to pick up an instrument, and I miss it.

The new white kettle works very well.  The pretty green one would have worked equally well too, but would it make my coffee and Kevin's tea taste any better?  Well, that's the question, isn't it.....

Our musician friend has already booked his bed with us for next January's music festival, and we are looking forward to spending time with him again.  He, too, will be able to try out the new white kettle.  I'm sure he will be impressed.

Many folk during the past week have had phone problems, myself included.  I could send and receive text messages but couldn't make or receive calls.  That was somewhat of a nuisance so I had resigned myself to some time spent getting frustrated in the telecommunications shop trying to make young folk understand, but this morning I had a brainwave.  I turned the phone completely off then charged it fully.  Turned it back on, tried ringing Kevin's number - it worked, yay!  Tried ringing my phone from his and once again, it worked.  Fingers crossed that it stays working.

We are still finding out about the latest ceremonials.

"While the bride and bridegroom are passing out of the church, the bridesmaids follow slowly, each upon the arms of the groomsman, and they afterward hasten on as speedily as possible to welcome the bride at her own door, and to arrange themselves about the bride and groom in the reception room, half of the ladies on her side and half upon his - the first bridesmaid retaining the place of honour."

How many bridesmaids and groomsmen were in a wedding party, one wonders?  Sounds like rather a lot.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Behind the trees

Backing has been bought for Arboretum - much to my surprise I was able to find Just The Very Thing at the local quilt shop, so there was no need to take that drive north.  The batiks in the main part of the shop were all delicate tone on tone pastels in shades of pink, lavender, blue, etc.  Very pretty if that's your thing, but not at all what I wanted.

Let's have a look in the sale room, said the assistant......

.....where my eyes lit on this.  The background is a deep rich chocolate, with little yellow/gold - squiggles? commas? hooks?  

Here's a mock-up with the intended binding fabric around the edge.  Today is dull and cloudy, not ideal conditions for photography, as the colour looks more washed-out than it is in real life.

So, yes - Just The Very Thing!  I must admit I had been hoping for lighter brighter fabric but this suits the binding and the price was amazing.  If the bolt was emptied the price was even better, so there is now a leftover piece in my stash; a hanging sleeve will be needed as the plan is to enter it in both the local show in September, and our quilt group exhibition in October.

How has everyone been?  We have had a fairly quiet week.  Stitches were sewn and knitted, fabric shopping was done.  Songs were sung.  We hunted and we foraged in order that we may not starve, and that was the week.

To make up for missing out on my trip north let's go to a pub in a small - very small - village half an hour south, said I, so we did; we drove to Currabubula where we had lunch at the pub.  There has been a pub in the village for a long time.  Australian author Kate Grenville has written a book "One Life" about her mother, and her grandmother, and her great-grandmother....I came across it in the library several years ago not knowing of the local connection, and found it fascinating.  

The weather has been winter on-and-off.  Days are fairly mild but nights and mornings are cool enough that we are glad to have a fire to keep us, and the house, from cooling down too much.  We've even had some more rain - it's unbelievable how much every blade of grass has changed to bright green from the dead dry brown of just a few weeks ago; we are even seeing the occasional kangaroo on the hill behind us.

Finally the hay fever cough, the gift that keeps on giving, seems to have abated - for which I am thankful.  It still catches me unawares from time to time, but not as severely as before.  

"Ceremonials when there are no bridesmaids.

When there are no bridesmaids, the marriage ceremonials at the church are as follows:  The members of the bride's family proceed to the church before the bride, who follows with her mother.  The bridegroom awaits them at the church and gives his arm to the bride's mother.  They walk up the aisle to the altar, the mother falling back to her position on the left.  The father, or relative representing him, conducts the bride to the bridegroom, who stands at the altar with his face turned toward her as she approaches, and the father falls back to the left.  The relatives follow, taking their places standing, those of the bride to the left, those of the groom to the right.  After kneeling at the altar for a moment, the bride, standing on the left of the bridegroom, takes the glove off from her left hand, while he takes the glove off from his right hand.  The service then begins.  The father of the bride gives her away by bowing when the question is asked, which is a much simpler form than stepping forward and placing his daughter's hand in that of the clergyman.  Perfect self-control should be exhibited by all parties during the ceremony."

Today's quote is fairly long, but there isn't really a suitable place to break it into smaller bites.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Only twelve months to go

My performance this afternoon went well considering I was feeling slightly less than fabulous, thanks to the hay fever which has turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving.  Never mind; I made it through both a poem and a song without disgracing myself, and had fun.

Now to think of next year's pieces....there is still twelve months, that should be enough time to decide....

Not much has happened on the sewing front so there are no pics to share, but let's see what's lurking in the photo vault.

Oh my, here's an oldie!  The doll is one I have had since childhood, a hard plastic doll with "Patsy" moulded onto the back of her neck - so, of course, she is called Patsy.

The little bed was bought from a now-defunct chain which sold all manner of  'decorator' items.  They sold a line of dressed dolls (nothing like Patsy, though, she is much older) and this little metal bed fitted her nicely.

This was one of the first quilts I made, machine pieced but - gasp - hand quilted!

I don't usually go for the pink and blue colour scheme but, as Patsy is a 1950s doll, she needed a colour scheme from that era.

Sadly I had no daughters, and no granddaughters.  I have a couple of other dolls, so perhaps I'll just sell them or even give them away.  Do children even play with dolls these days?  I used to enjoy making clothes for mine, rather than playing "mummy" with them.

How has everyone been this week?  We have had a fairly quiet week; words have been read, stitches have been sewn but not knitted.  The coming week, though, sees various appointments for both of us so knitting is a good way to spend waiting time, particularly as I now have to go along with Kevin to his various appointments.  Songs were sung (croaked would perhaps be a better word) and played.  We hunted and we foraged.

Fortunately next week doesn't look like being so busy, so a trip to a town an hour away for Arboretum's backing fabric is on the cards.

Best of all, we have had a lot of rain!  Not enough to break the drought which some say is already upon us, but good rain nevertheless.  It's amazing how little rain it takes for gardens and grass to suddenly look healthy and green, instead of dry and brown.  It's been chilly enough that the fire has, at times, been welcome, in fact there is one burning as we speak.

"Costumes of the bridegroom and groomsman.

The bridegroom and groomsman, at a morning wedding, wear full morning dress, dark blue or black frock coats, or cut-aways, light neckties, and light trousers.  The bridegroom wears white gloves.  The groomsmen wear gloves of some delicate colour."

Just as I chose not to wear a traditional white wedding dress, Kevin chose not to dress formally for our wedding.  His shirt was gold-coloured and he wore brown trousers....well, it was the 1970s, the decade of brown, brown and more brown.  His necktie and gloves were non-existent.

We were both happy with that.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

One down, eight to go

Arboretum is being constructed in panels, for ease of handling.

The trees are set 11 across by nine down in the finished quilt, but four across by three down is a manageable size to work with.  New panels will be joined to the previous one as we go along; the next piece will go on the bottom of this one, hopefully that will be done later today.  There will be nine panels.

Some jiggling of blocks is still happening.  Every time I walk into that room and look at the trees spread out on the design bed another one or two get moved......but it is getting closer to being the final design.

It will go out to be quilted as I'm not sure that my sometimes-painful shoulder and wrist could handle machine quilting, even though it's not enormously huge.  It's about 60 inches across by 72 down.

How has everyone been?  We have dealt with our usual Olde Pharte appointments, and even fronted up with our sleeves rolled up for the annual flu shot early in the week.  Geez, I hate having pointy things poked into me.....apart from tiredness for the next couple of days and a slightly sore arm from the pointy poke there have been no side effects.  I've been having the flu shot for over 25 years without a problem, but I am not having any more covid shots after bad side effects from the last two.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  The shops were shuffled around for the weekly wanderings and food was purchased for the consumption thereof, in a never-ending cycle.  Songs were sung, and the realisation come to that I had better get cracking on learning the chords for my Eisteddfod song; the poem is in my brain, the words of the song likewise, but those chords have yet to follow - and they have just a month to do so.

Our autumn weather has been pleasantly warm, not hot, but it is oh-so-dry....no rain has fallen at all this month.  Not one dribble, not a drip.  Nothing.  Reports have been coming in on social media about kangaroos coming into town because their usual food supply in the bush has died off due to the complete lack of rain.  Apparently autumn is usually our wetter season, so a dry autumn does not augur well for the year's crops.

If wishing would make it rain we would have a flood, but alas......

Do any of you watch the program in which people get 'fake married?  Just seeing the ads is bad enough....I think to myself (and indeed, usually say out loud) "what drivel!"....there are far too many programs in which people are pitted against each other to win a cash prize, or perhaps a fake spouse....the TV stays off more than it is on in our house.  We don't subscribe to streaming (I nearly wrote 'screaming' there) services, either.   I would far rather read a book.  Growing up without television didn't bother my brothers and I; we were teenagers when it finally arrived in our town, and I was far too busy being a social butterfly to stay home and watch.  Kevin is a great one for channel surfing with the remote - it's a bloke thing - but doesn't end up watching much anyway.

 We have finished the chapter on Courtship and Marriage, so now we move onto Etiquette of Weddings.

"The circumstances under which weddings take place are so varied, and the religious forms observed in their solemnization so numerous, that to lay down rules applicable to all cases would be a matter of great difficulty, if not an impossibility.  Consequently, only those forms of marriage attended with the fullest ceremonies, and all the attendant ceremonials, will here be given, and others may be modelled after them as the occasion may seem to require."

Nothing here about fake TV weddings, you notice.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

They call me mellow yellow

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

The rose garden café where we breakfasted before leaving Cowra:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continuing on with our wise words on Breaking an Engagement:

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

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

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Marking time

Because nothing new has been started in the sewing room.  Indeed, very little happened in the sewing room at all, this week.

Diamonds have been cut for the tumbling blocks, and more will be cut to have a good supply for the upcoming holiday.  One block was made for the monthly BOM for my quilting group. Fabric was picked up and put down again.  

The house quilt was going to be worked on but the spare bed - the design bed - is being used to lay out some Stuff for the holiday in less than two weeks, so today we shall visit the photo vault.

According to the computer this pic was taken in April, 2022 - nearly four years ago, and probably about the start of the tumbling blocks journey.

This was two years later, in June 2024....many more blocks had been made in the meantime, these few were laid out for a photo opportunity.  Now there are nearly 400 completed blocks out of 449 needed, but a few extra may be made just in case.  Many of the fabrics are repros (some from many many years ago) or newer fabrics which hold hands nicely with the repros; all were used in my tumbler quilt, and since then others have been found in the stash which also work.  Several fabrics have been used up in the process, so that's a good thing too.

In case you have forgotten, or have never seen the tumbler quilt:

Every time I look at it I think to myself - did I really make this by hand?  Not the borders, of course, but that large centre panel and another smaller panel on the reverse, and I pat myself on the back once more.

Here's a chuckle for you:  while having lunch today I was finishing the last few pages of a book, the plot of which centered around the murder of an elderly man who had planned to change his will to cut members of his family out.  This was not good enough for the husband of a niece, he wanted her share (and everyone else's too) so he engineered a gas explosion which blew up the elderly uncle's house with uncle in it, completely obliterating the house and poor old uncle.  Fast forward to the memorial service a few weeks later, one of the attendees asked if uncle was going to be cremated.....a bit late for that, I would have thought, the explosion.....

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Songs were plinked and sung.  My annual entry for the Eisteddfod at the end of May has been lodged, so now the words to the poem and song need to be learned.  Most are already in my brain, the chords for the song are not there yet but they will come.  We ambled around the supermarket and found Stuff to eat.  Appointments were kept.  That was about it for the week.

Despite being told it is so, today - 1st March - is not the first day of autumn.  Days are getting shorter but temperatures are still saying 'summer', and nights are not as cool as we would like.  We will be glad to finally see the last of what has been a long unpleasant summer.  We have forgotten what rain looks like, but hopefully whoever arranges these things will take pity on us and loosen the taps to let some water through before too long.  We have high hope that our sojourn down south will be a little cooler, as we won't be far from the Snowy Mountains.....and I am also hoping to see autumn colour, won't that be nice?

"No young man who would shrink from being guilty of a great impropriety, should ever prolong his visits beyond ten o'clock, unless it be the common custom of the family to remain up and to entertain visitors at a later hour, and the visit paid is a family one and not a tete-a-tete.  Two hours is quite long enough for a call; and the young man will give evidence of his affection no less than his consideration, by making his visits short, and, if need be, making them often, rather than by prolonging to unreasonable hours."

A young lady's family will not thank her suitor for keeping them - and her - from their beauty sleep, by overstaying his welcome.  

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Melting, melting.....

The past week has been almost unbearably hot, with many towns seeing record-breaking temperatures.  While our town didn't see records tumble (to quote a favourite media cliché) it has been quite nasty, at times, and we will be glad to see the last of it.  We even have hopes of some rain later; the heatwave has negated any benefit from rain of two or three weeks ago.

As a result almost nothing of consequence happened in the sewing room, certainly nothing worthy of a photo.  The moose table topper is now layered and pinned ready for quilting, which will be done during the coming week once cooler temperatures arrive; my brain turns to mush and I can't concentrate in such extreme heat as we have had.  

Trawling through the photo vault has yielded some gems.

During our last visit to Canada we stayed with friends on Vancouver Island, and while there we visited the Northern Island Wildlife Recovery Centre where we made the acquaintance of this interesting bird.

You have to smile at that comical face, don't you!  It was a large owl which came to the Centre after being hit by a vehicle; due to its damaged wing it could no longer fly and hunt, so it was living out its best life and educating visitors while doing so.

The year before we shook the dust of the Big Smoke from our heels we took ourselves on an outing to Mount Tomah Botanic Garden, which specialises in cool climate plants.  I don't remember the name of this plant but it was spring, so perhaps those autumn-like colours are its new spring growth; many Australian native plants have pale pinkish/bronze colouring for their new shoots.

The visitor centre had a display of waratahs, our state floral emblem.....I love waratahs.  There was a children's colouring competition, a display of individual blooms, mostly red but with some white - yes, white waratahs really exist - and floral arrangements featuring waratahs.

A close up of a vivid red waratah surrounded by its serrated leathery leaves, with a few fern fronds peeking in at the side.

On my bookshelf is a slim book about the waratah as a decorative feature, and very interesting it is too.  Back in the late 1800s there was a great interest in using Australian flora and fauna as decorative motifs, and the waratah was up there with the best;  you could decorate your home with waratahs carved in wood for your fireplace, printed on wallpaper for your wall or fabric for your curtains, painted on plates or cups to decorate your table....just about anything you desired could be decorated with waratahs, and very exuberant they were too.

Words have been read, many words, because staying out of that fierce heat with one's nose buried in a book was one way to spend several hot days.  No stitches have been knitted.  More diamonds have been cut for hand-piecing, and hand-piecing of diamonds continues.  At this rate, I will be able to open my own gem mine in no time at all. We braved the heat to go out for food.

In recent days the socials, as they seem to be called, have been alight with plaintive pleas of "can anyone hem my daughter's school dresses before school goes back next week?".  While I realise that not everyone has advanced or even basic sewing skills, if you have a daughter or two who wear dresses which need to have hems taken up and let down, would it not be an idea to learn some sewing skills in order to do so?  It's not haute couture, after all, just very basic sewing for which basic supplies are needed, and would save you money in the long run.  Basic sewing used to be taught in schools, to my knowledge it no longer is ('Textile and Design' was a subject when I worked in high school before retiring; students could make quite complicated creations, but I could not attest to their hemming skills) but as a 'life skill' it is invaluable.

Off my soap box.....

Our visitors departed on Tuesday morning, our musician friend sporting four new tyres on his blue car ($$$$!), something he wasn't expecting when he arrived here ten days earlier.  At least those new tyres made his long trip home a safe one, albeit something of a sticker shock.  We have sometimes had to sort out mechanical issues while away too, not a fun activity but a necessary one for a trip to continue.

"Conduct of the fiancée.

The conduct of the fiancée should be tender, assiduous and unobtrusive.  He will be kind and polite to the sisters of his betrothed and friendly with her brothers.  Yet he must not be in any way unduly familiar or force himself into family confidences on the ground that he is to be regarded as a member of the family.  Let the advance come rather from them to him, and let him show a due appreciation of any confidences which they may be pleased to bestow upon him.  The family of the young man should make the first advances toward an acquaintance with his future wife.  They should call upon her or write to her, and they may with perfect propriety invite her to visit them in order that they may become acquainted."

No doubt the young woman would be apprehensive to meet her future in-laws, as indeed he was to meet his.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

My halo is all polished and shiny!

The top which has been languishing in my sewing room for far too long is done, and you can probably see the gleam of my halo from wherever you are right now.  Big pat on the back for me!

The decision has been made on the backing for my table centre.

My stash includes some of the scattered cream maple leaves on red which was my original thought, but then the red leaves on cream came to the fore, jumped up and down and said "what about me?"  So, that's what it will be; a strip will be cut, the printed stripe will be sliced down the middle and the lighter strip inserted, then it can be layered and quilted.  I am even thinking of turning one of the two striped pieces to face the other direction so that the stripes don't have to match across the inserted strip.  Binding still to be decided, but possibly might be red.

The original plan was to have it done for show and tell at quilt group next Saturday but that probably may not happen, as there are concerts to be attended, and music to be played, and musical friends to be seen.  Never mind; if it's not done for next weekend it will do nicely for February's meeting.

Our annual challenge for this year is to finish a UFO - now, which one shall I choose, I wonder?  Decisions, decisions....the idea is that we take it along next Saturday where it will be duly photographed and recorded, then we flash the finished quilt around at the final meeting of the year.  I am thinking that my house quilt will be Just The Very Thing, as I am determined to finish it this year anyway.

Our musical friends arrived yesterday, and we have spent some time catching up over a cuppa and a piece of fruit slice.  We spent money - a whole $10 (!) and bought an official program, something I don't usually bother doing, but finding out what's on and who is where is much easier that way.  Feedback from our friend's time spent strolling the main drag yesterday afternoon checking out the many buskers was - don't bother.  It was far too loud for comfort, he said.  My ears thank him for his research on our behalf, so we will keep away.  Buskers have always been a major part of the festival and are spaced close enough that, if one player turns up their sound to be heard over a player nearby, everyone else around them turns up theirs too....and so it goes on.....

Fortunately, too, the weather is kinder than usual.  Some rain during the week and again early this morning has cooled temperatures down to make getting out and about much more pleasant than usual, too.  Higher temps aren't supposed to arrive until much later in the week, and even then not as hot as most years have been.  Those folk camping in their tents may have been somewhat nervous during this morning's thunder, though.

My doctor visit during the week was supposed to be for one thing but I ended up being called in by the nurse first....our records show that you are due for two immunisations, she said....I expressed some slight scepticism (not fond of injections, me) and she pointed out that the five yearly pneumonia vaccination was one, so I reluctantly said oh all right, go for it.....and she did.....not kindly, either.  So roughly, in fact, that I pulled away and apparently ended up with only half a dose and a scratch wound on my upper arm.  I have dealt with her in the past too, and she isn't as gentle as other nurses at the practice; she has a way of making a question sound like an accusation.

Another grumble:  the annual package of goodies for our son and his partner way over there in Canada was packed and wrapped using copious quantities of tape, taken to the post office, the customs form was filled in and taken to the counter.  Oh no, said the post office woman, you haven't put the weight of each individual package on the customs label....it's apparently a new thing, it used to be just the total weight of the whole parcel....so now it has to be taken apart, some items weighed because they don't have the weight printed on them and the label re-written (I was so annoyed that I tore it in half) and taken back to the post office to go through the whole procedure again.  Sigh.....

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted, the second sleeve on my jumper is coming along well and is an ideal project to pass the time while waiting at appointments.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  We hunted and foraged, and visited the post office - see above - and that's another week gone.

"The rejected suitor.

The duty of the rejected suitor is quite clear.  Etiquette demands that he shall accept the lady's decision as final and retire from the field.  He has no right to demand the reason of her refusal.  If she assign it, he is bound to respect her secret, if it is one, and to hold it inviolable.  To persist in urging his suit or to follow up the lady with marked attentions would be in the worst possible taste.  The proper course is to withdraw, as much as possible, from the circles in which she moves, so that she may be spared reminiscences which cannot be otherwise than painful."

We don't want our rejected suitor to be tasteless, that's for sure.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The day before the day before the day before the day before.....

....the fat bloke in the red suit comes to call!

But only if you have been very, very good.

Because we are currently suffering in a heatwave there hasn't been much action in the sewing room, but temperatures are expected to drop somewhat after today (although it will still be a long way from what could be considered 'cool') so more green fabrics will be cut.  My brain doesn't cope well with extreme heat, and I can't settle to doing much at all.

As a result, we will be trawling in the photo vault today.

Another view of Butchart Garden, mostly green with just one red tree for contrast.

It shows how successful a monochromatic colour scheme can be, doesn't it?  The garden beds are planted with flowers that aren't yet flowering, just the young green leaves are visible.

More Aussie natives from the big store display, taken in our last year living in the Big Smoke.

There are those who decry our native flowers...."oh, they're not as beautiful as roses or pansies" they say.... but all have a place in this wonderful world of ours, don't they?  This selection is bright and vibrant, and has some of my favourite colours.

Different doesn't have to mean worse or better, does it.  It just means - different.

That applies to people, too.  Just because someone looks different to us, or thinks differently, or worships a different deity or indeed doesn't worship anything at all, doesn't make them worse than us.  

We have had a fairly quiet week, a couple of appointments to liven things up, lunch on Monday with my ukulele playing friend Clare, some suitably seasonal hunting and foraging.  Stitches were sewn and knitted; the jumper (the second sleeve of which is proceeding well) came with me to a medical appointment as there is always waiting time which can be put to creative use.  Repairs to the summer top have been started but didn't go well, so Plan B will have to come into play.

Problem is, there doesn't seem to be a Plan B yet......

Tomorrow is the summer solstice, which will happen at 2.02 a.m.  I don't plan to be nekkid dancing around the bonfire at the time.  I have other plans, chief of which is being deep asleep in the arms of Morpheus.

I wonder if our ancestors really did dance nekkid around the bonfire at solstice time, as they are reputed to have done?  It mightn't be too bad in summer, but winter would be a different story.  In any case, given our current heatwave and fire danger conditions, a bonfire would be out of the question.  Perhaps the crafty ones could improvise with some strips of red cellophane and a fan set to 'high'.

Many many years ago - before we bought our caravan - we were travelling in Victoria, and I had addresses of quilt shops to check out; in those days one had to peruse the ads in quilt magazines to find shops, as the internet was in its infancy.  One shop was half post office/half quilt shop, the post office's owner was a quilter.  (I looked it up, and it's no longer operating....it was nearly 30 years ago, after all!)  While paying for my purchases the owner and I were chatting, and she told me that she always started a new project on Boxing Day which had been not long beforehand, it was her reward to herself for her hectic Christmas each year.  That seems like a good idea to me although I have seldom followed through with it, but I plan to this year.

So - come Friday, who wants to join me?  Pick a project, no matter how large or small, and start it. I've picked mine, and it is small.

My Canadian tree featuring decorations we bought in Canada, or were gifted by Canadian friends.

In parting - no matter what you celebrate, or even if you don't celebrate anything at all, best wishes for a season of peace, happiness and love.

And chocolate.  Good quality dark chocolate.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

More storms, and more trees

The weather radar was checked a few minutes ago and there are storms popping up here, there and everywhere around us.....not quite over us yet, but that may happen soon.  Or soon-ish.

That makes this week's trees storm-ish, too.

A green tree, because it doesn't matter how many green trees are in the Arboretum.

Green trees always look good. 

Ozzies will recognise this flower as Grevillea, a favourite native plant.  We haven't had much luck growing them here, but they did grow for us in the Big Smoke......different climate, different soil.

The largest Grevillea is Grevillea Robusta - the name says it all, doesn't it?  Known as Silky Oak - it isn't an oak, it isn't even related to oak, but the cut timber has a beautifully silky lace pattern - its deep gold flowers are brightening up our skies right now.  Many many years ago the decision was made that our town would benefit from using Silky Oak trees as street trees, and there have been Silky Oaks here ever since; some of the tallest - and they are very tall indeed - may have been around when I was a child, albeit much smaller trees than now.

This week's trees, a green and purple, and a red/orange with blue and brown.  Or perhaps it's orange/red.  Numbers 95 and 96, only three to go!

Thoughts are being thought about a name for my Arboretum.  While I don't mind 'Arboretum' as a name something more personal would be good.....Jardin de Jennifer?  Garden of Grace?  Grace is my middle name, after all.....the idea of alliteration appeals.

A silhouette known all over the world is the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and its official opening ceremony in 1932 was interrupted by an Irish soldier, Francis de Groot, cutting the official ribbon before the state governor could do so.  What does Francis de Groot have to do with my trees, you ask?  When he wasn't charging around on a horse while brandishing a sabre and cutting ribbons he made very fine furniture using Australian timbers - one of which was Silky Oak - and quite a lot of those pieces of furniture are still around today.

A few days ago Fiona at Bubz Rugz showed her Hardanger embroidery samples.  Back in the 1980s-1990s I was a member of the state Embroiderers Guild and have pieces made during that time, one of which is this Hardanger cushion - no fancy cutwork, but there is pulled work; I used two shades of thread darker than the background rather than the matching threads traditionally used, backed it with deep gold Dupioni silk and piped the edge with matching cord.

I don't know what the mark is, hopefully it will wash out.  Hardanger embroidery originated in Norway - and did you know there is also a Hardanger fiddle?  I have seen and heard them being played at folk festivals, usually accompanying traditional dances.  If you want to see some spectacular scenery, look up 'Hardanger fjord'.

Storms are still hanging around, we were interrupted by a blackout an hour ago but we're back online now.  Earlier there were a few rumbles then an almighty clap of thunder - lights went out, computer went out - a few other things turned themselves off including the radio, but all is back up and running and we have music again.  Monsieur le Frog is happily croaking away, that loud bang hasn't put him off his game.

How has everyone been?  We are still upright, still on the right side of the grass.  My sore foot hasn't fallen off, for which we are thankful.  Stitches have been sewn but not knitted; a medical appointment for a regular check-up tomorrow will probably yield time for some knitting.  Songs have been plinked and sung, next weekend's charity concert songs are sounding good.

"A lady's positive refusal.

A lady who really means "no" should be able to so say it as to make her meaning unmistakeable.  For her own sake and that of her suitor, if she really desires the suit ended, her denial should be positive, yet kind and dignified, and of a character to let no doubt remain of its being final."

Somehow I don't think "get lost, you creep" would be counted as kind and dignified, do you?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Stormy trees

This week has lived up its reputation as being the time of years for storms......thunder, probably lightning too (I wasn't getting out of my warm bed to find out), and quite a bit of rain for which the garden is thankful.  The tree in our front garden is now missing several branches, too.

Never mind.  The trees in my sewing room are safe.

A blue-grey print of eucalyptus buds and blossoms, with a bright contrast.  Eucalyptus flowers come in many colours, even this bright pink/red.

A gold tree, just because I like the colour.

Two contrasting trees this week, taking the total up to - 94!  Five more to go.

Gold trees really do exist - taken in Bayfield, Canada, on an overcast autumn day.

This is the pink apron which is no longer in our house.  Melissa likes it, and it suits her vintage style.

The cross stitch design would have been easy, and quick to work up with just three colours, pink, green and deep dark blue; the trim on the pocket is nylon lace.  It is pretty but being pink it's just not "me", so it has gone to a more appreciative home.

A visitor has been lured back by the recent rain and storms.  Monsieur le Frog is back in the drainpipe and the garden croaking his little heart out, as he lives in hope of finding an inamorata with whom to share his life.  He was fairly quiet during the storm last night and this morning, though, so perhaps he has already found a nice Mademoiselle la Frogette to warm his clammy bed at night.....or perhaps he wants more than one, as he's just started croaking again.

You might be familiar with at least one version of the song 'Frog went a-courting', but did you know that the first printed version was published in Scotland in 1549?  That's getting on for nearly 500 years ago; it may have been sung for many years before that, but without printed proof we don't know.  Nevertheless it's a much older song than many people realise, and you could spend much time researching it should you wish.  Or you could take my word for it.

How has everyone been this week?  We've been busy here; stitches have been sewn, but not many knitted.  Words have been read.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  Another visit to the physio for some ongoing treatment for my troublesome right foot....it's been broken twice in recent years, has a bunion and now is suffering from plantar fasciitis which is not much fun, but the physio is helping so I will keep going.  At least all the problems are in one foot - the other foot is amazingly fine.  A veritable princess of a foot, one which deserves its own tiara.

Something about the rain has brought out the somewhat *rural* aroma emanating from the hill behind us, thanks to the herd of cattle which roam freely.  We wouldn't mind if they buggered off to from whence they came and stayed there, taking their smelly deposits with them.

Our hopeful suitor is still waiting.

"No lady worthy of any gentleman's regard will say "no" twice to a suit which she intends ultimately to receive with favor.  A lady should be allowed all the time she requires before making up her mind; and if the gentleman grows impatient at the delay, he is always at liberty to insist on an immediate answer and abide by the consequences of his impatience."

I wonder if that also applies to green tree frogs?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Double prosperity trees

In China the number 8 is believed to bring prosperity.  Its pronunciation "ba" in Mandarin sounds similar to "fa" - which means "to make fortune" - so this week's trees must be very lucky.

Number 87, a tree in a landscape....

....and number 88, the luckiest one of all, which I quite like.

These are made from fabric bought earlier this month, while the contrasts are from fabrics which were used for trees some time ago.

Only 11 trees to go, so just five more weeks.

A house with the street number "8" or even "6" is also regarded as lucky, and many Chinese buyers will accept or reject a house if the number is not considered to be fortunate.  Our house number here is "68", but we haven't struck it rich yet!  "4" is considered to quite unlucky so if you are trying to sell a house numbered "4" - or even worse, "44" - it might take a while to unload it.

On Wednesday 22nd October it was International Wombat Day.  How the world can have a day to celebrate an animal which is found wild only in Australia I don't know, although there are wombats in zoos all over the world.  Nevertheless, it is the day for the wombats so here are a few from my collection, gifts from our son in Canberra.

I love the coasters featuring illustrations from a calendar in my sewing room, also a gift from our Canberra son.  Even though it's from two years ago the picture is still changed monthly because they are such fun.  They are the work of Lenny Pelling, whose humorous illustrations make me smile - but the affection she has for all those wild creatures certainly comes through.  I was lucky enough to meet her on one of our Canberra trips, and to let her know how much I enjoy her work.

How has everyone been this week?  We hunted, foraged and gathered, so we can eat.  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Fabrics have been cut for more diamonds....that new rotary cutter blade is wonderful....songs have been plinked and sung.

The Monday ukulele group is quite small, just a few compared to the much larger Thursday group, but I don't mind.  Last week we tried some new-to-us songs and no one complained, in fact they seemed to enjoy the challenge - which is such a nice change from previous reactions.  The U3A annual end of year/Christmas lunch clashes with that of my sewing guild lunch, which I will be going to; if there is to be a musical performance at the U3A lunch they will have to manage without me, but that's all right.  There are only so many weeks in a year, after all, and they compress into a small time frame as the year draws down....so there will always be clashes.

During the week we had a preview of the coming summer, and quite unpleasant it was too.  It is currently windy, and we are even getting a few drops of rain, before we have a quick return to winter (!) in a couple of days, then we go back to spring....hopefully for longer this time, before summer arrives once more.

These days 'to press a suit' means getting out the iron, but back in 1885 it meant 'to become a suitor' - as in, to have matrimony in mind.

"Do not press an unwelcome suit.

A gentleman should evince a sincere and unselfish affection for his beloved, and he will show as well as feel that her happiness must be considered before his own.  Consequently he should not press an welcome suit upon a young lady.  If she has no affection for him, and does not conceive it possible even to entertain any, it is cruel to urge her to give her person without her love.  Th eager love may believe, for the time being, that such possession would satisfy him, but the day will surely come when he will reproach his wife that she had no love for him, and he will possibly make that an excuse for all manner of unkindness."

Well, yes.  All of that.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Reverse trees

The fabrics used for this week's trees have also been used for past trees, but in reverse - which makes for interesting results.

A tree using fabric from my prize bundle, and contrast that was a bright tree several months ago.

A tree which puts me in mind of light shining through foliage.

Both blue and green, but both very different......that makes 72 trees.

The view from just outside our kitchen window of sunlight filtered through the wattle bush, with trees on the hill beyond.

It's a noisy bush, as there are many bees a-buzzin' in it.

How has everyone been this week?  We have hunted and we have gathered, and we have been hither and yon for appointments and meetings.  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn and knitted; the first sleeve is now well up in the raglan armhole decrease so every second row is shorter by two stitches, which makes for quicker rows.  Songs have been plinked and sung.

As of next term, starting in mid-October, I am moving the U3A ukulele group to Monday afternoons so I can once more attend choir on Thursday afternoons.  The email announcing this was duly sent around and garnered several replies, some of which made the writers sound like chooks with their feathers ruffled, but I am adamant.  I am moving to Monday afternoons.  Those who cannot do Mondays are welcome to have their own strumming group on Thursdays (which I suspect they will) and I wish them well.  I am by far the most experienced musician in the group, so we'll see how it goes. 

Early in the week I received a call from one of the workers at the gallery where I used to volunteer - I decided at the start of this year that, as I was nearly 15 years older than when I started, it was a good time to gracefully bow out - during our many hours there together our past work history occasionally came up and we realised that we had both, at one time, worked for the library which is downstairs in the same building.  I started there as a 15YO school leaver (that's right, folks, I was a high school dropout, but that's a story for another day) in January 1963 and left when I moved to the Big Smoke in October 1970, nearly eight years later.  The library service is celebrating its 75th birthday tomorrow with a morning tea, and as an employee from so many years ago, possibly one of very few left from those days, I am officially invited.  Hizzoner Mr Mayor will be there.  I would not be surprised if there were cameras, so better make sure I wear a good bra and some lippy, yes?  As it's a daytime occasion the tiara will probably be left at home.....and how does one address the mayor?  Mr Last Name? Mr Mayor? or 'Russ', which is the short form of his first name but which might be regarded as just a teeny bit disrespectful for an Official Occasion?

I'll let you know next week.

Winter has been reminding us that whoever said, way back in late autumn, that we would be in for a warm mild winter was wrong.  This morning was a minus temperature which, of course, felt much colder and which equalled the previous cold temperature back in mid-June; the fire is very welcome as the wind has been biting.  Blossom trees all around town are blooming, however, so we know spring is on its way, and before we know it we will once more be complaining of the heat.  Days are getting longer, mornings are too bright too early - I am not an early riser by choice, you know - and evenings are hanging on for longer before the curtain of night falls once more.

Our parents are still keeping an eye on their girls.

"A watchful care required by parents.

Parents, especially mothers, should also watch with a jealous care the tendencies of their daughter's affections; and if they see them turning toward unworthy or undesirable objects, influence of some sort should be brought to bear to counteract this.  Great delicacy and tact are required to manage matters rightly.  A more suitable person may, if available, be brought forward, in the hope of attracting the young girl's attention.  The objectionable traits of the undesirable suitor should be made apparent to her without the act seeming to be intentional; and if all this fails, let change of scene and surroundings by travel or visiting accomplish the desired result.  The latter course will generally do it, if matters have not been allowed to progress too far and the young girl is not informed why she is temporarily banished from home."

I suspect that these remarks pertain to those folk of a certain social level and above.  Ordinary working class folk could not afford to be so choosy.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer