Here's a woman on a mission

Don't you love this......taken in July 2006, in Fairbanks, Alaska. The shop is still there but has changed its name, it's no longer Quilting Trail. It was a lovely shop, and I bought a pretty kit for a wall hanging of wild iris; some of the fabrics were batiks that I had never seen in Aussie land. It's finished but not yet photographed yet, however it will have its turn. DH knows I don't like having my photo taken but he manages to sneak in a few pics. As you can see, I like lime green. And I have long hair.

I am feeling very pleased with myself, I have worked out how to add 'things' on the side of my blog! Many thanks to Debbie in Calgary for helping me get started on my blogging journey, and for help along the way. For someone who is a bit of a computer klutz I'm managing OK.

Aren't the fall pictures on blogs beautiful at this time of year! We don't have much autumn here in Sydney which is a shame, it's my favourite season - perhaps because I was born in autumn? We have gone from summer to winter, to summer, and now back to spring in the last ten days. But no autumn.

And now it's sewing time.

My latest bag

This is my new everyday bag. A couple of years ago, while visiting Alaska, I was very taken with the pretty Vera Bradley bags that I saw. I didn't find out where to buy one so when I came home I made my own in a similar style using McCalls pattern 4118, in a bright yellow floral fabric. It was used so much the corners were getting very worn, and the handles were getting very grubby, so recently I made a new one.
Yes, I did all the quilting......the fabric wasn't bought ready quilted! It has pockets on the inside (3 on each side, a large one in the middle and two smaller ones at the ends), and pockets on the outsides. The main fabric is a Japanese cotton in a paisley design and the trim fabric is tiny green stars on a creamy background. It's quieter than my usual fabric choices - I usually go for brighter colours - but goes with lots of the colours that I wear, and has gained many compliments. Isn't it lovely to get praise for one's efforts!

I skipped my walk this evening as the sky looked very stormy and dark, and it has already rained. I'll go tomorrow, weather permitting. Have to do something to get the blood pressure down, I hate the thought of being on medication for the rest of my life or worse, having a stroke or heart attack.

Do you like my new background? I am getting braver about trying new things on my blog, I want it to be a learning experience. Now if I can only find out how to add things like 'blogs I am following' I will be a happy woman.

A lack of light today

Isn't this pretty? It's in the back yard of our Canberra friends, Sandra and Jeff. When I took the photograph I was told the plant is called "Pacific Blue" and it is an Aussie plant, but apparently its real name is Ceanothus and it's also known as 'Californian Lilac' it's from USA/Canada. Doesn't matter what it's called, or where it comes from, it's a lovely colour.
And these were the daisies in a vase on my dining room table, they lasted for a couple of weeks and were very spring-like. They reminded me of the late 1960s when everything was daisies....daisy print fabric, daisy lace, even wedding dresses were made of daisy-patterned lace. Back in the days when I was young and slender.....sigh.

Now for a whinge.

My sewing room is on the north side of the house and for over 20 years, until earlier this year, was always a sunny light room. Now the house next door has been extended back and upwards, and I have lost at least 60% of the light in that room. Instead of a view over a garden, and over adjoining gardens, I now look onto a half-finished building, and goodness knows when it will be finished as work seems to be proceeding v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. Today is quite hot (about 33 degrees C) and very sunny, and I have to turn on the light to sew in there. As a result, when the new neighbours finally move in they won't find me being the nice old lady next door. I won't be a grumpy old witch but I don't feel like being friendly, especially as he deliberately knocked down the low fence between our two properties about six months ago. His excuse was "no one was home to talk about it"....rubbish. Our son was here. They have a young family and they won't get any help from me.

I think I shall start moving some of my sewing things into the larger room at the back of the house, it's much larger than my current room, but gets very hot in summer. I have spent a long time getting my sewing room to the state it is now so it could do with sorting out anyway, and it will all have to be done next year anyway as we are moving out of Sydney.

Now my coffee break is just about over, so back to my Winding Ways blocks. The quilt now has a title: "The long and winding road", after the Beatles song. I like my quilts to have musical names.

Wombat of the Week - WOW!

No, this is not a wombat! Binky decided to sleep in a doll's four-poster bed that Kevin found by the road a couple of years ago. I plan to make a new quilt for it, and new bedding and curtains, then find a doll for it. It's in very good condition and I don't know why someone would throw it out.

This is the wombat that started off my collection. He's a chunky little feller who measures just under 5-1/2 in (about 14.5cm) from nose to tail. I found him in a plant nursery/tea shop in Tamworth several years ago, while visiting my mother. Alas, the nursery has gone....there is a McDonalds on the site now. Pity. The daffodil print fabric came out of my stash for the photograph but perhaps it should have been ironed first.

I don't know how many wombats I have, suffice it to say there are a lot. I have decided to feature a "Wombat of the Week" or WOW on my blog. I even have a wombat quilt....well, the top of a wombat quilt anyway.....wombat jewellery too.

The cats' forecast was right.....it's raining

This is a banner I made a few years ago for my choir, the Bright Star Singers. The 'stars' are star-shaped sequins, it's very sparkly when displayed. We use it sometimes at gigs. The choir's name comes from the old song "Bright morning stars are rising" - a lovely song.

The cats have been washing behind their ears lately, ants have been marching in a trail, and sure enough it started raining last night. It rained on and off during the day and it has been very very cold today - not surprising, it is snowing in the Blue Mountains just a couple of hours west of here. Snow in October!!! What with the freezing cold weather (it must be about 8 degrees or less outside now) and the fact that I felt less than wonderful today with pain from a bout of shingles earlier in the year I didn't walk this evening, but we'll see what tomorrow brings. It's a good night for staying inside and knitting or sewing. Those Flower Basket blocks are calling......I can hear them now........and my blue cardigan will never get finished unless I pull out the knitting needles again soon.......

Will it or won't it storm today?

Maybe......we had a few sprinkles this morning, not enough to be called rain. It's getting dark and cloudy, and it's only 4pm.

A little sample of my beadwork today. This is a necklace I made with a Clover thread cutter, and it has been overseas twice as it's fine to take on planes. The large pink bead, and smaller pink spacer beads, are from one of my grandmother's necklaces. The necklace has a matching scissor fob too, using the same colours - vintage pink glass beads, with new Swarovski emerald beads, bronze metal beads shaped like little pillows, and seed beads in bronze, green and gold.

On Saturday at the Guild meeting there was a sale table; the contents of a stash belonging to a quilter who died a few months ago. I bought: a large bundle of green fabrics (because one can never have too much green), a lot of which were 19th century reproduction fabrics - yum; a bundle of yellow/gold fabrics (because I loved them); and 2 metres of a pretty floral print, lavender-coloured fabrics on a pale background. I didn't need any more fabric because I already own an obscene amount, but they were soooo nice........this is my retirement stash for when I stop working.

Thinking on weather.....wouldn't it be lovely to live somewhere where there is no summer. Autumn to spring, with a mild winter in between, would do me nicely. But no summer. I don't do heat. 25 degrees is my top. Think of a lettuce leaf that has been out of the fridge for a while, getting limper and limper......that's me in summer. End of moan. Thank you for listening.

Curtains finished at last!

Finally finished the curtains for our little caravan (travel trailer for those not fortunate enough to live in Oz); the door curtain has a shaped top which took quite a bit of working out. Just have to make the new bed covers and it will be re-decorated fantastically well, if I do say so myself. When that's all done I will take some pictures - should have taken 'before' photos as well as 'after'. Never mind.

Today's rather gorgeous flowers are from the callistemon bush that sits under our lounge room window, it's called 'Taree Pink'. The stamens grow in clumps spiraled along the stems. (Is there such a word as spiraled? meaning, in a spiral?) I bought it a few years ago and stuck it in what I hoped would be a good spot.....and it has flourished ever since. It's on the north-east corner of the house so gets sun for a good part of the day, and also has reflected warmth from the brick walls of the house. The new leaves are a lovely bronze.

Now the curtains are finished I could re-thread My Lovely New Bernina (it's nine years old, but until the day I die it will be My Lovely New Bernina) with black thread and sew some of the black and white Winding Ways blocks that are already cut, couldn't I. I could. But first we need to go to the supermarket for food, then it needs to be cooked, then eaten, and I need to go for my walk.......perhaps by 9pm tonight if I still have the energy which is doubtful..........

We'll see.