We're back home!

We have returned from the land of maple syrup, bacon and snow.  Pictures have not yet been uploaded from my camera, but will be in due course.  Right now I'm trying to stay awake......we only arrived home yesterday afternoon.

I'm getting a bit old for this, you know.

Au revoir!

We will be leaving in barely two days, and there is so much to be done between now and then that I won't have a chance to write anything more until we return in a couple of months.

You will hear all about our holiday, until you are probably bored senseless.

Enjoy your days!

Meet the newest member of the Thursday night choir

This is Reggie.

 He's only a little feller, just a few months old, and his hopping skills aren't very well developed yet.

His mum was in a traffic accident and didn't survive, but Reggie was rescued and now lives with a member of the choir and her husband.  When he is bigger - another eight months or so - he will go a local marsupial park to be with other kangaroos.

The countdown is now on - just nine days until we drive to the Big Smoke, and ten days until we fly!  Now that the week is finally over (one of the busiest weeks we have had for a long time) we can concentrate on packing Stuff which has to be taken and Stuff which, if it's forgotten, won't stop the world turning.

My quilt pieces only weigh a smidgeon over 620 grams which is less than 23 ounces in old money, so they will be on the trip with me for sure!  When I quoted 840 pieces that was a miscount because I forgot to allow for the 48 half pieces for the sides.......so, 888 pieces.  Apparently the Chinese regard 8 as a lucky number so three eights must be extra extra extra lucky, yes?

Working on a project in the sewing room was very frustrating today, the top thread broke while free motion quilting; the assumption was that there was a bit of thread somewhere in the bobbin assembly, so it was duly taken apart, cleaned and put back together.  Snap - thread broke again.  Take bobbin apart again, clean again, put back together again.  Naughty words were on the brink of being said by this stage.  The top thread was removed because when all else fails you re-thread the machine - right?  This enabled the sewing genius here (hah) to see that the top thread was catching in the bottom of the spool and also wrapping around the base of the spool pin, thereby causing said thread to snap.  A naughty word was duly said......the thread spool was turned the other way, the machine re-threaded and quilting resumed.  It went like a dream, just the way it should.  Lesson learned.

At sewing guild on Wednesday I took along some yoga pants to shorten, plus my machine and overlocker (serger) to do it with.  Another member measured me for length, one leg was pinned up and they were tried on - perfect length.  The overlocker was used to trim off the excess before folding up a hem for sewing......but sewing genius here overlocked along the fold line, cutting off the entire hem, instead of a couple of cms down to allow for the fold......so now those pants have 1/4in hem which of course flares and frills out like you wouldn't believe.  Just as well they only cost $5 on sale, I would be spitting chips if I had paid real money for them and then buggered them.

I told you it was a busy week, goodness knows where my brain went.

This morning's gig went off well, a fun way to finish up before our holiday!  The uke group has been asked to do two definite and one possible gigs while I am away, shame to miss out but there will be others in future.

"There is nothing that tests the natural politeness of men and women so thoroughly as travelling.  We all desire as much comfort as possible, and as a rule are selfish.  In these days of railroad travel, when every railway is equipped with elegant carriages for the comfort and convenience of its passengers, and provided with conductors and servants, the longest journeys by railroad can be made with perfect safety and but little annoyance." 

Indeed.  These words of wisdom from 1885 could apply equally to flying today, couldn't they?

Enjoy your days!

Our tickets are here!

This morning the paper work for our trip arrived from our travel agent down in the Big Smoke, so now we know for sure that we are going......it has all seemed a bit unreal, to now.  However in less than three weeks we will be walking down the bridge and onto the plane for the long flight over shark infested waters, up there in the tin box with several hundred of our new best friends and 97 crying babies.

It will be worth it when we arrive.

Just a few minutes ago the last of those 840 tumblers was cut - feast your little peepers on this box of repro goodies!

 Forgive the slightly shaky picture, I was probably so overcome with excitement as I pressed the little button that I couldn't control my finger.  There aren't quite 840 in this box, some are in the sewing bag by my TV chair, but take it from me.....all are done.  Some of the reproduction fabrics date from the mid-1990s when repros were first hitting the market in a big way, while some are more modern.  You can see by the tumblers already joined on the right-hand side of the box that there is no careful laying-out of pieces, just a lighter fabric being joined to a darker one; colours are immaterial, but two similar tones and colours aren't being paired.  The plan is (provided, of course, that they don't weigh too much)  that they will be coming to Canada with me ("what, all of them?" asked Kevin, "yes indeedy" said I) to occupy time spent in airports, and perhaps while watching TV in the evenings - we aren't the types to go out hitting the high spots and night clubs after dark, you know.

This gorgeous picture taken at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden some years ago when we visited in spring, and it popped up again on our computer this morning so I thought I would share.  The Waratah is the floral emblem of New South Wales, and is spectacular when in flower; sadly they don't grow here, so I will have to be content with admiring them on the screen.  Some of those flower heads are as big as a closed fist - some, even bigger.

We really like living here and have settled in well - it's been over eight years now since we moved here - and certainly don't miss much about the Big Smoke.  We used to be just an hour's drive from places like Mount Tomah which were lovely to visit, and I do occasionally miss that, but the slower pace of life and lack of busy traffic here more than make up for it.

The Parkinsons support group had fun singing along with us last week, one song they really enjoyed was "Mocking Bird Hill".  One of our members was all for taking it off the list but others prevailed, and we were glad we left it in because our audience enjoyed it so much.  Now we are practising for our bi-monthly gig at a local Sunday market in another week and a half.

Now that the tumblers are all cut it's time to move onto something else.  The next quilt group BOM is.....guess what......more fiddly-diddly cutesy-poo applique, but I shall be a good person and at least complete the lick-and-stick applique of two penguins.  They won't be sewn down as I shall run out of time - gosh darn, how about that eh - but I shall pass it back for stitching, and feel as though I have fulfilled most of my side of the BOM bargain.

My Lovely New Bernina machine (19 years old and still going strong) and my Bernina overlocker (only nine years old) will be going in for a service while we are away.  The dust and dirt from two flood renovations last year probably didn't do them much good, so a deep cleaning and service will make them happy again.

This week we are having a little taste of the coming summer.  It's not unusual to have a spell of quite warm weather as spring makes its presence felt, then temperatures settle down somewhat and we enjoy mild days once more.  For a while......it will be cooler in Canada, but such a shock to arrive back to full-blown summer.

"Morning dress for gentlemen.
The morning dress for gentlemen is a black frock-coat, or a black cut-away, white or black vest, according to the season, gay or colored pants, plaid or stripes, according to the fashion, a black silk hat, and a black scarf or necktie.  A black frock coat with black trousers is not considered essential, nor is a dress coat and colored or light trousers,  The morning dress is suitable for garden parties, Sundays social teas, informal calls, morning calls and receptions."

I can just see Kevin getting out of his beloved trakkie daks and into gay coloured plaid pants with a cut-away coat.......not going to happen......

Enjoy your days!

They call me mellow yellow......

You'll be singing that song all day now, won't you? 

Our little wattle bush/shrub is flowering, just in time for Wattle Day!

 We planted it a couple of years ago, and it didn't do very well at all.  It had a couple of spindly branches which were discovered by Something Which Eats Leaves; Kevin was all for pulling it out but, as there were still some green leaves on the tip of one branch, I prevailed on him to leave it for the time being.  It must have picked itself up and given itself a good shake, because slowly it started to recover.  A few months ago I noticed tiny buds - and this week it has flowered for the first time.

Later this month it will be my turn to provide a BOM for the Saturday quilt group.  I don't mind complex blocks with triangles and unusual shapes, but you should hear the weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth by some group members at the mere thought of a triangle.  (well......not really, but you get the idea)  When it's my turn to provide a design I like to include the odd triangle or two.  I think of it as my revenge for the cutesy-poo applique so beloved by a few members which I duly make without (too much) grumbling.

 The block is called Double Aster and can be found here, should you feel inclined to make your own.  My Cunning Plan is for each member to make a 12in finished star block in any design (with as many or as few triangles as they wish) in different shades of yellow on a mid to dark blue background to be used in a star sampler quilt, something which has been simmering away in the back of my mind for several years.

More tumblers have been cut out, including some from these pretty repro fabrics.

No fussy cutting though, I don't want the quilt to look too carefully planned.  All 840 pieces will be cut out eventually.

Another big on Monday morning, this time we are playing for a Parkinsons Support Group.  We have a few cheerful songs and the odd waltz or two, so the audience can sway and sing along should the fancy take them.

We have had a little rain!  The drought is nowhere near broken, it would take more than that little amount, but it was enough to make gardens smile.  There is even a little green on the hill behind us, something we haven't seen there for quite a while.

On the subject of yellow, my 1885 etiquette book has a chapter titled "Harmony of colors in dress" which includes these thoughts on the subject:

"Material for dress.
The material for dress must be selected with reference to the purpose which it is to serve.  No one buys a yellow satin dress for the promenade, yet a yellow satin seen by gaslight is beautiful as an evening dress.  Neither would one buy a heavy serge of neutral tint for an opera dress."

Further to that, it suggests some colour combinations which are deemed to harmonise.  Yellow and white is considered a poor harmony, but yellow and purple is agreeable.  Yellow and violet is weak, yellow and blue is cold.  One which makes me wince is yellow, pink, maroon and light blue, as would blue, brown, crimson and yellow or gold, while the one which really sets my teeth on edge is purple, scarlet, blue, yellow and black.

Enjoy your days!

We have our books back!

I am a happy woman again.

Following the first flood in January 2017 our books were packed away for six months, then back on shelves for three months.  Packed up after the second flood at the end of October 2017 for over nine months.......it was like greeting old friends again as they were unpacked.  Right now they are on shelves but not in any order, so looking for one particular title can be a real adventure - but they will eventually be sorted, and the opportunity taken for a bit of a cull.  Right now, though, it's so good to be able to pick up a favourite book to enjoy again.

Not many stitches have been taken lately, but a lot of notes have been plinked.  That's something which can't be shown in a picture!  Take my word for it though......notes have been played, songs have been sung.

Now we are counting down the time until we flap our wings and fly - and it will be six weeks from tomorrow until we take off, up there in a tin box in the sky with hundreds of our new best friends and 97 crying babies over vast expanses of shark infested waters.  Sigh......I don't really mind flying (except for the horrendous ear pain on descent and landing) but really, it's just a glorified bus, isn't it?  Might be just dandy if one can afford to be up the pointy end with the other movers and shakers of the world, able to lie down and stretch out on a 15-16 hour flight, instead of sitting up with the plebs at the back.  Oh well.....I keep telling myself, this too shall pass and we will eventually be back on terra firma.  The firma, the better.

Looking forward to glorious sights like these again, though.

 One day we visited a local park we had often passed, and wandered around enjoying the gardens and the view.

 Colours were changing, of course - these are the colours that make my heart sing.

I like blue spruce, but they don't seem to grow here.

Sadly many of the conifers here are dying off in the drought; even our native eucalyptus trees are drying out and dying - something which seldom happens; they have developed over hundreds of years to live in a dry climate.  The nightly news bulletins are wallowing in gloom and doom because of the drought, and I can't help thinking - yes, we know that things are bad but talking about it won't make it go away, will it?  How about some more upbeat stories instead, to cheer people up?  So this blog will be a gloom-and-doom-free zone, as much as is possible.

"Be sympathetic and animated.
Do not go into society unless you make up your mind to be sympathetic, unselfish, animating, as well as animated.  Society does not require mirth, but it does demand cheerfulness and unselfishness, and you must help to make and sustain cheerful conversation.  The manner of conversation is as important as the matter."

Couldn't have put it better myself.  Some people (my mother was a prime example) mistake "how are you today" as a question, rather than the greeting it really is.....and a person's innards is not a topic for cheerful conversation, is it?

Enjoy your days!

There ain't no cure for the summertime blues

There ain't, you know.

 All done!  Pattern was called "Gumballs" by the designer (been looking for the original post to link to, but it doesn't seem to exist any more).  However, due to my lack of love for summer heat I thought this was a more apt name.

 The backing fabric is brighter in real life but I was scrabbling to take these pictures early yesterday morning before it rained, so the light isn't what it would normally be.

 See that bright orange and blue triangle piece in the centre, next to the blue and green fish?  That was my inspiration for the colour scheme; the fabric was in my stash and came from I can't remember where, I don't remember how long ago.  There is still a small piece left. 

 A close-up of the quilting from a local LA quilter.....those long wavy lines are vertical, but I didn't want it dragging on the ground so it was hung sideways.

The obligatory artistique shot in the remains of the we-think-it-was-an-apricot-tree, in our back yard.

Sighing the happy sigh, because my quilt is finished and I love it.  Also because it rained yesterday, the best rain we have had for many months.  Nowhere near enough to break the drought - long-range forecasters are saying there is no hope of any decent rain until next February-March at least - but enough to give thirsty gardens a drink and put a smile on the face of many folk.

We have started unpacking our Stuff!  Right now the dining room table isn't usable because of what's spread out on it, but it will be again in a day or two.  You have no idea how good that feels.  18 months ago I had to buy some serving dishes from an op shop because we had company and ours were all packed......now those pretty dishes and plates can be used again. 

I know Stuff is only Stuff, people are more important than Stuff, but our possessions are part of our lives - the stories they tell, the memories they evoke.  Some of my possessions came to me from my mother, they were wedding presents when my parents married in 1946; the marriage didn't last, but those plates have.  The wedding presents we received when we married are part of that story too.

Best of all, I am looking forward to having my books again soon!

My sumptuous wardrobe has been increased by new jeans.  Or a new jean, if you prefer.  Yesterday I popped into a shop I had never thought to try before (have often bought tees and tops from them, but not bottoms) and, much to my surprise, found jeans which fitted beautifully and were the exact right length for my short self.  Even better - there was a 50% sale, so they were the right price.  Still need new trakkie daks, but I may end up making them.

"A knife should never, on any account, be put into the mouth.  Many people, even well-bred in other respects, seem to regard this as an unnecessary regulation; but when we consider that it is a rule of etiquette, and that its violation causes surprise and disgust to many people, it is wisest to observe it."

We have our decent knives and cutlery to use again, too.......no longer are we limited to just the everyday stuff.

Enjoy your days!