Decisions, decisions.....

What a week it has been.....family stuff that I won't go into, but it's been fraught.  Thank goodness I have my sewing room and my music to help keep me sane.

Having given up on this year's quilt group challenge, my thoughts are turning to next year's.  At yesterday's meeting ideas were asked for and I suggested a two colour challenge - could be a quilt, a bag, a cushion, table runner, anything - using shades of just two chosen colours.  In the absence of any other suggestions, it was chosen for the challenge.  The fact that I have a couple of two-colour UFOs to choose from is a bonus.

A few years ago I made a quilt in blue and orange:

Soeveral months ago when it was my turn to choose a block of the month for members to make I chose these two blocks in blues and greens; the finished quilt measures 48in by 60in, plus borders if used.

That's a manageable size.  More need to be made, but it's very easy.  The top left block isn't brown, it's khaki green, but green fabrics don't always photograph well.....especially deep khaki yellow-greens.

Then there are blue and yellow stars, once again my choice as a BOM.  About six or seven different star blocks were made; the pattern needs 12 large stars and 16 small ones.  My thought was to make a star sampler rather than have all the stars the same design, certainly for the large 12in stars.  There is a lot more to be done on the star design than on the blue and green design, and it's bigger to quilt.......so, I think it will be the blue and green, although I haven't given up on the stars.  It can hang around for sometime in the future.

Stitches have been sewn on the red quilt label.  No stitches have been knitted.  Words have been read, notes have been plinked and sung.  

It has rained and it has rained and it has rained some more.  The town has had yet another flood, the highest one so far this year; the ground is so wet that water can't soak in.  It runs into already full rivers and creeks which are probably silted up from previous floods so that they are shallower than they used to be, then spreads above the banks and onto the land beyond, closing and damaging roads, ruining crops, flooding houses.  So far today we haven't had a drop.....the sound you can hear right now is that of mowers doing what they can before the next shower!

The kangaroos on the hill don't mind rain.  They are often to be seen hopping around and grazing on wet grass (food and drink in one mouthful - how convenient!) and fighting.  This morning we had a female with a joey popping its head out of the pouch; I don't know if kangaroos wear 'baby on board' signs, there wasn't one to be seen, but perhaps they should.

I wonder if wet kangaroos smell as bad as wet dogs?  Or, even worse.....wet teenage boys?

Yesterday, 22nd October was World Wombat Day.  How you can have a "world" day when the wombat is unique to Australia I don't know, but it happens every October.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"A lady walks quietly through the streets, seeing and hearing nothing that she ought not to see and hear, recognising acquaintances with a courteous bow, and friends with words of greeting.  She is always unobtrusive, never talks loudly, or laughs boisterously, or does anything to attract the attention of the passers-by.  She walks along in her own quiet, ladylike way, and by her pre-occupation is secure from any annoyance to which a person of less perfect breeding might be subjected."

All of which is a far cry from the "look at me-look at me-look at me" of current generations, yes?

Enjoy your days!

Spring is sprung

It's been a slow starter this year, but is now creeping in.  This morning we trotted off to the monthly main street markets (which we hadn't been to for years, what with plague shutdowns and all), and it was very pleasant strolling in the sun.  We treated ourselves to breakfast - eggs Benny with smoked salmon for me, yummo - and collected a plant that our friendly horticulturist had for us....I had forgotten that we had ordered it!  It's a red flowering bottlebrush, Callistemon "Four Seasons", and we have just the spot for it when the weeds are cleared out.

It was even sunny enough to need a hat, just as well the hair and I went to the hairdresser the other day for the six-monthly trim.  Since having eye surgery a couple of years ago I need to wear a broad-brimmed hat on a sunny day, and that's easier with shorter hair.  Not short, though.  It's still shoulder length.  I am not yet ready for the Olde Ladye Choppe.

I hope I never am.

After we came home I looked at the partly-finished bag which was started at my treadle machine demo last month and it looked back at me as it has been doing for several weeks.....and I thought, hmmm, I thought.....so now it's done.  

The green bag was made during the demo, the red bag finished today.  They aren't huge bags, but.....a big bag holds a lot of Stuff so you fill it up, then you can't lift it and your ageing body complains and says "why did you do that, you shouldn't have put so much in it, take something out".....so, a smaller bag is better.

Slow progress on the first label for my Canadian quilt.  The initials for the provinces and territories will be done in one strand of floss, the sashing and border have been done in two strands.

Yes, I know it needs pressing - it will be, once it's completed.  The second label is now on the light box waiting to be traced.

No stitches have been knitted, no diamonds cut or sewn.  Words have been read, many notes have been plinked.  The coming week looks to be quite busy with something happening every day, but I do have hopes that something worthwhile may be accomplished.

Now I don't know what the rest of you think, and I realise that language is constantly shifting and changing, but poor grammar - or what I perceive to be poor grammar - seems to be more and more prevalent.  On the window of a women's clothing store this morning I saw "Fantastic starts here".  Fantastic - what?  Fantastic women?  Fantastic stupidity?  It's as bad as the sign on another business wall that reads "Great happens here"; we pass it occasionally, and I shudder every time.

It's not a place I shop at anyway, because so much of their stock is synthetic - even their summer clothes.  Australian summers can be quite warm, so natural fibres such as cotton and linen are most comfortable; even away from the humidity of the coast polyester is not a good choice.  Over the past couple of years our town has lost several women's clothes shops, I can think of at least five or six which have closed....one only yesterday.  I visited it on Friday but there was nothing I loved enough to buy, even at 40% off.  I think a lot of shopping has moved to online now but I am cautious about buying clothes when I can't feel the fabric first, then if it doesn't fit there is the hassle of returning and ordering another size.  Time for my trusty sewing machine, if only I can get patterns which fit.  When I was young and slender that was never a problem....sigh.....

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street.

"The street manners of a lady.

The true lady walks the street, wrapped in a mantle of proper reserve, so impenetrable that insult and coarse familiarity shrink from her, while she, at the same time, carries with her a congenial atmosphere which attracts all, and puts all at their ease."

Does that sound like you?  I'm not quite sure that it's me, either.

Enjoy your days!

Unchallenged

You know what they say about plans going astray and all that stuff.....

Yesterday, in a great fit of enthusiasm, those Jacob's Ladder blocks were taken out of their box and measured.  The blocks were made by several different people and the instructions supplied (written by me, and I was trained to write correct instructions) ended with, the block should measure 9-1/2 in finished.

Well - no, they didn't.  Not all of them.  Seven blocks did; the remaining 22 blocks were lucky to measure 9 in and some of them weren't even square, making them well nigh useless.  As I see it there are a few choices, one of which is to trim all the blocks to 9 in.....not happening, too many seams would be cut off; take the undersized blocks apart and hope the pieces were correctly cut to size in the first place, then reassemble the blocks to measure 9-1/2 in....also not happening, that's a lot of work for a not-very-fabulous result considering the quality of some fabrics used; or forget the whole thing.

So, forgetting is what I'm doing.  That challenge will go unchallenged.  Those useless blocks may end up being tossed out.

Four years ago we were enjoying autumn in Canada, and getting ready for Thanksgiving.

This is a very small pine tree by the water in Parry Sound, it was down-on-hands-and-knees to get this photo on a cold snowy day.

Each time we left the car in a parking area behind the Midland main street shops we saw this tree....it was even more beautiful than this pic shows.

Fallen leaves on the sidewalk outside our B&B in Goderich.  I love this mix of colours, it puts me in mind of some batik fabrics.

A damp day in The Land of Tall Straight Trees, on Vancouver Island......I know that's not its official name, but there were a lot of trees, and they were tall and straight.

Embroidery on the first label for my Canadian quilt is proceeding.  No stitches were knitted, no diamonds cut or pieced.  Words were read, notes were plinked and sung.  A sore right shoulder and upper arm has somewhat hampered efforts this week, goodness knows how that happened, but our helpful chiropractor has hopefully started it on the way to recovery.  I'm trying not to do anything which will hurt or will injure it further, which makes for a slightly boring week.

A milestone was passed last week - I have now outlived both of my parents!  All my grandparents made it into their 80s.....my maternal grandmother was 80 when she died, but both my parents died younger than their parents did.  I think my paternal grandmother made it to 90 but I don't know for sure; my father's family cut my mother, my brothers and me out of their lives when my father walked out on us.  "I don't want any part of your family squabbles" the old bat wrote to my mother on hearing the news that her older son had left his wife and children without a word to any of them.  That's fine.  We can live without you too.

We have another flood.  The river is up, roads are cut including one of the three river crossings in town.  I have lost count of how many floods we have had this year.  However, with memories of the drought of just a few years ago fresh in our memories, we aren't complaining.

Now that we have finished with our general rules of etiquette for balls, we shall move outside the ball room to the street.

"The manners of a person are clearly shown by his treatment of the people he meets in the public streets of a city or village, in public conveyances and in travelling generally.  The true gentleman, at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances, is kind and courteous to all he meets, regards not only the rights, but the wishes and feelings of others, is deferential to women and to elderly men, and is ever ready to extend his aid to those who need it."

I think we could add "the true lady", could we not?  It behooves a 'true lady' to be kind and courteous, also.  

Good manners and courtesy are not just knowing how to hold a knife and fork, but how to make others feel at ease in any situation.  This is not the only book of etiquette on my bookshelf; I have a more modern book, published in England, which is quite stiff and formal.  It places great importance on knowing which fork and spoon to use for which course, and which glass for which wine, and how deeply to curtsey to Lord and Lady So-and-So, but very little on how to treat others with kindness.....something far more important in my opinion, which is emphasised in my 1885 book.

Enjoy your days!

A week of something!

Finally.....the quilting on the border of my Canadian quilt is done, so it's itme to think about a sleeve and a label.  Labels, because there will be two; one saying who designed it, who made it, and who it's for, while the other will have a key to the blocks.  If I had been thinking at the time the back of each block could have been identified as they were made, but better late than not at all, yes?

The blue is painter's tape holding it to my light box so it didn't slip.  Because the fabric is red to match the back, rather than white or cream, I used a fine Pigma pen which will be covered by hand embroidery in black floss. 

Early this year my quilt group's (non-compulsory, thank goodness) annual challenge was handed out.  Now I don't know about the rest of you but I have enough partly done projects that I don't wish to take on any more, so I put it to the back of my mind.....until a few days ago, when this quilt popped into my head. We were given two choices, both of which were quite similar; one was to take the initial letters of our first name, middle name and surname and use them for blocks, colour, and quilting design.

Well......

This unfinished design was done several years ago, and it fits the bill nicely.  First name Jennifer, so Jacob's Ladder blocks will work.  Second name Grace, and I am (as I may have mentioned once or twice) quite fond of green.  Many of the blocks were made when I belonged to another group; we took it in turns to choose a block which would be made for us by other members, and my choice was Jacob's Ladder in greens and creams.

Switching the placement of the colours around makes an interesting design, although I see the block on the left will need to be corrected.  Some seam allowances are downright.....creative, to the point where the blocks are so inaccurate that they are well nigh unusable.  I am not going to fluff around taking blocks apart and remaking them, so they will be tossed.  Some blocks used just two fabrics while others - the more interesting ones - used a mix of greens.

There is a very good chance that it will still be an unquilted top when the time comes for the Big Reveal, but I don't care.  It's been sitting in its box for long enough, so moving it up a step or two is a Good Thing.

More diamonds have been cut and joined.  Not many stitches have been knitted.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked.  Another week has passed.

Daylight saving started in this state at stupid dark o'clock early this morning, and will continue for six months.  I can cope with either time, standard or daylight; it's the changeover time that does me (and a lot of other people) in, consequently I'm feeling a bit jet lagged today.  Never mind, an early-ish night tonight, a couple of good sleeps and by next weekend the old body and brain will be adjusted to different time.

Not everyone likes daylight saving time, when it rolls around every spring long and loud are the moaners and whingers but it started back in 1971, so like it or not I think it's here to stay.

One thing which does start in October is storm season - something to look forward to, for sure!  Compared to how some folk on the other side of he world are faring at present we're not doing too badly, but of course that can (and indeed, may) change.

The final rule, from General Rules for Balls.

"In a private dance, a lady cannot well refuse to dance with any gentleman who invites her unless she has a previous engagement.  If she declines from weariness, the gentleman will show her a compliment by abstaining from dancing himself, and remaining with her while the dance progresses."

Supposing the reason a lady declined a gentleman's dance invitation was just because she didn't wish to dance with him?  If that is the case she may not want to be stuck with a bloke she doesn't care for, while others are whirling around the dance floor enjoying themselves with their partner of choice.

Enjoy your days!

Another week of nothing much

Which is probably better than too much excitement, I suppose.

Diamonds have been cut, and sewn.  Stitches have been knitted.  Words have been read.   Music has been played....but no choir because of the public holiday and we meet in council-owned premises, so all council buildings were unavailable for the day.  

Now some of the world has farewelled one monarch and greeted another, can you just imagine how many things will have to be changed?  Currency, for one....those little royal badges on some products which are supposed to endow them with magic because a royal personage has used them.....

Our callistemon is flowering, 'King's Park Special' is blooming, a long way from where it was developed and bred on the other side of the continent.

It's been a case of 'just plant it and stand back', because it has grown quickly; I am wondering, though, if we might have planted it a bit close to the house.  Never mind, Kevin enjoys pruning and cutting plants back, even hacking into them severely, when he is allowed to.

We also have a tree in front of the house which started growing about a year ago, from a seed dropped by a bird (probably) or drifting in the wind (possibly).  It is now just starting to bloom and is a very healthy specimen of whatever-it-is.  I suspected an acacia of some sort so earlier today we took a piece to a horticulturist and were told it's probably Blackwood.  Many acacias don't live very long so I don't suppose we need to worry it it undermining the house, but it is growing very quickly.....very very quickly.....and it might grow huge, it's already as tall as the house......

Another flood, less than a week after the previous one.  We have had a heap ton of rain - if that's not an official liquid measure it should be - the ground is so sodden that it can't soak up any more moisture.  On our way out and back earlier this afternoon we crossed the river on different bridges, and couldn't believe how much water is still flowing.  

Temperatures are warming up but unlike some people I have not yet found it warm enough to flash my bare arms, and certainly not my bare legs.  It's still warm enough for us  to stay covered, and to wear socks; my sandals haven't yet seen the light of day since being put away at the end of last summer.  Never mind, no doubt we will soon be complaining that it's too hot.  If only we could go from spring to autumn, bypassing summer and winter, what a happy woman I would be - but I don't know that there is anywhere in the world with such a climate, is there?

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls, which will finish next week:

"Gentlemen should engage their partners for the approaching dance before the music strikes up."

Indeed.  When the music starts everyone should be ready to take the first step in the dance, they should not still be fumbling and stumbling trying to find a place on the dance floor.

Enjoy your days!

That was fun!

Last Sunday's treadle demonstration and ukulele gig went well and was fun, but oh my....it was a busy day.  By the time we arrived home, unloaded the car, put the machine back together and sat down with a cuppa I was done for the day, so no blogging.

This is the base - doesn't it put you in mind of a skeleton!

It looks a bit naked without the cabinet and machine, doesn't it?  The cabinet screws into four holes at the top of the base.

The green bag was started and finished during the demonstration and the red bag would have been finished too, had it not been for the machine having conniptions with its tension.

See the tension wheel on the front left?  Part of the tension assembly includes a fine wire spring which had slipped out of place and moved, allowing the thread to wrap itself around the next guide, pull taut and snap.  Fortunately Gina (a choir friend who knows old machines inside out and backwards) was at hand to help, we fixed it and had it going again.

The ticking fabric was given to me by a former boss who, with her husband, had a side business restoring old furniture.  They did the wood finishing themselves but had an upholsterer do the seats, backs and pillows who didn't stint on quality fabrics......I know because she gave me some bags of leftovers; this sturdy ticking was included.  There were two long pillow forms already sewn along the sides and ends with openings left for stuffing; cut across the middle they make good sized bags, with strips cut off for handles.  The backing on the straps matches the lining fabrics from my stash, so they are colourful as well as being strong.

Our ukulele songs were well received, people said nice things to us and about us and the young children who danced around to our music had a great time, so much so that we have been booked for the next Spring Fair - in two years' time!

The big news item in recent times has, of course, been the death of Queen Elizabeth II.  While I sympathise with her family losing a loved mother and grandmother I really don't understand the outpouring of grief from those who would never have moved in the same circles.  She (and various other family members) visited Australia several times, but I have never seen the attraction of being squashed in a crowd just to see a hand waving out a car window.  I would, however, love to put dibs on all the emeralds....she had some beautiful emeralds, I am quite fond of green and emerald is my birthstone.....she often wore a beautiful Golden Wattle brooch which my country gave her on her first tour and which I covet mightily.  There is also a gorgeous diamond and sapphire brooch which was a gift from Canada which I really like, but will leave for my Canadian friends to fight over.  There are some very pretty jewels and trinkets in the royal vaults, I do like a nice trinket....and these are very nice indeed.

Some quilting has been done on the Canadian quilt border, yay!  Hopefully some more can be done later today.  More stitches have been knitted, more diamonds have been joined.  Words have been read, notes have been plinked.  Hunting and gathering has been done, and so passes another week with more of the same to come.

Much great excitement here on Friday, after very heavy rain the previous night we had a flood with two of the three river crossings in town being closed.  The river has gone down for now but more rain is expected later in the week, goodness knows where it will go as the ground is so wet already.  Those Who Know have assured us that another flood is possible.  Meanwhile, smaller towns downstream are currently seeing major floods with the prospect of being cut off from the outside world for several days, so I don't suppose they will need more water.

It hasn't been the weather for a barefoot frolic in a flouncy summer frock.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"When balls are given, if the weather is bad, an awning should be provided for the protection of those passing from their carriages to the house.  In all cases, a broad piece of carpet should be spread from the door to the carriage steps."

Such an awning would have been needed here on Thursday evening.  Fortunately the building in which our choir practices are held has such an awning going from the door nearly to the street, so one didn't have to sprint through the raindrops for too long before arriving at one's (self-drive) carriage.

Enjoy your days!

When I'm 64

I was once, you know....

The diamonds have been joined, and joined, and this morning I thought it would be interesting to see how many have been made.  They were duly retrieved from the Box of Finished Blocks, laid out, counted and photographed.....and there are 64, although they didn't all get in the pic.

The Cunning Plan is to make lots and lots then join them into - I don't know, threes perhaps? fours? sixes?  Or perhaps just join them into rows, then join the rows together.  Watch this space.

These are some of the pieces from my tumbler quilt - perhaps they are related?

The same, but different.

Apart from cutting a few more diamonds the sewing room hasn't been on my agenda this week, sadly.  Treadle practice is coming along, we have even progressed to sewing with real thread on real fabric, yay!  Between that and ukulele practice for the sewing/ukulele gig next Sunday, some hunting and gathering and an appointment or two, that's another week gone.

A few days ago I was writing out some information to have with me while treadling next weekend.  Going by the last time I did this people will ask questions, so an online search told me that it's a 66K machine made in Kilbowie, Scotland, hence the K in the model number.  The serial number indicates that it was made after 26th May, 1925; it is nigh on impossible to find out the exact birth date of an old Singer machine, but it is possible to find out when the serial number was released.  A batch of 35,000 numbers was released on that date and the number on mine is only a few hundred from the first number, so perhaps it was soon afterward.

This machine was free - the best price! - I already owned my maternal grandmother's Singer treadle when one day 20 or so years ago my brother rang to say his neighbour had "an old machine like Nanna's" that was being thrown out, so if I wanted it to get there quickly.  We duly did, and while the neighbour had taken it apart the screws were in a plastic bag along with several of the fancy feet, the manual, even a key to the drawers, which is a real treasure indeed.  The cabinet case is in better condition than Nanna's thanks to that one being stored on a verandah by my mother before she gave it to me, so it is the one I use for demonstrations.

The museum will have a blacksmith working in his forge and a shearer showing how sheep are/were shorn and some other older skills being demonstrated, so a treadle sewing machine fits right in.  The museum collection includes a Wilcox & Gibbs treadle machine, and a hand-crank.

It will be fun.

This week has brought rain, and cold winds, and warm sunshine.  The coming week looks to be more of the same, as we tip over from winter to spring.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"Ladies leaving a ball or party should not allow gentlemen to see them to their carriages, unless overcoats and hats are on for departure."

Perhaps this was to make sure that no hanky-panky took place in a carriage, unless both parties were suitably clad against the cool night air?  I must confess it has me a little puzzled.

Enjoy your days!