Forty seven years and counting......

Yesterday was the 47th anniversary of the day we stood up in front of family and friends, and said nice words to each other.  47 years!  My gawd, that's a long time!

To mark the occasion we harnessed up the trusty steed and drove up the hill to a town an hour north, because their annual quilt show was being held.  I entertained myself at the show for a while, and Kevin strolled around enjoying the architecture and streets of Armidale.  Once again I met up with my Armidale namesake - another Jennifer Richards, how cool is that?  Her quilts on show were lovely, and her hand quilting beautiful.  I have been to that show before; it's not a large one as the hall isn't big, the group isn't huge, and because they have an annual exhibition there is usually only one year's worth of quilts to be shown.  I was impressed by the standard, however, especially the quilts of this young feller.....he is very talented and has great colour sense, while his quilting is superb.

It was International Quilting Day on Saturday, so a show on that weekend is very appropriate!  Here's a few of my quilts, even though they weren't done at the weekend.

Every quilter, it is said, has a blue and yellow quilt.  This is one of mine.

This was made from the leftover star triangles of the quilt above - same blue and yellow fabrics, different borders.

Love this one, just a study in black and white.  It was started in a class back in the Big Smoke and finished here.

Autumn - my favourite season!  Started in another class with the same tutor, after moving here here to the Small Smoke.

A soft pretty quilt made for a friend undergoing some health issues.

If I was asked which of all my quilts is my favourite - and of course there more than these shown - this one would be very close to the top of the list.  I love its exuberance, how could you not?

Words have been read this week, stitches have been knitted.  No diamonds have been joined - indeed, more need to be cut so as to have enough to take away for a few weeks in the caravan; it is only two weeks now until we leave so I had better get cracking with the cutting.  More music has been sorted, in fact I can almost - almost! - see the bottom of those piles.  Songs have been plinked and sung.

It's going to be a busy couple of weeks with shopping, a musical gig, and various appointments for both of us.  Once we are in the car heading off down the road, I suspect there will be a big collective sigh of relief.  We are going down south to catch up with the family, and for me to attend the big folk festival.  Kevin will probably spend time with our son while I am off making music, they can do Boy Stuff together and perhaps The One And Only Grandkid will join them for some of it.  There has been a marriage split so the aforementioned Grandkid now lives with his mother, although of course he spends time with his father.

We will just keep out of the way as much as we can, and smile sweetly while offering no opinion on anything or anybody.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Carrying packages.

A gentleman will never permit a lady with whom he is walking to carry a package of any kind, but will insist on relieving her of it.  He may even accost a lady when he sees her overburdened and offer his assistance, if their ways lie in the same direction."

Not sure about the use of the word "accost"?  These days it has cme to mean "to approach someone boldly or aggressively", something I hope a proper gentleman would not do to a lady of his acquaintance.

Enjoy your days!

I won a blue ribbon!

Never won a blue ribbon before!

This is special because it's the 150th anniversary of Tamworth Show - even the artwork on the prize card is from a design used on similar cards in the 1930s.  An Aussie show would be like an autumn fair or state fair, I suppose, with farm animals and birds being paraded and judged.  There were various cooking and handicraft sections, and there was even a recipe provided for a boiled fruit cake which had to be used by all entrants in that section.

My hanging (my prize winning hanging, how cool is it to be able to say that!) in full, plus some carpet.  One of the rules was that entries had to be finished in the past year.....mine was a little older, but as it hadn't been exhibited previously I was assured that entering it would be fine.

Last time I won a prize with my sewing was back in nineteen-umpty-um....might have been 1996 or 97.....my quilt group in the Big Smoke had a competition for a pieced or applique basket block.  Mine was pieced, and it was judged the pieced winner; the blocks were eventually made into quilts and raffled for charity.  I won a book and a pack of fabrics, but not a blue ribbon.

Some knitting has happened.  The decision to write out the cable pattern for the front of my jumper was, after a few minutes, abandoned as a lost cause, and a PDF pattern bought - this one, with the pattern all written out for me.  That's the cable I plan to use up the centre front, two repeats wide; it's not so difficult that it will take forever to do, but is interesting enough to be a fun knit.  I like intricate twisted and interlocked cables.  I don't care if they are in fashion or not.  It's my jumper, and I can make it how I like.

A few diamonds have been joined, more have been cut.  Words have been read.  Notes have been sung and plinked.  More sorting of music has happened but the 'waiting to be sorted' piles are very few and quite small now; a couple of folders containing Christmas songs were unearthed the other day, so they will now go into the Big Christmas Song Folder from whence they will be pulled out again in November.  Once the music sorting is done the next big sort will be the books which are in dire need of sifting and sorting, and which will be much bigger job.

It has even rained, lovely soaking rain last night and this morning, and very welcome it is too after the past few dry months.  Over the past couple of years we had a lot of rain, we even had several floods, but since the rain stopped late last year it has been very dry.  I'm sure the town will look a lot greener tomorrow than it did on Friday.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Streets:

"Offensive behaviour.

No gentleman is ever guilty of the offence of standing on street corners and the steps of hotels or other public places and boldly scrutinising every lady who passes."

Indeed not.....the men of the mid 1880s really weren't much different to the men of today, were they?

Enjoy your days!

Sifting and sorting

Those many piles of music are gradually being sorted.....goodness, I had no idea there was quite that much....but it will be good to have it done, and to have it all in alphabetical order.  It has gotten to the stage where I couldn't find songs I knew I had so I would make another copy, and that is wasteful.

As a resuly not one stitch has been sewn, not one stitch knitted, although that will change once the music is sorted.  Words have been read, songs have been sung and plinked.

Consequently there are no pics of anything in progress, so we will visit the vault instead and enjoy a taste of autumn to come.

The pic doesn't quite do this tree justice - its colouring was spectacular and caught my eye when we parked behind the shops in Midland.

The building behind the tree was a child care centre.  I would have also photographed the carpet of fallen leaves under the tree but a person with a camera approaching a child care centre might seem suspicious, yes?

After several visits we have decided that Vancouver Island should be called 'The Land of Tall Straight Trees'.

Taken on a cool damp day.....the ground under the trees probably doesn't see much sun, so perhaps it never really dries out.  

A fallen tree with its coat of - moss? lichen? - not sure, but it was pretty.

Speaking of knitting, the Big Decision has been made as to the cable pattern on my in-progress jumper.  There will be two repeats of a twirled and twisted cable running up the centre front, and on each side will another narrow rope cable; enough to make it interesting to knit, but not so complicated or difficult that it will never get finished.  So....one will sit down with pencil and paper and write out the pattern sequence, then one will type it in large font so it can be easily read in a moving car.

Later this afternoon we will be taking a trip to the other side of town, across the river - it never ceases to amuse us that locals here, no matter where they live, seem to have an aversion to crossing the river, as though they are going to the deep dark depths of a different country - and collect my wall hanging which I entered in the show.  I could have gone yesterday to see it hanging but it was a bit too warm to venture out, and in any case I very much doubt that it will get an award....but that's all right.  As I have been saying for many years, blessed is she who expecteth nothing, for she shall never be disappointed.

Summer is hanging on by the fingernails, reluctant to let go, but this is usual for March.  We have noticed, however, that many trees are starting to change colour so perhaps they know something we don't.  Our trip down south next month will be a taste of autumn - something to look forward to, indeed.  The autumn equinox is in just a couple of weeks, and another year is rolling on.

My recent visit to the optometrist for the annual eye check-up had a good result, and my reading glasses don't need to be changed for now.  There is a cataract slowly growing on my left eye, it seems, and eventually it will be need to be fixed - but not yet, indeed probably not for quite a while.  Oh, the joys of getting older.....

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Smoking upon the streets.

In England a well-bred man never smokes upon the streets.  While this rule does not hold good for this country, yet no gentleman will ever insult a lady by smoking on the streets in her company, and in meeting and saluting a lady he will always remove a cigar from his mouth."

I am not sure which country is meant by "this country", as my book was first published in - I think - North America, but my 1886 edition is "Revised, Illustrated and Compiled expressly as a Household Treasure for Australian Homes".  Either way we prefer that no man, well-bred or otherwise, smokes on the streets, and indeed very few do so nowadays.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Those elusive black pants....

....are still nowhere to be found.  A few days ago I called in at the store where I hoped a pair in my size would have miraculously appeared on the rack, but no.  Doomed to disappointment once again.  However I have High Hopes of perhaps just possibly finding them, or something like them, when we go south in April.

I suspect it will be the last time I pop my head inside that store, too.  When one is greeted as one walks in by "hey darl, how are ya" one thinks to one's self......hmmmm, do I really belong here?  One is far from being a snob, one does not expect to be greeted by 'Madame' these days (in truth, I don't think one ever was) but 'darl'?  To say nothing of the music of a type I never listen to voluntarily (I'm not a musical snob either, my musical choices might surprise you) played at a volume guaranteed to wake the dead, and the rough cement floor which at one stage in its life may have been carpeted but now lies waiting to trip an unwary foot, it's not a pleasant place to shop.

Ah well.  I have enough clothes that I'm not walking around naked or cold, so that's something....but those pants, when and if I eventually get them, will fill a gap in my sumptuous wardrobe.

Something pretty....more of Auntie Laura's beautiful tatting.  It has been previously shown, but it's so lovely we can look again.

The linen centre is surrounded by a very wide lace border.

I'm fairly sure my mother never used it - perhaps for very special occasions, which were very few and very far between when I was young - but I have displayed it with a vase or pretty bowl in the centre.  A darker wood table such as ours shows the lace to perfection.  Despite its gossamer appearance it's surprisingly heavy....there's a lot of thread used to make all that lace!

Diamonds have been sewn, and more have been cut.  The plan is to cut a lot to take away in April; our little caravan doesn't have TV (it's not missed either) but stitching makes the time pass nicely.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung.  

Stitches have been knitted, the first time for some months, and now the second sleeve on my jumper should be up to the armhole; it will be measured later this afternoon to check.  A decision also needs to be made about the cable pattern on the front.  I have found a cable design I like but am wondering - should it run up the centre front to the round neck, or be placed to one side or the other?  Or should there be two cables, and if so, how should they be spaced so as not to make me look as though I am wearing braces to hold up my pants?  Perhaps three, one in the centre and two spaced evenly at the sides, would be good....or would it be a bit much, bearing in mind that I am no longer as svelte as I once was?

Decisions, decisions......

While on some of our peregrinations during the week I noticed that leaves are now not as green as they were, indeed a few trees look as though their leaves are starting their autumn change.....or perhaps they are just stressed by our lack of rain and warm-ish temperatures, much as we ourselves are.  However in a few days it will be March, and while that doesn't mean the end of summer heat - it is the start of the winding-down of summer.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Answering questions.

A gentleman will answer courteously any questions which a lady may address to him upon the street, at the same time lifting his hat, or at least touching it respectfully."

I suspect that these days a gentleman, on being asked a question, will look up the answer on his phone.  He may or may not - probably not - be wearing a hat which he can either lift or touch respectfully.

Enjoy your days!

Nothing much to show for the week

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

Never mind.  Onward and upward!

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

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

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

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

Another with a linen centre, a little larger.

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

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

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

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

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Opening the door for a lady.

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

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

Enjoy your days!

Follow the yellow brick road to the neighbourhood

How are you all this week?  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Keeping step.

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

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

Enjoy your days!

That's one twelfth of the year done and dusted

Here we are, charging into February......I could have sworn we were celebrating New Year just a few minutes ago!  Many cultures are cultures are, however, celebrating Lunar New Year, this year is the year of the rabbit or the cat, depending on the country.

Choir is back, both ukulele groups are back.  Life has settled down into its usual busy-ness, and it can get quite busy at times.

Stitches have been stitched, diamonds have been joined, but nothing is yet photograph-worthy.  Words have been read.  Notes have been sung and plinked.

Another example of Kevin's grandmother Laura's beautiful crochet.

A pretty carnation and dragonfly pattern, in an octagonal shape....fairly sure I remember this being displayed on a small table in Kevin's parents' home.  It, too, was possibly designed by Mary Card.

My maternal grandmother had a sister Laura, born in 1883 just a few years after Kevin's grandmother Laura, who was born in 1880.  Laura was obviously a popular name in the 1880s - isn't it interesting how names are cyclical, how their popularity comes and goes?  The name Laura, it seems, has Latin origins; Daphne is the same name in Greek, my mother had a friend named Daphne.

I went through school with several other girls named Jennifer, it was a favourite in the late 1940s-early 1950s; most of them were Jennifer Ann/e or Jennifer Margaret, so my name Jennifer Grace was a bit different.  Perhaps we can thank (or blame!) actress Jennifer Jones, who was popular at the time.....but whose real name wasn't Jennifer at all, it was Phyllis.  Phyllis Grace......ah, no.  Phyllis was my mother's generation, not mine.

My grandmothers were Edith (maternal) and Florence Gordon (paternal), my mother was Mavis Eileen.  My maternal grandmother had no middle name, while my paternal grandmother's middle name of Gordon may have come from her father's Scottish family.  One of my paternal grandmother Florence's sisters was called......wait for it......Australia!  Not an uncommon name in the later years of the nineteenth century when the Australian colonies were heading toward federation, it was given to both girls and boys.

This morning we had a foretaste of autumn, a cooler start to the day.  We know warmer weather will be with us for a while yet, but now it's February we can say 'next month will be cooler'.  Meanwhile, I know some of you on the far side of the known universe from here are suffering through snow and ice storms which make for beautiful pictures, but oh - it does look cold!

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Offering the arm to a lady.

A gentleman should, in the evening, or whenever her safety, comfort or convenience seems to require it, offer a lady companion his arm.  At other times it is not customary to do so unless the parties be husband and wife or engaged.  In the latter cases, it is not always advisable to do so, as they may be made the subject of unjust remarks."

Why would a couple be subject of unjust remarks if they are married or engaged?  Seems a bit odd to me, but obviously times were different then.

Enjoy your days!