Driving to......distraction?

Yesterday I drove the car for the first time in several months, yay for me!

Council elections were held yesterday, and instead of voting here in town we drove to a small village not far from us; we have voted there before, parking is easy and there are no queues, making it simple to place one's mark on the paper for one's candidate/s of choice.  The local school was running a barbecue outside the hall so one could buy a Democracy Sausage and help out a small school's fundraising efforts at the same time.  Kevin enjoyed a bacon and egg roll while I had a sausage, my sausage was one of the nicest I have had for a long time while Kevin said his roll and its contents were delicious.  The meat came from a butcher in a town further away from us.....I can feel a Nice Sunday Drive coming up on a weekday to visit that butcher and bring home some of its meat for ourselves.

And - I drove home!  I sat behind the wheel of the car for the first time in several months, turned it on, made it work and drove 15 minutes home.  It felt a little odd; the vibration coming from the motor to the steering wheel into my hand and arm was an odd feeling, but one I will no doubt get used to.  My hand is strong enough to hold the wheel now although it still can't make a tight fist, but that's another milestone passed - so that feels good.  There can't be many milestones left now, but I will a happy woman again when my hand finally stops hurting.

There has been progress on the quilting front, too.  All four peepers were sewn to Autumn Rhapsody's centre panel, and the two side borders joined as well.  The peeper isn't as prominent as in the magazine illustration because of my different fabric and colour choices, but it still draws a line between the centre and the borders.

The top and bottom borders will be added over the next few days then only the outer borders will remain to be done, and they still need to be cut.  I love it.....it's very mellow, isn't it?

The binding was cut for my blue and green quilt, and machine sewn to the front.  I'm glad that Fossil Fern 'Bluebell' fabric was used, it has turned out to be a good choice.

Sewing it down on the back is my in-front-of-TV project.  The weather has turned wintery again - today is downright chilly - so having a small quilt on one's lap isn't a problem at all.  Those olive greens don't, unfortunately, photograph well, they are much nicer in real life than in this pic; one of these days I will try to find out why this happens, and see if there is something which can be done to correct it.

As usual the daily wrist/hand exercises have been done.  Words have been read.   Stitches were sewn by hand and machine.  Songs have ben sung and notes plinked.  We shopped for supplies to get us through the week, and that's another seven days gone by.

Here we are, halfway through September already!  Daylight saving starts in this state on Sunday 6th October, just a few weeks away now.  Mornings are getting quite light quite early now, something not enjoyed by those of us who are not morning people, so darker mornings for a while will be good.  One summer many years ago we took our little caravan to southern Queensland, a state which does not have daylight saving, and those sunny early mornings were quite a shock to the system for those of us no longer used to them.  We have had daylight saving since the very early 1970s, indeed for much of my life.

Our rapidly approaching summer has been forecast to be either quite warm, or cooler and wetter than last year, depending on who you believe.  Personally, I like the idea of cooler and wetter, but if it's warmer - well then, there is nothing I can do about it, is there.  We will just have to suffer.  We will try to suffer in silence, but perhaps you will have to suffer with us.

Continuing with Conduct in an artist's studio:

"If you have engaged to sit for your portrait never keep the artist waiting one moment beyond the appointed time.  If you do so you should in justice pay for the time you make him lose."

Indeed, you should.  

We have been to the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra which has an excellent café and gift shop, and many many portraits.....so many that, after a time, I found myself longing for an occasional landscape.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

One peeper peeping

Sounds like a line from "The Twelve Days of Christmas", doesn't it?  But no - two of the peeper borders have been sewn to the centre panel of Autumn Splendour.

Those one inch strips were folded in half lengthwise and pressed (something which added a whole new dimension to the meaning of fiddly-diddly, especially pressing with my left hand) then sewn to opposite sides of the centre panel.  The remaining two sides will, hopefully, be added to the remaining two sides later this afternoon....or, if not, tomorrow.  The seam is one eighth inch rather than a quarter inch but it's just to hold the strips in place for the next step; the outer borders will be joined on with the usual quarter inch seam, and the peepers will be peeping.

Now that I can use a rotary cutter my thoughts have been turning to my blue and green quilt, which needs binding.  It was collected from the quilter before we left for our holiday in March, and has since been languishing waiting to be bound.  There is a piece of fabric in my stash which will serve the purpose and which will, I hope, look good; I really wanted to use a dark blue tone on tone for binding, but there isn't enough of it left in my stash.  Oh, well, on to Plan B.  The proposed binding fabric is from the Fossil Fern range, from several years ago - is it still available?  it was a very useful range - in a deep blue, with touches of lighter blue, purple and green.  

Well, what do you know - Fossil Fern is still available, in a rainbow of over 100 colours.  I just looked up the Benartex Fabrics website and found out that my colour is called 'Bluebell', something not shown on the selvedge.

The next meeting of the quilt group is on the fourth Saturday of this month and it would be good to have a completed project for show and tell, something not possible for the past several months.

How has everyone's week been?  Mine has been marked by another milestone in the ever onward and upward progress of my injured hand and wrist - I managed to complete a few clues in a crossword! For some weeks now I have been able - just - to sign myself into choir, and quilting and sewing groups, albeit somewhat slowly and painfully, but yesterday I managed to complete a few words in a crossword, and that feels good.  On Monday I duly trotted along to have my bone test and when I get around to it will contact my doctor about the results.  I'm not in a hurry to do that, I've had enough of medical appointments and Stuff over the last few months to do me for quite a while.  

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn by hand, and by machine.  No diamonds have been cut this week.  Songs have been sung and plinked.  Physio exercises are being done daily.  We hunted and gathered.  That's it for the week, folks.

Ads are frequently shown on TV for an Aussie home renovation show which has several couples vying for the big prize, sniping against each other, taking it in turns to storm off the set in a huff and/or in tears, and being judged for their results room by room.  Although I enjoy some renno shows I never ever watch that show, as it seems to be more about the drama and fights and less about the renno.  My ideal renno are just that - home ideas, no drama, no sniping.  Friday nights currently bring us a Canadian show which has gorgeous autumn scenery...sigh...and no dramatic huffs and puffs, and sometimes we can point at the screen and say, "yay, we've been there!"

Continuing with Conduct in an artist's studio:

"It is not proper to visit the studio of an artist except by special invitation or permission, and at an appointed time, for you cannot estimate how much you may disturb him at his work.  The hours of daylight are all golden to him; and steadiness of hand in manipulating a pencil is sometimes only acquired each day after hours of practice, and may be instantly lost on the irruption and consequent interruption of visitors."

Indeed.  Daylight is when I sew by machine; as the day draws on my brain and particularly my eyes tire, and I am more likely to make mistakes.  Consequently, hand sewing is for evenings in front of TV and machine sewing is done during golden daylight hours.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Wattle it be?

Today we celebrate Wattle Day, a day on which we pay homage to our floral emblem.

Our wattle is already getting ready to flower next year.  Those bright green shoots are new growth from which next year's blooms will sprout; each year it seems to get healthier and heathier.....and more beautiful.

I've been stripping!

The one inch wide strips for Autumn Rhapsody's peeper border are now cut, joined and trimmed to length.  They still need to be folded in half lengthwise and pressed; the little flashes of different colours will be more interesting than a single colour would have been.

One inch strips are slightly fiddly-diddly to cut, as I found out when cutting the sashing strips for my house quilt.  Wider strips are easier.

This gorgeous fabric was bought at the closing-down sale when the owners of a local quilt shop retired a few years ago.  First I bought half a metre (this was a while before the sale) which was cut for some the blocks in Autumn Rhapsody, then the rest of the bolt was later purchased.  There is more than enough fabric for a border and binding; it will also be used for some of the backing, which will have to be pieced as there isn't enough of this fabric on its own.  The narrower fabric at the bottom will be the inner border - it has twice been rejected for other borders on this quilt, but will make a suitable one inch wide buffer between the medley of background fabrics and the richer leaf border.  I hope.  

There is a large piece of this interesting fabric bought on our first trip to Toronto to visit our wandering son, and not yet used.  It will be pieced with the leaf fabric above, for the back.

The shadowy background leaves are metallic and will, I suspect, eventually rub off, but the printed leaves and writing will stay.  

Stitches have been sewn by hand and machine.  Words have been read.  Songs were sung and notes plinked, our fussy uke player is mellowing; perhaps the fact that I put her in charge of a particular song which needs a bit of work has focused her musical energies.  We hunted and we gathered, my daily physio exercises were done, and that was some of my week.  How was everyone else's?

Here I was thinking that all my medical scans, x-rays and tests were all done, but no....tomorrow there is a bone test to be undergone.  I had one last year - folk in my age group can have a free test every two years but it seems that a fracture can ring alarm bells, so a month ago at my regular quarterly checkup my doctor sent me away with a referral for a bone test.  If it's not covered as a free test I'm not doing it, I said....no problem, she said, in that case next year will do.....I popped into the testing place on Friday and found out that, because of my recent fracture, it will indeed be covered.  So tomorrow morning off I go again, for yet another of the tests that I thought were all finished.

Oh well.  Hopefully this test will, indeed, be the last one for a while.

Continuing with Conduct in an artist's studio:

"Do not ask the artist his prices unless you really intend to become a purchaser; and in this case it is best to attentively observe his works, make your choice, and trust the negotiation to a third person or to a written correspondence with the artist after the visit is concluded.  You may express your desire for the work and obtain the refusal of it from the artist.  If you desire to conclude the bargain at once you may ask his price, and if he names a higher price than you wish to give, you may say as much and mention the sum you are willing to pay, when it will be optional with the artist to maintain his first price or accept your offer."

I don't care how much anyone offers me.....Autumn Rhapsody will not be for sale.  I intend to enjoy it myself.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Strolling around

Our weather this week has been distinctly un-wintery, although overcast, so it's not a bad day for a stroll around our small - very small - back yard.

The rosemary bush in front is threatening to take over the universe; it was planted a few years ago during the last drought and seems to quite like being where it is.  We also planted one in our front garden but as it doesn't get as much sun - the back gets sun nearly all day - it's much smaller.

Another rosemary planted not long after we moved here several years ago and now growing through the fence, this one has lighter-coloured flowers.  The rather scrappy-looking shrub (which is actually very healthy, this is just how they grow) behind is 'Eremophila Aurea'.  Eremophila is an Aussie plant which is much loved by birds and pollinating insects - this yellow flowering one ('Aurea' means yellow or gold coloured) is a favourite with honeyeaters and with Eastern Rosellas.  Honeyeaters have long beaks and tongues which they poke inside the flowers to reach the sweet nectar, while the rosellas bite the flowers off at the base and extract nectar that way, leaving dropped flowers in their wake.

A clump of snowdrops, which we didn't plant!   They were left by the previous owner and pop up nearly every year.....not bad, considering we have been here for 14 years now.

Our disappearing fence.  The back yard is narrow, so a wire fence - once again, it was in place when we moved here - visually 'disappears' giving the illusion that our backyard is extensive instead of small and easy-care.....and yes, sometimes kangaroos come fairly close to the fence.

The week hasn't been entirely wasted, as the third border for Autumn Rhapsody was finished.  This is how the design wraps around the corners.

A start has been made on pinning some of the final border.

Words have been read. and both hand and machine sewing has been done.  Diamonds have been cut.  Songs have been sung, and notes plinked; our U3A ukulele group is drifting along nicely, although there are always people away.  We hunted and gathered to keep the wolf from the door, and that was the week.

I had my final visit to the orthopedic surgeon on Friday, and he is pleased with how my arm, wrist and hand are progressing.  Talk about a run around; on my previous visit to Emma physio we made my next appointment for Friday as the appointment with the orthopedic bloke was tomorrow, Monday, and Emma wanted to see me beforehand.  Early in the week a phone call from the ortho bloke's receptionist full of apologies, so sorry, Jennifer, he has a full day of surgery on Monday, can we re-schedule.....no problem, says I, so an appointment was made for 11.15 a.m. on Friday.  My physio appointment was at 10.30 a.m. the same day but the receptionist and I decided that, as they were only a few streets apart, it shouldn't be a problem getting from one to the other on a tight schedule.  Then, blow me down as they used to say, while Emma was going through my exercises with me on Friday morning another call came from the receptionist....so sorry, Jennifer, he's had to go to hospital (presumably to check up on a patient, not on his own account) so can we change it to this afternoon.  Once again, no problem, in fact it took the pressure off the morning, but that was pretty much a whole day gone for just two appointments.

It's no wonder I seem to run around like a mad thing on some days but achieve very little, is it?  That was the final physio visit unless I feel I need a follow-up - just keep doing the exercises says Emma physio, which I am doing - and although it will still take several months, I should have most of the use of my hand back again.  Most isn't as good as all, but it's better than just some.  It is getting stronger and activities which used to be quite painful aren't so bad now; full strength isn't yet there but I'm sure that, too, will come.

At least that frees up some of my calendar for something other than medical Stuff!

Here's an interesting article for you to read - it's been 100 years since the last mail coach run and a recreation is planned.  However, I take exception with the bloke who said "it was a better way of life".  No, it wasn't.  The "good old days" weren't always good; many children didn't live long enough to celebrate their first birthday, women died in childbirth, domestic violence was something to be suffered in silence.  Medical conditions and accidents which are classed as trivial today could, and did, kill within a short time.  These days life has its challenges, but I wouldn't go back for any amount of money....no matter how glamorous the hats were.

Continuing on with Conduct in an artist's studio:

"Never take a young child to a studio, for it may do much mischief in spite of the most careful watching.  At any rate, the juvenile visitor will try the artist's temper and nerves by keeping him in a constant state of apprehension."

I heartily concur.  Keep those little kiddie-widdies out of my studio, please.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

It's wattle time again!

Once more our wattle is blooming in all its golden gorgeousness.  This is our view from just outside our kitchen window, on a cloudy grey day......

.....and from outside.  The bush is getting so big that's it's difficult to fit in one photo, and it has grown into a beautiful shrub.  Isn't it a glorious shade of yellow?

Many Aussie native plants aren't long-lived, so we enjoy them while we can.  I have had large healthy plants suddenly keel over and depart this earth forever - especially grevilleas; much as I like them, they can be so finicky that I have given up on them.  We know that our lovely wattle may one day suffer the same fate, but until it does we will enjoy its annual display and try not to trip on those low branches when we go outside.

Bees like it, too.  The world needs more bees, so any plant that they like is a good thing to have.

We are noticing more signs that winter's days are on the way out, even though it will be a while before we can say "yippee - it's spring!"  Magnolia and blossom trees are blooming, and some bulbs are popping up although I haven't seen daffodils anywhere.

How has everyone's week been?  Mine has seen some time spent in the sewing room; a couple of blocks made for members of my quilt group's monthly BOM were made now that I am able to use a rotary cutter again, and some of the third border on the autumn leaf was made.  Before we went off on our holiday back in March I had cut a good supply of diamonds as a take-along project; some were made while we were away, and since being able to sew again more have been assembled.....so much so, that the supply of cut diamonds was diminishing at an ever-increasing rate, so more needed to be cut.  That is being attended to, each day I try to cut enough to make two, three-diamond hexagons - so, two light, two dark, and two somewhere in between.  That's enough for my hand; no matter what I do it usually complains after a short while anyway, so frequent breaks are the way to go.

While tootling around on the internet (as one does) I came across another tutorial for the twisted column quilt, this time as a runner called 'Ribbon pole quilt'.  Check out this bloke's videos - he has some fun projects; the tool pouch is a good idea, and I really like his 'Fields from above' quilt.  

Words have been read.  Songs have been sung, and notes have been plinked.  Our challenging friend wasn't at U3A on Thursday so we had to manage without her, and manage we did.  Jolly good for us.  The usual hunting and gathering to round out the week and stave off hunger, and that was our week.

We have had more rain this week, something we probably didn't need....the ground is already saturated from the last lot.....but with every drop that falls we remember the bad drought of just a few short years ago, and we don't complain about rain.

Another anniversary coming up in the week ahead.  On Tuesday it will be 25 years since my mother died, a whole quarter of a century ago.  We didn't have a close relationship; during my childhood she was emotionally and physically abusive and I was glad to move out when I married, even though it was to the wrong bloke for the wrong reasons. 

Ah well.  

Continuing on with Conduct in an artist's studio:

"Use no strong expression either of delight or disapprobation at anything presented for your inspection.  If a picture or a statue please you, show your approval and appreciation by close attention, and a few quiet, well-chosen words, rather than by extravagant praise."

That seems like a good idea.  Extravagant and fulsome praise can, and indeed probably is, insincere.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Twenty-five years of a wonderful relationship

The other day it occurred to me that the anniversary of the day that My Lovely New Bernina came to live with me could be approaching; I remembered that it was bought in August 1999, but not the date.....so I checked on the original receipt, and it was 5th August.  Last Monday was the day, and it has been a beautiful friendship.  Here it is, hard at work on a quilt which, like many others, was pieced and quilted on it.

Back in 19-umpty-um when I was 18 and first starting to sew, I bought a machine from a co-worker.  It didn't have a free arm, but I learned quite a lot on it and even made the dress I wore to my first wedding, allover lace with a long train, made from a Vogue pattern.  (Nothing like being ambitious, is there.)  Five years later it was time for a better machine, so off I trotted to the Singer shop where I bought a Singer 726.  It had more stitches, did better buttonholes - and wonder of wonders, it had a free arm.  I wouldn't like to add up how many seams were sewn on it, but there were a lot.....clothes for me, for our two boys, even for Kevin, and my first foray into patchwork.  Probably enough seams to stretch from here to the moon several times over.  As time went on the old Singer was beginning to chug a bit, and I thought perhaps its time had come....but no, it still sewed happily.  When I started out most home sewing was done on woven fabrics; stretch fabrics came along later, and it didn't like handling some of those fabrics.  That's all right, I thought to myself, I'll buy an overlocker (serger) to do what the Singer can't manage.  However, one day I had a talk with myself and a talk with Kevin and after 29 years with the Singer decided to go for a new - brand new! - machine; after some shopping around I settled on a Bernina Virtuosa 160.  

We still have fun together, and it is still called - and indeed will always be called - My Lovely New Bernina.

Some work was done on a side border for Autumn Rhapsody.  It is chugging along nicely.  My original plan was to make extra HSTs and make it square following the original rectangular design (if you can follow that), those extras would be added to both sides.  After thinking it over and realising it would have made a larger quilt than was wanted or needed that idea was shelved; it will be square, but not enormously so.  That now means there are 78 leftover HSTs.  Seventy-eight!  That's enough to start another quilt!!

On our 2018 autumn trip to Canada our DIL and I attended a quilt show - our third time seeing that show, it was always held when we visited, which was jolly nice of them - and this was one of the raffle quilts hanging in the foyer.

Love the twisted column design!  This pic was taken, and the idea filed away in the back of my brain for some time in the possible future.  It's even easier than I thought, here's a tutorial.  Wouldn't those HSTs make a good start......more would need to be made, but it's not as though I lack fabric to do so......it could be called Autumn Twist, couldn't it....wheels in my brain are turning......

How has everyone's week been?  We had some excitement during the week; last weekend's promised rain came, and came, and came some more....the main highway around town was flooded and closed for a while, thereby causing a certain amount of traffic chaos.  One foolish bloke drove onto a flooded road and had to be rescued by emergency services, getting his few minutes of fame and fortune on the news that night and being the subject of some derision on social media in the process.  That road, which runs beside and over a small creek, is fairly low and it floods whenever the rain gods so much as sneeze.  Locals know to keep off it during times of heavy rain and this bloke found out the hard way that driving onto a flooded road early in the morning, while it's still too dark to see how deep and how fast the water is flowing, is not a good idea. 

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn by hand, and by machine.  (On My Lovely New Bernina, of course.)  Songs were sung, and notes were plinked.  Our strumming 'friend' was there but was quiet, for which I was thankful.  On Tuesday Emma physio was pleased with my progress, and best of all - yesterday I used my rotary cutter!  Yay for me!  It was a bit difficult at first then I had a brainwave and put in a new blade, and it was like cutting through butter, even with a hand that isn't yet working to its full strength.

It's possible that my hand and wrist may never be the same as before the break.  I have to accept that.  Given my age - I'm no longer young - and the severity of the injury it may be something I have to face, so long as I can do what I want and/or need to do without too much difficulty or pain. 

"Conduct in an artist's studio.

If you have occasion to visit an artist's studio, by no means meddle with anything in the room.  Reverse no picture which stands or hangs with face to the wall; open no portfolio without permission, and do not alter by a single touch any lay-figure or its drapery, piece of furniture or article of vertu posed as a model.  You do not know with what care the artist may have arranged these things, nor what trouble the disarrangement may cost him."

Indeed.  I would have added, "or her", as not all artists are men, are they?  We are all artists, every time we set foot in our sewing room or studio.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Decisions have been made

Yes indeedy.....the side borders for Autumn Rhapsody have now been laid out on the design bed, next step is to sew them together.  The fabrics are spread so that the same fabric doesn't touch itself, otherwise all the placement is completely random.  I like random.  Some folks have problems with random, but random is fun.

This is halfway along one side, one of the remaining leaf blocks surrounded by half square triangles ready to be sewn......

......and this is one corner.  You can see how the design wraps around.

This corner wrap is why I don't care for the original rectangle design.  The layout is a square medallion-style, then a couple of rows were added to top and bottom making the design (in my eyes, at least) unbalanced and clumsy.....so, mine will be square.

This is another of my autumn projects, a table runner made from fabrics purchased in Canada.  Some were fabrics used in a challenge by Rose Marie's group, and I liked them so much that I bought more of the range - and now those are in my autumn quilt, and can be seen in the pics above.

The background and backing for the runner are a pale creamy leaf print bought here after arriving home and it, too, is used in the autumn quilt.  I don't know how many background fabrics are in that quilt, but the variety of colours and prints gives more texture than using the same fabric throughout would have done.

How has everyone been this week?  My hand and fingers are slowly progressing although still swollen and sore, but on waking the past couple of mornings my fingers weren't as painful and stiff as they have been.  While it's warm in bed, the many hours of inaction mean my fingers are tender by morning and need some wiggling and wriggling to get them working again.  Every little step of progress is worthwhile, and I am expecting a good report from Emma physio on Tuesday.

Words have been read.  No seams were sewn by machine but some hand sewing was done.  Notes were plinked without too much discomfort, always a good thing.  We hunted and gathered enough to keep the wolf from the door, my monthly volunteer shift at a gallery was on Tuesday, the quarterly medical check-up was on Friday, and that was the week.

Mrs "what strumming pattern should we play" didn't come to Thursday uke, something for which I was thankful.  (I shouldn't say that, should I.....but I was)  We had a small group for the first day back and I was able to spend time afterward with one player who is getting more experienced on ukulele.  I gave her a few tips about which fingers to use for which chords, and a few other pointers; she later sent an email saying how grateful she was, and how much it helped.  That is good feedback, and I'm happy to be of assistance.  

Just to remind us that winter hasn't yet gone we have had more freezy frosty chilly mornings this week but that looks like changing from tomorrow, with some rain forecast and - well, not quite warm, but less cold mornings.  Today is grey and overcast, a foretaste of tomorrow's expected rain; this morning's sun, which made us optimistic enough to hang two loads of washing outside, has disappeared and the washing is now inside finishing off its drying by the fire.

Every time the TV is turned on (which isn't all that often, there being not much that appeals to us) we are being swamped by coverage of the Olympic Games.  Not everyone in the world thinks this is a good idea; all I can think of is "my goodness, what does it all cost"; no wonder fewer and fewer countries are putting up their hands to host it.  Many schools and hospitals could be built and staffed for what is, after all, just a glorified sports carnival.  I have never been a very sporty person right from when we had compulsory sport at school - which I really disliked, I would far rather read a book - so I don't feel inclined to spend my leisure hours watching it.  When the games were in Sydney back in 2000 we, in common with many others, left and went to New Zealand instead.....where we even bumped unexpectedly into people we knew in Sydney!

Continuing on with Conduct at charity fairs:

"As a gentleman must always remove his hat in the presence of ladies, so he should remain with head uncovered, carrying his hat in his hand, in a public place of this character."

A gentleman keeping his head (mostly) covered is something that has gone the way of the proverbial dodo, isn't it?  I wonder what those long-ago folk would think of the ubiquitous baseball-style cap which is never taken off, even indoors - especially when worn back-to-front.  You can imagine the derision, can't you.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer