Hi ho, hi ho........

......quilting as we go......

The first block in the Canadian quilt has been layered and quilted, yay for me!  Pics will be taken as more are quilted and joined.

This week's houses.

One surrounded by crawling caterpillars - that's what the fabric reminds me of; the reverse colourway is also in my stash - and a house which flew all the way from Missouri, now enveloped in a cloud of dragonflies.  Do you have dragonflies in Missouri, Sally?

Fiona has been showing her pretty blackwork embroidery of late and I have been promising to find mine, a stitch sampler from long ago......here it is, Fiona.  It was never intended to become anything, just a sampler of filling stitches which I found interesting.

The colour on the bottom left was also an experiment, one which I took no further.  From memory they are all worked with cotton floss, mostly one strand I think; it was a long time ago, after all.

Some of the stitches look 'the same but different'.  This is because an empty space in the first sample was filled with a cross stitch in the second, or the second sample was over more or less threads than the first.  A few designs are also made with pattern darning in which the thread is carried over a specific number of threads on both the right and wrong sides of the work; say, over three threads on the front and two on the back, with every row or second row being moved over by one stitch.

Blackwork embroidery is a technique which has been around for a very long time.  In the 1500s in Europe it was used to trim fine linen chemises and cuffs, worked in silks - usually black, but sometimes red or blue.  If you had a garment trimmed with such fine embroidery you were probably a person of some wealth and discernment.  I haven't made any garments, but I did make a table centre with a design of oak leaves and acorns worked in a warm brown thread on a yellow background.

How have you all been in these times of plague?  It has been another quiet week here Chez Wombats; we had our promised return visit from winter early in the week, and a very chilly visit it was too.  Snow was falling just an hour from us, while some people on the Other Side Of The River even had flakes of wet white stuff falling on them - a rare thing, indeed; last time snow fell here was back in 1984.

Now that we have passed the spring equinox we are heading into storm season, which officially starts on 1st October - next Friday - and continues until April.  There is a 'rain event' (great description, that) forecast for later in the week to usher in the storm season with style and panache, and get it under way.  Daylight saving time also starts here next weekend which will please me somewhat, as mornings have been far too light lately.  When one is not a morning person, as one isn't, one does like a later start to one's day without being blinded by sun shining into one's eyes at far too early an hour.

A few days ago I was entertained by some of the outfits worn on the red carpet for some award or other, I think this time the Emmys (or should that be Emmies?) - oh my goodness.  There was one frilly purple number that reminded me of the spare toilet roll cover of yore. There was a lot of boobage on display, not all of it flattering.....that tape must be pretty strong stuff, that's all I can say. One shorter green frock (most frocks were long) had a twirly skirt and fitted bodice and I absolutely lurved it, I covet it greatly although it would in no way fit me, and as for the shoes - it has been a long time since I could climb that high. There were, as usual, a certain number of frocks with vast amounts of sweeping skirts held up by tiny shoestring straps worn by slender little things; how the skirt doesn't drag the whole thing backwards off their narrow shoulders must be one of the mysteries of the universe. Blokes were being more adventurous with their clothing choices which is sometimes a good thing and sometimes......well......

We don't know who won. We have probably never even heard of the shows or people who won. We just look at the frocks.

"Parties in the country.

Morning and afternoon parties in the country, or at watering-places, are of a less formal character than in cities. The hostess introduces such of her guests as she thinks most likely to be mutually agreeable. Music or some amusement is essential to the success of such parties."

Well......we live in the country, and I could provide some ukulele amusement.....

Enjoy your days!

Spring is sprung

The grass is riz, and all that......

When we moved here back in 2010 there were a few plants in the garden that we couldn't identify, one of which was a bushy shrub just in front of the house....a camellia, I thought.  Kevin wanted to park the caravan on that side of the house and the shrub was in the way so he hacked into it somewhat severely, only to find that there wasn't enough room to wiggle the van past the house anyway.  Fast forward a few months and we noticed it sported masses of unassuming little flowers with the most heavenly scent, so I took a sample to the plant nursery to be told it's a Port Wine Magnolia, a slow-growing  - and very expensive to buy - plant, so he probably hacked several years and goodness knows how many dollars growth from it.  I have since said that judicious pruning is allowed; hacking is not.

I had to stand on our verandah to take this shot, the shrub is much taller than I am.  The neighbours' house is two story, to give you an idea of scale; and it's also taller than our caravan which you can just see at the side.

The leaves are not really as yellow as they look here, it was late afternoon on an overcast day.

One sprig was picked to bring the fragrance inside, sadly it only lasted a day before wilting but the scent hung around for longer.

The smell is fruity rather than flowery, and is a little reminiscent of apples.  Sort of but not quite......

This week's houses, one surrounded by tiny yachts.  I like the starry print on the green house.

Some people make a quilt by making one block a day.  For mine I am making two houses a week, plus one or two strips of greens for the setting triangles.  It's being nibbled at, rather than bitten into.

More work was done on "Imprismed", but there's no hurry to finish as it will be one of next year's projects.

A few days ago the dreaded bag over the head mask was donned, a brief visit (see what I did there?) paid to a shop which sells undies, and a purchase was made to keep dignity intact.  While out and about I called at the closing-down quilt shop and asked advice about my quilt as you go problem, which hopefully is now sorted.  There isn't a lot of stock left in the shop now but I did manage a purchase, all that was left on the roll of a lovely autumn leaf print.  Sale price is 50% off fabrics, 60% if you buy what's left on the roll.....so I saved more money that way, yes?

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.......

Kevin also managed to get his hair cut.  We have to grab opportunities with both hands when they present themselves in case there is another sudden snap lockdown, which is the way of our world at present.  My hair could also do with a trim, but it can wait a couple of weeks until after the school holidays when there won't be so many people out and about.  Let's face it......when your hair is already below shoulder length a bit longer doesn't matter, does it?  

This morning we woke to heavy fog with our expansive view completely gone, it has turned into a sunny afternoon - but winter is coming back in a couple of days with a very cold change, just to remind us that it hasn't, after all, completely left.  Just as well we haven't used all the firewood.

"The dress at a musical matinee is the same as at a reception, only bonnets are more generally dispensed with.  Those who have taken part, often remain for a hot supper."

Perhaps that means one could wear ribbons, flowers, feathers or some other such frippery in one's hair instead of the bonnet?  I have flower hair clips in many colours......except for pink.  I don't do pink.

Enjoy your days!

On to Plan B......or C........

No progress has been made on the Canadian quilt, because the corners have me stumped.  I have absolutely no idea how to make them quilt as you go unless the corner design is changed, and I don't want to change it.  I like it as it is. 

On Monday 'Weeds of Grace' was taken to my quilting friend, and as we sat in the sun enjoying a cuppa and a nibble I asked her advice on said corners.  "Well, you could......no, that wouldn't work.  Or you could perhaps......no, that won't work either" she said.  I have another person to ask for advice, fingers crossed she may have a workable suggestion.

Never mind.  A brilliant idea may pop into life into my brain one day.

Meanwhile, 'Imprismed' has been exhumed from its box.  It's not a big quilt (49 in by 56 in), it's just that I find foundation piecing a wee bit tedious although it's not difficult.......but now that its box has been re-opened (a bit like opening an Egyptian pyramid) work will continue on it.  These half-blocks are laid out but not all sewn together.

This week's houses, very bright and cheerful; one bright pink with tiny black spotty circles, and one teal with a bright orange door.

Back in the 1970s people were buying older timber or fibro houses and 'doing them up'; sometimes 'doing up' included painting the house a bright colour.  Pink was popular, so was purple.  (Well, it was the 1970s......)  The problem was that when there were only one or two bright houses in a street they really didn't go with other houses which were dark brick or the always popular white or cream paint, so the visual cohesion of the neighbourhood suffered as a result.  My neighbourhood won't have that problem, for sure, because nothing goes with anything else.

Gilbert and Sullivan's opera 'The Mikado' states in one song "When everyone is somebody, then no one's anybody".  My houses will all be somebodies so no one will stand out from the crowd.

Our world is opening up again.  We are now allowed to talk to other people although we still have to wear a bag over our head when out in public.  Kevin is hanging out for a haircut while I may have a chance to shop for undies, even if it means wearing the dreaded bag over the head mask.  Hopefully I will be able to get it done as quickly as possible, take off the mask and breathe again, because I certainly can't breathe while wearing it.  Which is a bit of a bother, really, because breathing is probably a good thing.

We may even be able to get together and play music again, and sing, and go back to choir!  The choir is due to perform at a concert at the end of November at which the ukulele group will also be playing and I will have a solo (yay me!), but we have missed over two months of singing since lockdown started which means we may not be ready to perform......and there is still no guarantee that the concert will be able to happen, anyway.  Sigh......

Earlier in the week Bianca had a trip to the vet because we were concerned about her.  She needed some fluids under the skin which she was given and has been fine since, but we know at nearly 19 she is on borrowed time.  We will just try to make her remaining weeks/months as comfortable and pain-free as possible for as long as possible.  When we moved in together over 47 years ago my grey and white cat Smokey came with me, and we have had at least one cat ever since......it will be a very quiet household indeed without Bianca.  

Continuing from last week's quote:

"It is the duty of the hostess to maintain silence among her guests during the performance of instrumental as well as vocal music.  If any are unaware of the breach of good manners they commit in talking or whispering at such times, she should by a gesture endeavour to acquaint them of the fact.  It is the duty of the hostess to see that the ladies are accompanied to the piano; that the leaves of the music are turned for them, and that they are conducted to their seats again.  When not intimately acquainted with them, the hostess should join in expressing gratification."

In other words - when at a musical entertainment of any sort, sit down, shut up, and listen.  Clap enthusiastically or politely at the end, but clap.  That is all.

Learning what not to do

Sometimes lessons learned from doing the wrong thing are as valuable, or more so, than learning how to do something correctly the first time you try.  

During the week five of the blocks for the Canadian quilt were joined with their black sashing strips......then taken apart again.  The plan for this is to quilt it myself, quilt-as-you-go style, something I have never attempted before.  Yes, folks - without a safety net!  It occurred to me that quilting one block at a time then joining it to its neighbour would be easier than quilting a larger panel of several blocks, so that is what will be done.  

Here are four of the blocks joined, before being taken apart again.

They looked so good together......sigh......never mind.  It is hoped that quilting will start this week.  Still have to work out how to do the borders, but no doubt inspiration will strike with the help of You Tube.

This week's houses, similar in colour but quite different when finished.  I like them both.

I'm fairly sure that's about half of the houses with the black and white borders completed, and about half to be done.  A couple more green strips were also made.

'Weeds of Grace' with its backing is being delivered to the quilter tomorrow.  We had a phone call a few days ago; she would like to get it done while things are quiet for her, while I am looking forward to having it finished.  We enjoyed our conversation and are looking forward to catching up tomorrow, it will be so nice to chat with another woman again!

So......things are moving along in the sewing room.

After a taste of spring we are now back to winter, and even have a fire going today.  Bianca is pleased about that, she enjoys lying in front of the fire.

Today's 'Shutdown Sunday' earrings are blue stones in a gold setting.  I don't know if it's real gold (although I think it is) and I don't know what the stones are, but I think they may be Amazonite.  They are pretty, anyway.

Today is Father's Day.  Kevin had a phone call earlier and we will also have our Sunday night online quiz with the family in Canberra, so there will be good wishes passed around and all will be jolly.

My father was a distant man, not always a kind man when I was a child, who walked out on my mother after 25 years of marriage and three children; he never made contact with any of us again before he died nearly 20 years later.  His death certificate says no previous marriages (he had re-married a few years earlier) and no children, despite by then having three adult children and an ex-wife, so the new wife was probably never told about his earlier family.  He never met Kevin and never met his four grandchildren - my sons and my brother's daughters, although he was at my brother's wedding.

It was quite a strange thing for my brothers and I to read the information on his death certificate (we obtained a copy in case there were medical issues we should know about, for our own health information) and to read the word "None" where it should read "Three", under "Children of Deceased".  Perhaps we never really existed at all......

An old saying in Australia, if someone is being gloomy and downcast, is to describe them as being "as happy as a bastard on Father's Day".......a saying which never fails to make me chuckle.

"Musical Matinees.

A matinee musicale partakes of the nature of a reception, and is one of the most difficult entertainments attempted.  For this it is necessary to secure those persons possessing sufficient vocal and instrumental talent to insure the success of the entertainment, and to arrange with them a programme, assigning to each, in order, his or her part.  It is customary to commence with a piece of instrumental music, followed by solos, duets, quartettes, etc., with instrumental music interspersed, in not too great proportions.  Some competent person is needed as accompanist."

Many people in those days had a 'party piece' which they used to perform at gatherings.  No doubt there were some very talented people on the programme.....and perhaps some less so, but at least they had a go.  Sadly, I think, the advent of recorded music on radio and records, and later TV, has deprived many people of the pleasure of making their own music because they don't consider they are up to the standard of professionals heard on those media.  It takes confidence to perform in public......it's not an easy thing to do.

Enjoy your days!

The name of my quilt is.......

......"Weeds of Grace".  Something weedy but not 'tumbleweeds', and Grace is my middle name.

You can find so much on the internet, among which are quotations on any subject you wish - even weeds, believe it or not!  That prolific writer William Shakespeare has some, one of which is from Richard III, Act II, scene 4:  "Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace".  Another by Shakespeare (the play was not named) is "Sweet flowers are slow, and weeds make haste" which, to me, is another way of saying the same thing.  So......change the words slightly, and you have 'Weeds of Grace'.  I like it.

This week's houses.

That black and white swirl on the yellow house is almost the stuff of nightmares; you wouldn't want to wake up in sheets with that pattern after a hard night, although it's not quite as bad in real life as it looks here.  

Kevin will be pleased when the current lockdown is over, he is hanging out for a haircut.....and I will be pleased when I can go shopping for undies as the undie situation is getting a bit parlous, although there is fabric in my stash which, if things get desperate, would be suitable.  I have made many garments over the umpteen years I have been sewing but have never made knickers, although I know women who have.  There's always online shopping, but I prefer to feel the fabric before I wear it against my skin.

Speaking of sewing (notice how one subject segués into another so seamlessly?  she's not bad, is she?) earlier today we watched a program devoted to rural Australian topics, 'Landline', which had a segment on Madame Weigel.  Johanna Weigel arrived in Australia with her new husband in 1877 and soon after that started a business making clothing patterns.  The business lasted until 1968 - I remember Madame Weigel patterns, although I have never made one up.  She grew her business by having agents in country towns who stocked her patterns so women in rural areas could be as smartly dressed as their city sisters.  Just imagine the excitement in a farming household or in a small town far from a big city when a bundle of new patterns for the whole family arrived, everything from a wedding gown to a layette for an expected baby!  In just 1915 alone over one million patterns were sold - it was big business, but we never hear about Madame Weigel today.

I bet if the business had been started and run by men we would know all about it, wouldn't we.

My Sunday earrings this week are silver, bought many many years ago at a folk festival.  They were bought from Celtic Dreaming jewellery; I have many of their pieces and love their designs.  These are today's........Short Knot Earrings; there are also other earrings, a pendant, and a couple of brooches made by Desmond in my jewellery box.  If one is going to have trinkets (and one does like a nice trinket) they should be good ones, and these are good indeed.  We looked forward to seeing what new pieces Desmond and his wife had, and watched his gorgeous daughters grow from small children to beautiful women, for 25 years - although that hasn't happened since 2019.  The festival is supposed to happen again next Easter, but who knows if it will?  

We aren't holding our collective breath.  So many events have been postponed, and postponed again, then eventually cancelled......we had hoped to see a production by the local musical society in late October but now it, too, has been postponed until May next year.  We keep trying to be cheerful and looking on the bright side, but lately the bright side is becoming a bit tarnished. 

I'm sorry to say you all missed out on last week's Pumpkin Raisin Bars, but they were very nice.

"Invitations.

Invitations to a reception are simple, and are usually very informal.  Frequently the lady's card is sent with the simple inscription "At Home Thursday, from four to seven."  No answers are expected to these invitations, unless "R. S. V. P." is on one corner.  One visiting card is left by each person who is present, to serve for the after call.  No calls are expected from those who attend.  Those who are not able to be present, call soon after."

When I was a child it was not uncommon for family and friends to call unexpectedly.  There would be a knock on the door and we would hear "yoo hoo - anyone home?"  Doors were seldom locked, so whoever it was could just walk in.  While we don't necessarily wish to go back to the formality of the 1880s as in my book, I don't like the idea of anyone walking in on me either.  I like my privacy.

Enjoy your days!

Backing up

The back of the tumbler quilt is done!

The leafy stripe bought recently has been well and truly cut into; the main backing fabric was bought in Canberra in April.  It is fairly dark but suits the quilt well, I think.  Now to have speech with a long-arm quilter.  If we are allowed to talk to each other......sigh.......

It also needs a name.  When it was in progress many people asked why I was making it by hand, to which my answer was "why not?"  So "Why not" was going to be its name, but I am having second and third thoughts.  "One man's weeds are another man's flowers" is a saying I like; the tumbler shape puts me mind of the old song "Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds", so perhaps it will be named something weedy.

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

This week's houses.

Bird tracks around a bright house that came all the way to the neighbourhood from Missouri - thank you, Sally, I hope you like what has been done to it!  The other bright house in a night sky is pretty much the last of that shaded lime fabric.  Another strip of green has been made; the seams are being pressed open to make for easier slicing and dicing when it happens.

Work has resumed on finishing off blocks for the Canadian quilt, little touches such as embroidering animals' eyes and noses, etc., because a polar bear without its black nose and eye is just a white blob.  It would probably still eat you though.

The wattle at twilight, still looking good but lacking the golden glow of daytime.

Earlier this month it was 12 months since my eye surgery, a whole year of seeing better with amazingly wider vision!  The deterioration in my range of vision had happened gradually over several years as the skin around the eyes became droopier, but until it was corrected I hadn't realised just how bad it had become.  There is a banana-shaped scar over each eye which, fortunately, isn't as noticeable as it first was, but it is worth it.  One woman in my sewing group made a crack about "cosmetic surgery" prior to having it done but believe me - it wasn't.  

My comment last week about always wearing earrings, even with trakky saks, has made people smile.  After so long with pierced ears I feel undressed without earrings; it took until I was 30 and had already given birth to pluck up courage to have it done (because what's a couple of little ear holes compared to popping out a baby, right?) and now have quite a collection.  Today's are dark blue, a little (fake) sapphire bead with a  teardrop (fake) sapphire set in (fake) gold hanging from it, matching my dark blue shirt.  

Even in lockdown we have our standards, you know.

It has been the usual quiet week.  A medical appointment on Friday meant donning the dreaded mask and waiting my turn, so by the time I was seen my blood pressure had shot up so high due to stress that the staff were quite alarmed.  They told me to take off the mask, much to my relief, even though it had to be re-donned to walk out through the waiting room and back down to the car.

"The Refreshments.

The refreshments for "morning receptions" are generally light, consisting of tea, coffee, frozen punch, claret punch, ices, fruit and cakes.  Often a cold collation is spread after the lighter refreshments have been served, and sometimes the table is set with all the varieties, and renewed from time to time."

Earlier this week I made pumpkin raisin bars with maple frosting, and very nice they are too.  If you visit for a morning reception before they are all gone you will be offered some - but we like them and they are disappearing fast, so there won't be any unless you hurry.  I'm sorry to say, though, that you are out of luck with the claret punch.

Enjoy your days!

Glorious golden gorgeousness

Don't you love the alliteration?  This is our little wattle bush, which is now doing amazingly well.

It was planted several years ago and for quite a while really struggled, not helped by the fact that its leaves were eaten off - all but three.  It was a collection of sticks with those few little green leaves; Kevin was all for pulling it out but I said "it's not dead, you know, it has three green leaves" so he left it.  I can't remember what it's called, there is probably a card somewhere in a Very Safe Place, but suffice it to say it's an Aussie native.  It didn't flower at all last year, not one little golden ball despite flowering for two years before that, perhaps the drought was still in its veins - but it is now making up for lost time.

This week's houses, don't you love that eye-popping fabric on the left?     

My black and white stash includes other eye poppers, too.  I also like the white gingko leaves on black and wish my stash also had it in the reverse colourway.  Some green squares were also joined, making two strips of seven squares.

Baking for the tumbler quilt is being pieced as we speak.  The extra wide fabric for the backing was bought on our trip down south a few months ago and is large enough for the purpose but there are also quite a few tumblers left from the front which had been made into a wide strip, because I'm not wasting all that hand piecing.  The backing and quilt top were spread out on the design bed then the pieced panel laid on top, leftover border fabrics were brought out, and much thinking was done.  The thinking resulted in the decision that, no matter how deeply I thought, there was not going to be enough of the outer border stripe for my purpose.  Bugger, said I.  So the local store it was brought from was rung, the details on the selvage quoted......"yes, we still have some, how much would you like?"  "I'll take the lot" said I, bearing in mind that this is the shop which is closing down forever and ever next month, so what's not bought from them now may have to remain unbought for all time.  Kevin collected it for me (50% off, woo hoo!) and it is exactly perfectly the right amount.  Measuring was done, more thinking was done, figures were written down, more thinking, coffee was drunk, more thinking.....oh no, that's not right, it needs to be cut double the height not double the width, erase some figures, write in new (hopefully correct) ones.  The panel is now made, it is waiting to be pressed, then the backing will be cut into two pieces and the pieced panel joined in.......and I will be happy.  

It will be booked in with a local quilter when we are allowed to talk to people - which we aren't much at present, because we are locked down.  Again.  Despite having no active cases of plague our town was locked down for a week from 5 p.m. last Monday, as a woman who later tested positive had visited family here the previous week.  We still have no cases but the lockdown has extended to the whole state, so until at least the end of next weekend and goodness knows how much longer we are only allowed out for hunting and gathering, and essential shopping such as medicinal stuff and things like that.  Again.  Sigh....

So we sit around and sew, and knit, and plink the occasional note on a uke, and read, and do crosswords (me) or soduku (Kevin), and grin at each other.  At least we're still allowed to do that.

"The dress.

The dress for receptions is, for men, morning dress; for ladies, demi-toilet, with or without bonnet.  No low-necked dress nor short sleeves should be seen at day receptions, nor white neckties and dress coats.

The material of a lady's costume may be of velvet, silk, muslin, gauze or grenadine, according to the season of the year, and taste of the wearer, but her more elegant jewellery and laces should be reserved for evening parties."

Right now, I'm ashamed to say, our day and evening attire consists of trakky daks.......but I always wear earrings.

Enjoy your days!