Slightly late slightly stressed trees

Much of yesterday was spent at a museum sewing, and singing and playing ukulele, and talking to people about sewing and about singing and Stuff......and another visit to the emergency department in the evening to have Kevin's hand checked because it was swollen....and that was my yesterday.  Today, however, is another day.

This week's trees, one which reflects the now-darker wattle.....

....and one which looks like interesting petroglyphs.  Some sort of glyphs, anyway.

Both reverse trees.  It's interesting to see how fabrics change according to the other fabrics they are partnered with.  There are now 76 trees, the same as the number of trombones in the well-known song.

Yesterday's time at the historical museum produced one bag; two were cut out and went along with me, one was started and completed.   The other will be made up on a day that I just feel like some mindless sewing

The white lines are straight but to fit it in a photograph it needed to be bent a little, hence the wiggly lines.  I'm not sure that I love it enough to want to keep it but my friend was admiring it yesterday, so it might be gifted to her.

The weekly wattle.  As you can see the bright lemon colour is darkening; we had rain during the week, and those little fluffy yellow balls were heavy with the weight of water.  They have since popped up again.

The colour, however, has changed for the season.

Kevin's hand is, we hope, healing.  The last stitches were removed on Friday but a close eye is still being kept on it by the medical people.  As directed by the hospital people ("see your regular doctor in a week") we duly trotted along last Tuesday, and indeed every day for the following four days.  We will be back again this afternoon at 4p.m. - we should have had a reprieve from medical visits over the weekend, but Kevin's hand had other ideas - and possibly several more times this week.  At last night's visit the hand was unwrapped, checked....not too bad, you can wait to see a doctor if you think you need to, but it will be several hours' wait.....re-wrapped by the nurse who didn't think it needed to be seen by a doctor, thank goodness...so we will see what is said this afternoon.  It doesn't feel too bad he says.  That's good, I says.  Have you ever tried to keep an old bloke from doing things?  It's not easy, let me tell you.  I do let him put the car in and out of the garage, magnanimous person as what I am.

The historical museum yesterday was fun.  The house is called 'Calala Cottage' and this year celebrates 150 years since it was built, so of course the ukulele players sang 'Happy Birthday' with the audience joining in.  The Cunning Plan had been to take one of my 1920s Singer treadle machines along but, as Kevin's hand didn't lend itself to taking apart, carrying and re-assembling a heavy machine twice, I came up with the idea of taking my 1950 Singer Featherweight 221 instead.  It's still an old machine albeit 75 years old rather than 98, but as it's so small and easy to manage it was the right decision - and it still generated a lot of interest.  A couple of women said "oh, a Featherweight!" so of course we chatted about them, and even a few older blokes talked about their memories of learning to sew by hand and by machine as children; one man in particular was very interesting.  I didn't mind the chats; if no one was interested in the machine and what I was doing I could have accomplished more, but it wouldn't have been as much fun.

In fact, it's been such a busy week that I still haven't had that rest......

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted - my knitting now goes with me every time we get in the car, because we never know how long these medical appointments are going to take....one sleeve is nearly completed, and the other has been started.  Many songs have been plinked and sung, and yesterday's audience enjoyed our offerings; a few of the U3A folk had never performed in public before but did very well, and our audience said nice things to us and about us.

"Requirements for a happy marriage.

Respect for each other is as necessary to a happy marriage as that the husband and wife should have an affection for one another.  Social equality, intellectual sympathy, and sufficient means are very important matters to be considered by those who contemplate matrimony."

Well, yes.  To which I would add, to be happy to drive each other to medical appointments.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Taking over the universe

One of these days it might, you know.  One of our darker blue rosemary bushes is growing, and spreading....and growing and spreading some more......

.....and of course, if brushed against, it smells wonderful.  Yes, it does get used in the kitchen.

This week's wattle pic taken a few minutes ago, which is about as up-to-date as you can get - and it, too, smells heavenly.

The forecast for the coming days is for rain so it may get somewhat bedraggled, but will soon bounce back when the rain stops.

This week's trees.  First an interesting brown tree with a rich blue/green contrast, which was one of the Summertime Blues fabrics.

This fishy fabric has been in my stash for many years, so long that I had nearly forgotten about it....it was near the bottom of the Big Basket.  The contrast has affirmatory words such as 'peace' - 'beauty' - 'love' etc.  All a bit hippy dippity, but it makes a fun contrast.

These two make 68 blocks which is very apt, as our house number is 68.

Way back in the mid-1990s when I was branching out from dressmaking into patchwork, I found a quilt in a now-defunct Ozzie quilting magazine which I thought would be within my capabilities.  The pattern is called 'Road to St Louis' and uses lots of two inch squares and two main fabrics; the magazine example used navy and cream as the main fabrics, but that wasn't quite 'me'.  I saw the same quilt at a show, and thought - wow!  The smaller scraps were all autumn prints while the two main fabrics were two shades of olive-khaki, and it was very striking.  That inspired a shopping trip for my two main fabrics, and I decided on a light green mottled tone on tone and this fishy batik.

I was very happy with the result.  It was the first quilt I quilted on My Lovely New Bernina - one of the first quilts I ever quilted at all, actually - so I didn't really know what I was doing, but it worked just fine.

You can see the fishes on the batik print here, as well as my somewhat shaky stitches which were done in variegated Aurifil thread.  

For many years it travelled with me in our caravan, and now it keeps me warm here at home.

How has everyone been this week?  Stitches have been seen and knitted; the first sleeve is progressing well, and will soon be up to the armhole.  Words have been read.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  Choir is much missed.  On Thursday we discussed moving the ukulele group to another day, and every day or time mentioned had someone saying "Oh no, I can't do that time".  So....I have decided that, as leader, I will find another time and another venue, and present it as a fait accompli.  Those who can come can do so, and those who can't, can't   There are only so many mornings or afternoons during the week; weekends most people are doing family Stuff, or social Stuff, or whatever Stuff.  At this stage I am looking at Monday afternoons.

We'll see what happens.  

Thank you to the anonymous person who left a comment a couple of weeks ago, who came up as 'unknown' - yes, we survived the flood which was nowhere near us, fortunately.  Today is sunny but cold, the sun is shining brightly but has very little warmth, so the fire is welcome.

Earlier today I was downloading a book to my tablet which, it turned out, I had previously read, so I deleted it and found another.  Its title has subsequently gone from my mind, but it was something akin to "empty grave", which set me thinking - can a grave be empty?  it would just be a hole in the ground, surely - a grave only becomes a grave when it contains someone buried, you would think?

We are still courting:

"Custom insists that the consent of parents must always be obtained before the daughter is asked to give herself in marriage.  Still in this country, with our social customs, it is deemed best in some cases not to be too strict in this regard.  Each case has its own peculiar circumstances which must govern it, and it seems at least pardonable if the young man should know his fate directly from the lips of the most interested party, before he submits himself to the cooler judgement and the critical observation of the father and mother, who are not by any means in love with him, and who may possibly regard him with a somewhat jealous eye, as having already monopolized their daughter's affections, and now desires to take her away from them altogether."

This is so.  

Along a similar line, to my mind, are public proposals of marriage in which a (usually young-ish) man goes down on one knee before a (we presume) (perhaps) unsuspecting woman, opens a ring box to display a sparkling trinket, and pops the question.  Sometimes it works out with tears of joy all round - and sometimes it backfires.

That is a horrible thing to do.  If it goes well then it is smiles all around, but if not.....she is humiliated, and he is even more so.  Do not do it.  Such occasions should be private.  You can share the joy once she says yes and the ring is safely ensconced on her finger, but if the answer is no then both parties are spared the embarrassment of a public refusal.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Two thirds of an Arboretum

66 blocks are now finished, and there are only 33 to go.

Would you call this colour greyish-green, or greenish-grey?  Not sure about the creatures either, they look like something which lives under the depths of the deep dark ocean.  It's leftover from fabric which came with a bag kit purchased in Canada several years ago, the fabric quantities given were very generous.

Such a dull colour needs a bright contrast, yes?

This blue fabric also made an appearance in Summertime Blues.  It puts me in mind of life under a coral reef, seaweed gently waving with the movement of water.

This week's underwater blocks, or sub aquatic if you like.

The weekly wattle pic, more of those little yellow balls of fluff have opened since this was taken a couple of days ago.

Next year's flowering shoots are already growing!

Wattles are known for not being very long-lived compared to other trees, but this keeps hanging on; I can't remember when we planted it, but it was several years ago now.  We have had native plants which were going along quite happily suddenly turn up their toes and die for no apparent reason - Aussie native plants are notoriously finicky, but that doesn't stop me from loving them - we keep expecting the wattle to succumb to a similar fate, but no.  Not yet.  If we had known when it was planted that it would grow so big, it would have been put in a different spot.....but perhaps then it might not have considered that to be the 'perfect' spot, and might not have grown as well as it has.

Not bad for a plant which nearly died soon after being planted.  Something was eating its tender green leaves and it looked a poor sick little thing; Kevin was going to rip it out....don't you dare I said, it's not dead yet, it has three little green leaves....so he left it......those leaves are slightly larger than a fingernail.  The card which came with it has been lost along the way, but it could be Knife Leaf Wattle.

How has everyone been this week?  We mooched around as usual; words have been read, stitches were sewn and knitted, the back of my jumper is finished and work is coming along nicely on the first sleeve.  (The decision has been made - it will be a jumper rather than a cardy.)  Songs were plinked and sung.  Sadly I am now on a break from choir, at least until such time as the U3A ukulele group moves away from Thursday afternoon.  An email was sent to members this week laying out the options which were - find another time to meet, or find another leader.  To date there have been a couple of replies, so we will talk about it on Thursday. 

We are still properly courting.

"It seems that circumstances must determine whether courtship may lead to engagement.  Thus, a man may begin seriously to court a girl, but may discover before any promise binds them to each other, that they are entirely unsuited to one another, when he may, with perfect propriety and without serious injury to the lady, withdraw his attentions."

These days we have forgotten how much damage could be done to a young woman's reputation by a broken engagement, haven't we?  Once tarnished it was very difficult to polish it up again, and indeed she could be considered 'damaged goods' which could make it hard to find her true love.

Australian writer Andrew 'Banjo' Paterson, as a young man, had a reputation for being of the love-'em-and-leave-'em persuasion.  For several years he was engaged to a woman named Sarah but the engagement was broken off - Sarah never married.  Her friend Christina was also pursued by young Mr Paterson, there were rumours of a dalliance - Christina never married.  It was said that mothers of eligible women did not trust young Mr Paterson.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Nearly half way through April!

How can this be?  I'm sure it was January just the other day.....

Easter is coming up next weekend, and we won't be at the folk festival.  Oh well, we shall just have to play some of our CDs bought at festivals in the past, and pretend that we are.  Perhaps I could plink a note or two, and maybe burst into song very late at night, as one has been known to do at folk festivals.

This week's trees.

The palm tree fabric has been in my stash for quite some time.  Our town has a lot of palm trees.

A bright fabric, a gift from a friend several years ago, some of which has also been used in another quilt.  Not sure what the leaves and fruit are - olives, perhaps?  The contrast fabric looks solid but has different colours, almost too pale to show up in this pic.

A twin portrait.

We get to enjoy this gorgeous hibiscus which is in our neighbour's front garden.  The flowers are quite large and frilly; fortunately this one was low enough that I could photograph it easily, which is not always the case.

I don't know what this blue flower is!  It pops up in the garden every year, although it's not one that we planted; it was already here when we came.  The flowers are quite a bright electric blue (not as light as they appear here), and the leaves take on a beautiful rusty-red colour in autumn and winter, so it's not an Ozzie native.

A sign in the Canadian pub in Canberra, which made me chuckle.

How has everyone been this week?  We have hunted and gathered, and gone out for various purposes, and come home again.  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn.  Notes have been plinked and sung; no choir this week because of Easter, so we have a week off.  U3A ukulele group is now on holidays as we go by NSW school terms; several of the members have grandparent duty in the holidays, or are away, so we don't meet for those weeks.  We will back playing together next month.

A project which will be done during the cooler months will be sorting out music.  Some weeks ago I bought a two-drawer filing cabinet, and during the week bought a box of hanging folders and tags to use with it.  There is so much music spread around our living/dining room that the table is unusable, so that will be taken care of....some will be filed, some will be culled, but a decision will be made on each and every piece of paper as it is picked up.  Once that is done, it will be the turn of quilting, sewing and craft paperwork to be sorted.  A big job - but eventually it needs to be done.

"Assisting a lady to mount.

The lady will place herself on the left side of the horse, standing as close to it as possible, with her skirts gathered in her left hand, her right hand upon the pommel, and her face toward the horse's head.  The gentleman should stand at the horse's shoulder, facing the lady, and stooping, hold his hand so that she may place her foot in it.  This she does, when the foot is lifted as she springs, so as to gently aid her in gaining the saddle.  The gentleman must then put her foot in the stirrup, smooth the skirt of her riding habit, and five her the reins and her riding whip."

I wonder what those women back in 1885, with their riding habits and side saddles, would make of how women dress to ride now?  They might be aghast at the current skin-tight riding clothing....but on the other hand, they may envy the freedom it gives.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Tidgy widgy teeny weeny

Yesterday at quilt group I spoke to Margaret who will be quilting Autumn Rhapsody for me, showed her the project photograph in the magazine that I am using, and asked about the peeper border.....I had a feeling that she would want it sewn, or at least tacked, down......and sure enough, she does.  Tack it down but don't use big stitches, she said, they can still get caught on the machine foot.

Well, no.  I can't be bothered tacking it down then having to remove those tacking stitches, possibly pulling at the quilting stitches in the process, so the Big Decision was made to applique it down with tidgy widgy teeny weeny stitches which will stay in the quilt.  The peeper across the bottom hasn't been done, the right hand side has - you can see it is already laying flatter than the unsewn one.   

Four sides with 48 inches per side.  One quarter of one side has been done.  That will keep me out of mischief for a while, won't it?

The bag which was in progress last week has been finished and handed over.

The fabrics aren't quite "me", but I hope its new owner likes it.

You can see the four tone on tone fabrics used to trim the handle, ruby, emerald, sapphire, rich teal.  The deep emerald was quite luscious.....now those 22 squares have been moved out of my sewing room.  Yay for me.

Seven years ago this callistemon, 'Wee Johnny', was planted.  It took four years before it managed a single red bloom - Aussie native plants can be finicky - but now it's going along really well.  He lives up to his name, he's not up to my knees and probably won't grow much bigger than he is now; 'Wee Johnny' is a hybrid bred from a larger callistemon called 'Little John'.  The short flowers are very soft, and the leaves are quite stiff.

Not sure what this is, our gardeners - yes, we now have gardeners, a hard-working couple who keep things looking good for us - have planted a couple of them in the back garden.  The flowers are small, each flower is both red and white, and it fills the space nicely.

How has everyone been this week?  We've had a fairly routine week; my injured eye is doing well, thank goodness; the drops are being used as directed.  Exercises for my arm and hand have slackened off since hurting my eye as my energies have been concentrated on that, but as it's now able to be used for more things I reckon the daily activities are probably exercise anyway.  My right hand can now make a fist although not as tightly as the left, but that's still something it couldn't do a couple of months long ago.

Stitches have been sewn by hand and by machine.  Some diamonds have been sewn, and a few more have been cut.  Notes have been plinked and sung; rehearsals for our World Premiere are coming along well.  Words have been read.  We hunted and gathered, our Big Event of the week, and that was it.

Off to the hairdresser tomorrow morning for a trim, oh dear I really dislike having to stare at myself in the mirror while she flitters around me......a mirror-less salon would be a wonderful thing, wouldn't it, but I don't suppose they exist.  I manage with only two, or at most three trims a year, and that's plenty, I reckon.  Some women enjoy being pampered at the salon, but not me.  I just don't like having Things done to me.  

We were talking to our neighbour the other day who is, like me, disgusted at the lack of women on the new council and the recycling of the former mayor.  We wondered why it happened, and can only assume that many people were too lazy to do anything other than vote 1, 2, 3 down the page without looking at names or local issues.  We also agreed that one particular man needs a makeover; like it or not, people in public office are judged on their appearance, his face reminds us of one which would have been seen on an old-style "Wanted" poster, and his hair looks as though he cuts it himself - badly.

Continuing with Duties of an Escort:

"Upon arriving at her destination, he should conduct her to the ladies' waiting-room or a carriage, until he has attended to her baggage, which he arranges to have delivered where the lady requests it.  He should then escort her to whatever part of the city she is going, and deliver her into the hands of her friends before relaxing his care.  On the following day he should call upon her to inquire after her health.  It is optional with the lady whether the acquaintance shall be prolonged or not after this call.  If the lady does not wish to prolong the acquaintance, she can have no right, nor can her friends, to request a similar favor of him at another time."

That seems fair enough.  A travel escort seems like a very good idea, doesn't it?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Leafy inspiration

The centre panel of Autumn Rhapsody is done.

The fabric on the sides is the bed sheet laid over the slightly rough wire fence, to protect the quilt.  Because of plants and rocks it wouldn't ~quite~ hang straight, but you get the idea; just two borders, a narrow inner and a wider outer, and the top will be done.  It's been good therapy while my damaged bits have been healing, so yay for me!

Earlier today I was tootling around in EQ7, when I came across a project I had forgotten about.

Many (many!) years ago I saw a similar quilt at a show.  From memory its blocks were fairly small - possibly three inch finished HSTs - but the thought popped into my head that those 78 leftover HST blocks would also work with this design; the finished block size was enlarged to four inches which, with borders, will make a quilt.58 inches square.  That means only 66 more HSTs are needed so just 33 squares to be cut....that's not much, is it....it isn't as though I lack for fabric, after all!  This colouring uses batik fabrics (that, too, must have been part of my original brainwave) and one background, but my autumn fabrics will have mixed backgrounds.  The twisted pole design which was my original idea for the leftovers can wait its turn, this design will use up those leftover blocks very quickly.

Since we moved here 14 years ago we have had surprises in the garden, one of which is these bluebells which pop up every now and then.  They don't flower every year, but are pretty when they do; they share their spot with the white snowdrops which flowered a few weeks ago.

The binding on my blue and green quilt is almost all sewn to the back; one more evening's TV viewing should do it then it, too, can be photographed in the garden, with a bit of luck before the bluebells finish flowering.....because they, too, are blue and green.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn by hand and by machine.  Exercises have been diligently done each day.  Songs have been sung and notes plinked, a little shopping so we don't starve, and that's been our week.

Speaking of songs....our choir director, Bill, is a very clever musician.  He has written plays and musicals, some of whose songs have been sung by the choir at concerts.  For a while now he has been talking of his latest musical based on a famous Australian book 'We of the Never-Never' by Jeannie Gunn.  (I'm ashamed to say I have never read it, but plan to do so in the near future.)  Since late last year we have been learning songs from the musical, and really enjoying it....and now it is to be performed, with the choir in the cast.  Its first performance will be a concert performance so there will be no scenery, no fancy lighting or costumes; singers playing the leads will wear performance black, with their character being shown by a hat, or a costume prop to set the scene.  We in the chorus - the 'ensemble' - will wear black pants with bright tops or shirts, one single colour each.  So....in mid-November we will take part in a World Premiere Performance, how amazing is that!  It's a great honour to be part of such an occasion.

Nights and mornings are still cool enough to have a fire which we let go out during the day ,before lighting it again in the evening.  Rain is forecast for later in the coming week, we'll see if it falls.  From the various forecasts it's going to be fairly widespread and, in some places, quite heavy.  Some rain would be welcome as things are currently a bit dry, but we don't want a flood.  This evening is the spring equinox, so - like it or not - we can look forward to several months of warm, if not hot, weather.

Concluding Conduct in an artist's studio:

"A visitor should never stand behind an artist and watch him at his work; for if he is a man of nervous temperament it will be likely to disturb him greatly."

To which I might add, don't stand behind me when I am sewing and creating.  Even though I wouldn't describe myself as being of  "nervous temperament" it still puts me off.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Moving back into the neighbourhood

The big box which until recently held all the requirements for my Canadian quilt now has a new project - the house blocks have moved in.

'There goes the neighbourhood' is back!

Earlier in the week I took the blocks, the cut sashing pieces and my 1950 Singer Featherweight machine to quilt group, and sewed sashings to blocks.  Nearly half the blocks have now had sashing sewn on one side.

Some of the result laid out on my work table to be admired.  The sashings will be joined to one block side first, the blocks laid out to mix the house and background colours to my satisfaction then they will be joined into rows....after that the looong narrow sashings will be made and atttached, and the top made.

It will be a fun happy quilt, with a lot of yellow.

Some diamonds have been cut, no stitches knitted.  Words have been read, notes have been plinked, songs have been sung.  Hunting and gathering has taken place.

Because it's getting to 'that' time of year, here is some New South Wales Christmas bush.

We had a couple of plants in our garden in the Big Smoke but sadly they don't grow here, we're too far away from coastal humidity and don't have the right soil.  We could probably spend an exorbitant amount of money and buy some from a florist, but for now I'll live on the memory of it.  The flowers are teeny tiny little white blooms, nothing much to look at; the red - sometimes it is really vibrant bright red, not pink like this - are the sepals behind the flowers.

Last night we atttended a concert featuring instruments not usually seen here.  We had a saz....and an oud.....flamenco guitar, double bass, clarinet, soprano and tenor saxophones, piano, a singer.....it was a fun night and the music was really interesting, a mix from different cultures.  We were told that there will be more similar music next year - looking forward to that!  It makes a change from twanging country music guitars, usually a popular choice hereabouts.

The weather folk have told us to expect some rain tomorrow, and it will be very welcome.  You wouldn't think that after all our rain and floods of recent times that we would need more rain, but we do; the warmer dry weather of late has really dried out our gardens, our skin and our hair, so we are looking forward to some moisture.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Always recognize acquaintances.

One should always recognize lady acquaintances in the street, either by bowing or words of greeting, a gentleman lifting his hat.  If they stop to speak, it is not obligatory to shake hands.  Shaking hands is not forbidden, but in most cases it is to be avoided in public."

I wonder why that should be the case?  A handshake is not an intimate greeting like a hug or a smoochy kiss, something which a bystander might find embarrassing to witness.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

There's the right way, and there's the wrong way

A few days ago the binding for my Canadian quilt was cut, diagonal seam lines marked - because if seam lines are marked the strips are sewn together correctly, right? - and the strips joined.  The wrong way.  Thse seams have now been fixed, and there is one long strip instead of strips going off at strange angles to each other.

My calculations were correct; the seven strips called for in the pattern were much too long so I cut five strips and measured them after joining, but it wasn't quite long enough for that final join and for corner allowances.  Another strip has now been joined on, making it (hopefully) long enough.  It just needs to be pressed....then it can be pinned to the quilt, yay!  The second label is also done.

Aren't these cute little flowers?  Over the years we have taken some interesting pictures, so every now and then the photo vault will be dug into and something retrieved.  This was taken at Mount Annan Botanical Garden the year before we left the Big Smoke behind.....these are paper daisies or everlastings, and are popular for dried arrangements.

It is raining again....another flood warning is in place.....we'll all be rooned, said Hanrahan, if this 'ere rain don't stop.....a line from a poem by John O'Brien, the pen name of Father Patrick Joseph Hartigan.  Patrick Hartigan was born in 1878 to Irish immigrant parents in Yass and grew up with a great love of country Australia and its people, serving as parish priest in small towns before moving to Sydney many years later.  'Said Hanrahan' is well known, many Aussies recall studying it at school, and the line "we'll all be rooned, said Hanrahan" has become a byword for lighthearted pessimism.

Now that both labels are finished, other projects can be resumed.  A few diamonds have lately been joined but more need to be cut for the Tumbling Blocks quilt; not long ago I calculated how many would be needed to make a smallish quilt, and the answer was - 449 hexagons each made of three diamonds, making a total of 1347 diamonds.  There are already nigh on 70 hexagons made....they go together very quickly, and are fun to make.

Not one stitch has been knitted.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked, indeed two gigs in just a few days has kept us busy!  Our midweek performance at the seniors' village was well received, and afternoon tea was indeed as delicious as was promised.  We'll be back there in a few months, by request.  Yesterday's fun day also went successfully; the acoustics in that club were bad, but we soldiered personfully on.  Now we have a week's rest, then another gig at a charity fundraising market next Sunday.  We have played for them a few times, the organisers are lovely people and very appreciative that we give our time.

Thoughts are turning to the occasion late next month which is now starting to make its presence felt.  For many years we have gone out to lunch or dinner to make the day more festive, otherwise we would just sit around and grin at each other.....but not this year.  Prices are so steep that we could buy food for a few weeks with what that one meal would cost, so we will stay home.  We realise that restaurants have to pay staff higher holiday rates, and food costs are increasing everywhere, but two Olde Phartes are not going to eat $300 worth of food at one meal.

Oh well......so long as I can have a couple of mince pies with good quality cream and don't have to do much cooking, I'm happy.....

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Recognizing friends in the street.

No one, while walking the streets, should fail, through pre-occupation, or absent-mindedness, to recognize friends and acquaintances. either by a bow or some form of salutation.  If two gentlemen stop to talk, they should retire to one side of the walk.  If a stranger should be in company with one of the gentlemen, an introduction is not necessary.  If a gentleman meets another gentleman in company with a lady whom he does not know, he lifts his hat to salute them both.  If he knows the lady, he should salute her first.  The gentleman who accompanies a lady, should always return a salutation made to her."

Interesting, isn't it, that "walking the streets" has come to have a different meaning these days.

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!

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!

Progress is....progressing

Quilting the border on my Canadian quilt has been started.

To help decide on the spacing of the lines, earlier in the week I made a mock-up on paper by measuring out the finished width (4-1/2 inches) then ruling lines 1-1/2 in apart.  The paper was then flipped over and the exercise repeated, this time with lines one inch apart.  The one inch spacing didn't work because of the half inch left on one side, so 1-1/2 in spacing it is.

If I have learned something during the making of this quilt - and, believe me, I have learned a lot - it's to never ever never again make a quilt with so much fusible applique.  It is very stiff, inflexible and heavy to work with, especially with the whole quilt to wiggle under the needle.

But......and yes, I know one should never start a sentence with but, but I did.....it looks so good!

Our wattle bush is blooming its little heart out and looking gorgeous in the process.  The leaves look sharp and spikey, but the pointed tips are actually quite soft.  Not all the blooms have blossomed, as you can see, but they will.

We planted it several years ago, and when it was very young something - we know not what - nibbled nearly all of those tiny tender leaves.  There were just three little leaves left, and Kevin was going to pull it out....don't you dare, I said to him, it's not dead yet, it has green leaves.....so he left it, we just trimmed off the obviously dead stems, and it eventually grew.  And grew.  Now it is glorious, and we can smell it whenever we go outside.

The past week has been busy with ukulele on two days, sewing group, a monthly volunteer day, etc.  Truly, I don't know how I ever found the time to work.  One of my treadle machines has also been raised in its cabinet and practice on it will start this week, as I'm demonstrating at a historical museum in a few weeks and I haven't treadled for some time.

The first sleeve on my jumper is finished, and the second one started.  It's a good mindless in-front-of-TV project - as is joining diamonds to make hexagons, more of which have been made.  Words have also been read, some more interesting than others.

Thoughts need to be thought for when the front of the jumper is knitted.  I am using a basic pattern raglan-sleeved pattern and have found an interesting cable design that I want to use on the front.  I'm not sure whether to do one repeat up the centre front, or one repeat on one side of the front.  Two repeats - maybe, but not spaced to make it look as though I'm wearing braces to hold my pants up.  Perhaps I could even push the boat out, and have three repeats marching up the centre front.

However, that's a decision which doesn't have to made for a while yet.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"In leaving a ball-room before the music has ceased, if no members of the family are in sight, it is not necessary to find them before taking your departure.  If, however, the invitation is a first one, endeavour not to make your exit until you have thanked your hostess for the entertainment.  You can speak of the pleasure it has afforded you, but it not necessary that you should say "it has been a grand success"."

In other words, don't go overboard with the effusive thanks.  

Enjoy your days!

Woe is me, shame and scandal in the family......

Anyone else remember that old song?  It was around when I was a Sweet Young Thing, and never failed to raise a chuckle.  I was reminded of it earlier in the week while watching one of those genealogical programs, which - even if we don't know of the person concerned - are usually interesting.  

My maternal grandmother Edith married twice, we grew up knowing that our mother and uncle had a much older step-sister.  Given that it was the early 1920s we always assumed - even my mother assumed - that Edith's first husband Albert had died, but no.  Edith took their daughter and left, and Albert sued for divorce on the grounds of desertion.  The decree nisi was granted in March 1923; I have a copy of the court proceedings (and very interesting reading it is too) which states bluntly "If you marry again before this decree is absolute you will be committing bigamy".  The decree absolute period was five years, probably standard for the time, which would mean that Edith and Albert were free to marry again in 1928.  Albert remarried in 1930 but - Edith and my grandfather Frank were married in September 1923, possibly because my mother was on the way.  I have long wondered if it was really a legal marriage so recently joined a social media genealogy group and asked the question.  The general opinion was, no, it was a bigamous marriage.  That would have made my mother and her brother illegitimate, something which would have cause great mortification and embarrassment to my mother had she known.  Finding out in her 60s that she was born just six months after her parents' marriage was bad enough for her.

It was nigh on 100 years ago and these days it doesn't matter, but it's still interesting to know, isn't it?  These are my grandparents Edith and Frank - Francis David - with my mother Mavis in 1924.  It's behind glass, hence the flash.

It's time for the annual wattle pic!  Our wattle is starting to bloom, we love its glorious golden gorgeousness.

Some shopping was done and a suitable top purchased for next week's gig, bought new on sale ($55 reduced to $20, not bad eh?) to be worn under this jacket.  The appliqué reminds me of the lotus design on my Singer treadle machines, both from the mid-1920s, which is very apt as the evening has a 'Roaring Twenties' theme.

This was bought a very long time ago at a quilt show in Canberra, the flowers are cut from a stripe while the foliage is an irridescent olive green, and the machine appliqué is exquisitely done.  The lining is a very deep dark olive green, the main fabric a black cotton blend.  It was a little pricey but I liked it, it was different and unique, beautifully made.....and twenty years later I still wear it, so it was money well spent.  Some sparkly jewellery, a flower for my hair, and I will be good to go.  

The quilting between the white and outer leafy print border on my Canadian quilt has been completed, now I am waiting for a decent block of time to free motion quilt the outer border.  Later in the week is looking hopeful, fingers crossed......diamonds have been pieced, more diamonds have been cut.  Stitches have been knitted, words have been read.  Shopping has been shopped.  Food has been cooked.  General running around has been run.  All the things that make the daily grind exciting, in other words, have been done.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"Though not customary for a married couple to dance together in society, those men who wish to show their wives the compliment of such unusual attention, if they possess any independence, will not be deterred from doing so by their fear of any comments from Mrs. Grundy."

'Mrs Grundy' was not a real person, but concern about offending her seems to have been strong in past times.  Many years ago Reg Grundy was a TV entrepeneur, and his name is now used as an Aussie rhyming term for underwear.....'Reg Grundies' for 'undies'.  I don't know what Mrs Grundy would have thought about that.

Enjoy your days!

A week of firsts

Quite a few 'firsts' have happened this week.  On Tuesday my first volunteer shift happened at a local gallery - volunteers started back last month but I didn't want to appear before the public looking like Dr Frankenstein's monster, so held back for a month - it was good to be out and about again.

Friday afternoon was my first time volunteering at a history museum - that was also postponed for a month - but as no visitors came, there was no social distancing to worry about.  It was also warm enough to wear a short-sleeved top, and......sandals!  First time for both bare arms and bare toes for several months.

It has rained.  The forecast is for more rain.  That will be good.

Following some deep thinking, yesterday a box was taken out of the cupboard in my sewing room and now cutting has re-commenced......not the gorgeous orange batik, but these black and white prints and others not in the pic.

These were already cut; triangles now, they will become diamonds.  

The design was inspired by a workshop a few years ago with Jenny Bowker, whose work I have long admired.  Unfortunately that was also the year of our two floods when nearly everything in our lives was shelved until things returned to a semblance of normality.  The original plan was for light and dark black and white background prints, but a quilt seen on our last Canadian visit which only used light black and white prints turned my mind in a different direction - so, mine will be all light.  The darks will keep for another project.  Or two.  Or maybe more.

I like black and white quilts.....this will be my third.

These creamy iris are flowering again just outside our back fence, planted by the previous owner.  They flowered the first year we moved here but have seldom flowered since, probably due to being trampled and eaten by visiting cattle from the other side of the hill.  The cattle haven't been around for ages......but today I noticed there is one flower, with more to come!

Days are getting longer, those lovely dark winter mornings have ended.  One has never been a person who bounds out of bed at the first sign of light, to cheerfully greet the new day.  One likes dark mornings.  We will have a short reprieve soon when daylight saving starts in a couple of weeks, but that will be it for some months.

Sigh.......

"The success of a dinner.

A host and hostess generally judge of the success of a dinner by the manner in which conversation has been sustained.  It if has flagged often, it is considered proof that the guests have not been congenial; but if a steady stream of talk has been kept up, it shows that they have smoothly amalgamated, as a whole.  No one should monopolize conversation, unless he wishes to win for himself the appellation of a bore, and be avoided as such."

No mention of mobile phones disrupting conversation, you notice.

Enjoy your days!