Double prosperity trees

In China the number 8 is believed to bring prosperity.  Its pronunciation "ba" in Mandarin sounds similar to "fa" - which means "to make fortune" - so this week's trees must be very lucky.

Number 87, a tree in a landscape....

....and number 88, the luckiest one of all, which I quite like.

These are made from fabric bought earlier this month, while the contrasts are from fabrics which were used for trees some time ago.

Only 11 trees to go, so just five more weeks.

A house with the street number "8" or even "6" is also regarded as lucky, and many Chinese buyers will accept or reject a house if the number is not considered to be fortunate.  Our house number here is "68", but we haven't struck it rich yet!  "4" is considered to quite unlucky so if you are trying to sell a house numbered "4" - or even worse, "44" - it might take a while to unload it.

On Wednesday 22nd October it was International Wombat Day.  How the world can have a day to celebrate an animal which is found wild only in Australia I don't know, although there are wombats in zoos all over the world.  Nevertheless, it is the day for the wombats so here are a few from my collection, gifts from our son in Canberra.

I love the coasters featuring illustrations from a calendar in my sewing room, also a gift from our Canberra son.  Even though it's from two years ago the picture is still changed monthly because they are such fun.  They are the work of Lenny Pelling, whose humorous illustrations make me smile - but the affection she has for all those wild creatures certainly comes through.  I was lucky enough to meet her on one of our Canberra trips, and to let her know how much I enjoy her work.

How has everyone been this week?  We hunted, foraged and gathered, so we can eat.  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Fabrics have been cut for more diamonds....that new rotary cutter blade is wonderful....songs have been plinked and sung.

The Monday ukulele group is quite small, just a few compared to the much larger Thursday group, but I don't mind.  Last week we tried some new-to-us songs and no one complained, in fact they seemed to enjoy the challenge - which is such a nice change from previous reactions.  The U3A annual end of year/Christmas lunch clashes with that of my sewing guild lunch, which I will be going to; if there is to be a musical performance at the U3A lunch they will have to manage without me, but that's all right.  There are only so many weeks in a year, after all, and they compress into a small time frame as the year draws down....so there will always be clashes.

During the week we had a preview of the coming summer, and quite unpleasant it was too.  It is currently windy, and we are even getting a few drops of rain, before we have a quick return to winter (!) in a couple of days, then we go back to spring....hopefully for longer this time, before summer arrives once more.

These days 'to press a suit' means getting out the iron, but back in 1885 it meant 'to become a suitor' - as in, to have matrimony in mind.

"Do not press an unwelcome suit.

A gentleman should evince a sincere and unselfish affection for his beloved, and he will show as well as feel that her happiness must be considered before his own.  Consequently he should not press an welcome suit upon a young lady.  If she has no affection for him, and does not conceive it possible even to entertain any, it is cruel to urge her to give her person without her love.  Th eager love may believe, for the time being, that such possession would satisfy him, but the day will surely come when he will reproach his wife that she had no love for him, and he will possibly make that an excuse for all manner of unkindness."

Well, yes.  All of that.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The computer has been unwell

So, too, have I.

The computer spent several days in hospital having its innards poked and prodded before returning home.  It seems to be just hunky dory tickety-boo, now.  However, when I suggested earlier that it could get some photos from my camera's SD card it shook its head and said, nuh-huh.....and the computer hospital is closed now for the next couple of weeks.  

Fortunately my innards didn't need to be poked and prodded like the computer's did, it was a very nasty dose of sinus/hayfever with a non-stop cough.  While the cough is settling it hasn't left, but I have high hopes that it, too, will soon be healed.

Hence the radio silence last weekend.

With the SD card reader not working the pics taken earlier today cannot be uploaded, which is disappointing.  Take it from me, though - two trees started last week were finished this week.  Autumn Rhapsody has come home from Margaret quilter and looks great; sadly I have been in no position to start on making the label, hanging sleeve and binding....but that, too, will happen, hopefully before too long

We survived yesterday's summer solstice, and can now look forward to summer.  We have been having hot temps for some time now anyway, and more is forecast, but now the solstice is over I am telling myself -  every day that passes is a day closer to autumn.

A couple of Christmas pics to round out the post.  This is my collection of Christmas wombats, a small tree and my Jim Shore angel.

My collection of Canadian decorations, another small tree and even a sparkly red maple leaf.

So.....no matter where you are, and no matter what - if anything - you believe, best wishes for a time of love, and peace, and good health.

And chocolate.  Good quality dark chocolate.

Enjoy your Christmas days!

Jennifer

The best laid plans, and all that Stuff

Things do not always work as we had planned or hoped, do they?

The planned sewing didn't happen this week, sadly.  There has been some medical Stuff to get sorted out....but I have high hopes for the coming week.  It has also been very hot with severe heatwave conditions which saps my energy and makes me feel like doing nothing.  I am over summer - I'm ready for autumn now.

Never mind.  This, too, shall pass.  

We did have some excitement last week!  Just before lunch time on Monday Kevin and I were on our way out, and, as usual, he unlocked the right hand garage door to get the car. I usually get in the car in the shady garage. Imagine my shock horror when I spied a wriggling snake disappear under the left hand door, going into the garage! When we arrived home we contacted a snake catcher who duly came, as we thought it might be a brown snake. Brown snakes are nasty buggers.....very nasty indeed, and it was light brown. Probably not a brown snake, said our intrepid snake catcher, probably a whip snake, also venomous but nowhere near as bad; they are apparently quite placid and have tiny teeth, so don't inject much venom.

I don't care. A snake is a snake, in my book. I know they are protected, but there is only one of me and I like to think I am protected, and Kevin is too.

This is not a brown snake, it's a blue-tongued lizard, known in Australia as "bluey", but that is indeed the garage door under which the snake slithered.

Isn't this a peaceful spot? It's near the centre of Canberra, just 15 minutes from the centre of Australia's capital city.

And - we are planning the annual Easter trip to Canberra again, as we speak!

Our visiting musical guest has gone home, and - as always - we enjoyed having him.  He's not sure if he is coming next January, but somehow we think he will.  He's a nice bloke, and fun to have around; I have memories of him and I sitting around our kitchen table singing Hank Williams songs......well, why don't you love me like you used to do.....how come you treat me like a worn out shoe......

Words have been read, diamonds have been sewn although no more have been cut; the supply is perilous low, so hopefully more can be cut soon.  Choir and uke group are back so words have been sung and plinked; in a couple of weeks we will the first act at a memorial concert for the woman who originally formed the choir over 25 years ago, so that is a great honour.  The usual hunting and gathering have ensured that we won't starve, and that's it for the week.

Viola - you asked how many wombats are in my collection - the answer is.....I don't know!  Quite a lot, but I don't buy every wombat I see; they have to look like a wombat, not like something they are not.  The heaviest is a big 16 kg solid bronze feller which holds the front door open, and the smallest is a tiny gold wombat on a chain.  Many of my collection have been gifts too, so they have good memories.

Continuing with Etiquette of Public Places, Conduct in Church:

"In visiting a church of a different belief from your own, pay the utmost respect to the services and conform in all things to the observances of the church - that is, kneel, sit and rise with the congregation.  No matter how grotesquely some of the forms and observances may strike you, let no smile or contemptuous remark indicate the fact while in the church."

The fashions of the mid-1880s when this book was first published would, I would have thought, have made it difficult to kneel gracefully in public?  Remember - this was the age of the large bustle.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Yee har!

Yep, the country music has come to town......however it is fun, and some of the sights - oh, my goodness.  We know it's been hot (very hot indeed, actually; the severe heatwave conditions this week have been making life difficult) but perhaps not so much bare flesh hanging out would have been nice.

We have attended a couple of concerts and spent quite a bit of time sitting chatting with our musical guest, putting the world to rights.  He leaves tomorrow, and he has presented us with some tasty Stuff for drinking - Baileys for me, Irish whiskey for Kevin - to remember him by.

Our Tuesday night gig went off better than we hoped, but I still don't like playing outdoors.  Over the years I have had my share of music stands blowing over in the wind, music blowing off stands, insects buzzing around, rain storms forcing the event to be cancelled even while performing, the one and only electrical plug for all the sound gear being accidentally pulled out of the socket, freezing cold winds, you name it, I have played in it.  It was windy on Tuesday so I suppose we were lucky that our stands didn't blow over, I managed to grab mine a few times just before it fell.  Oh well, the audience liked us.  If we sign up for that gig again I will be investing in a heavy duty music stand; I have folding stands one of which is heavier than the others, I nearly took it.....of course 20 minutes out of town it was breezier than here at home so I should have done so.....we'll know better next time.

Very few stitches have been taken this week, and most of them were on Tuesday during my regular volunteer shift at a gallery.  It's always interesting at the gallery during country music time because we gat a lot of visitors from other parts of Australia (and occasionally even overseas), and this week there has been music.  I was lucky enough to be able to listen to a wonderful gallery concert by some local performers I hadn't heard before, although I had heard of them.

With nothing to show for the week, let's see what we can find in the picture vaults.

On Friday we celebrated Australia Day.  While many people like the idea of having a national day there are also people who feel that it marks a day when the land now called Australia was invaded by Europeans to the detriment of the indigenous population, so there is a growing cry every year to "change the date".  Well......yes, and no; changing to another date will not erase the fact that invasion and its consequences happened, which seems to be the thinking of many people.  "If we celebrate on another date it won't be celebrating an invasion" they seem to think.  Ah....no, I don't think it works like that.....

Regardless of which date is celebrated, Australia is the best country in the world - because we have wombats!  This little feller was the first in my collection, over 25 years ago.

I was visiting my mother here in the Small Smoke a couple of years before she died (25 years this August, which is how I know the wombat's age) when we stopped for a cuppa at a long-gone café/gift shop/plant nursery, and this wombat called to me.  I succumbed to the call, and so began an interesting - still ongoing - collection.

Taken on an autumn day when we were paused for roadworks, while travelling the Mid Western Highway between Cowra and Bathurst.  We were on our way home from Canberra.

So peaceful......

Very few stitches were made, but plinking and singing was done.  Words were read.  Many words were spoken and listened to, many cuppas consumed, with our musical friend.  Out we go for the hunting and gathering, and so passes another week.

However, I do have hopes to achieve something - anything! - this coming week.

Continuing with Etiquette of Public Places, Conduct in Church.  We will combine two, as both are short.

"It is courteous to see that visitors are provided with books, and if the service is strange to them, the places for the day's reading should be indicated.

It is perfectly proper to offer to share the prayer-book or hymn-book with a stranger if there is no separate book for his use."

Yes, indeed.  It is easy to lose one's place during the service when one is unfamiliar with its form.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Not such a good way to end the year, but well......

 This afternoon I typed out the final post for the year but somehow my fingers hit more than one key at once......and my post disappeared into cyberspace.

Oh, well.  We'll try again.

Earlier in the week the top - so far - of the house quilt was finished.  The holiday break wasn't spent in idleness, you know.

It still needs borders.  I am thinking - perhaps two rows of 2-1/2 in random strips, and that should finish the edges nicely.

The purple house with orange roof was the first block made, nearly four years ago, so it has a place of honour on the bottom right hand corner.

A few years ago I was looking through some magazines ("free to good home") when a quilt in my beloved autumn tones caught my eye.  I took the magazine home - only to find out it was already in my collection!  It's a now-defunct Australian magazine published in 2007.

Fabrics were selected....an easy task, because I have quite a stash of autumn prints.....and all the cutting was done.  Using the 'leaders and enders' system all the half-square triangles were made, both small and larger.  The 15 autumn blocks required for the pattern were made.......

.....and there it sat.

It is coming out of hibernation to be taken to quilt group on Tuesday because there will be lots of mindless piecing, something easy to do when chatting is happening.  The original quilt had green leaves, yellow leaves, red leaves - but as you can see, I have mixed my fabrics around.  These four blocks (or perhaps a different four, yet to be decided) will form the centre of the medallion style quilt.  There are still borders to be cut as every round or two is bordered, but I will start the piecing and let the quilt tell me which of the border choices it would like as we go along.

How was everyone's Christmas?  Ours was quiet although we did lash out and cook a small turkey roll, enough for two with some leftovers.  A glass of bubbly with it, and we were happy.  We spoke to our Canberra son and enjoyed opening the package he sent which included a fun calendar of wombats doing - of all things - yoga, which will hang in my sewing room.  The wombat paintings are by Lenny Pelling, and you would have to be a sad sack indeed if those pictures didn't make you laugh, or at least smile.

Last day of 2023 today, or Hogmanay for those of us with Scottish blood in our veins.  Mine comes from my father through his mother (my Posh Melbourne Grandmother Florence), then her father, my great-grandfather, born in Australia in the early 1840s to Scottish immigrant parents.  Contact with that side of my family was severed by them in the early 1970s, and although it was later picked up by my brothers I have had none since then.

As usual I do not plan to make new year resolutions, although I do have hopes of accomplishing a few things.  We can always dream.....

Diamonds have been joined, and some cut.  Words have been read.  Seasonal hunting and gathering has happened in order that we may not starve, and so it goes.

Continuing with Etiquette of Public Places, Conduct in Church:

"Ladies always take the inside seats, and gentlemen the outside or head of the pew.  When a gentleman accompanies a lady, however, it is customary for him to sit by her side during church services."

Have you seen the fashions of the mid-1880s, when these words were written?  Although the wide crinoline was no longer worn the styles were quite elaborate (over-elaborate in many cases) which would have made it difficult, if not impossible, for two ladies to pass in narrow pews.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Meet Rusty the wombat!

Rusty tried living in a pot with a succulent.....he was a bit too big to fit; he's longer nose-to-tail than he looks.  He tried another pot....there was room for either Rusty or a plant, but not both.  So he and I had a chat and we decided to move him to the back garden, where he now resides in his own little spot among some rocks.

There is a wombat friend behind him to make sure he doesn't get too lonely, although I don't think the friend is ever awake.  Rusty is made from metal, and has a spike stuck in the ground to make sure he doesn't go anywhere.  The post behind is one of the uprights for the wash line.

The Christmas occasions continue.

Yesterday the quilt group had its last Saturday meeting for the year, we waved around our challenge quilts (in my case still just a top but mine wasn't the only one unfinished, which made me feel better; the most popular two-colour theme was blue and white/cream), we had a cuppa, some small quilts and the bags I made were handed over to a representative of a charity, and we had a 'lucky dip' gift exchange....not a Secret Santa, as we weren't given names.  My gift is lovely!  A zipper bag with sewing notions stitched in silvery-grey on a yellow background which contained a spare cutter blade (always welcome); a pretty lacy hanky for when I feel like being a posh lady (I do sometimes, you know); a pair of 'Thangs' in a felt case; a pack of stationery notes and cards; and a gadget with a secret.

The back of the bag continues the yellow/grey theme, my two 'Thangs' show up against it - and the secret of the gadget is revealed!  The long silver end pulls out and is reversed, placed back in the holder, and it becomes a stitch ripper.

There was also a beautiful hand-made Christmas card with an Aussie bird, but it missed being in the pic.  The 'Thangs' case has the name "Sewmadic" so I looked it up and found that, through Kiva, they help women in developing countries to start and run their own businesses.....definitely a cause to support.

Next year's challenge was voted on, a few suggestions were tossed around, and the winning idea is to make a row by row quilt, something I have never done although they were all the rage several years ago.  I am feeling a bit lukewarm about it.....a regular commitment doesn't work for me, because if life is busy and I get behind it causes me stress, and I don't sew to be stressed.  I looked at ideas online, and none of them really floated my boat.  It's not compulsory to participate, so perhaps I won't.

After our meeting/cuppa/gift exchange/charity handover we adjourned to a pub on the other side of town for lunch.  It was a very wet drive; we've had quite a very welcome wet week, with more rain forecast.  Lunch was yummy, and you will be pleased to know that I stuck to alcohol-free as a 15-20 minute drive home in steady rain is easier with a clear head.  (Not that I indulge at lunch time, anyway)  There were several family groups in the pub and, because the rain was so heavy; all the little kiddie-widdies who would otherwise be running around in the outdoor playground were stuck noisily inside.  I was glad I hadn't worn my very bestest sandals as my feet did get very wet going to and from the car, both for the meeting and for lunch.  Splish splosh.

Diamonds have been sewn.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung as the uke group is playing on Wednesday afternoon at a seniors' residence, and as I have a solo gig (!) next Saturday night at the choir Christmas party (which has been called an "extravaganza" by our director) so that will be fun.  The usual hunting and gathering, and that's pretty much it for this week, folks.

The U3A ukulele course leader and I have decide to divvy up the job.  She is quite happy to continue being the contact person and to do any admin Stuff, and I don't mind taking the group on Thursdays when she isn't available - although she said recently she thinks they do really well under me, better than under her!  (I don't know about that.....)  I did suggest that she add my name as official joint leader so the previous leader can't push his way back in, which she said she would do.  We aren't doing this to be nasty, you know; there are valid reasons for our thinking the way we do.

Continuing with Etiquette of Public Places.  The first two are quite short, so we will combine them.

"Conduct in church.

A gentleman should remove his hat upon entering the auditorium.

When visiting a strange church, you should wait in the vestibule until an attendant appears to show you to a seat."

The 'conduct in church' chapter is quite lengthy.  I suspect that, in days gone by, many folk did not go to church because they believed in the message being preached, but because it was a social activity - a case of seeing and being seen, particularly while wearing one's newest finery

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Very worthy Stuff

This week has seen very little action on the Getting Stuff Done front, but has seen quite a bit of running around.  The Christmas occasions have started; yesterday morning the Historical Society had theirs under the shady verandah, and today we attended a charity fair.  It was strange to just be at the fair without playing music as we have done in past years but at present the ukulele group's numbers are down, so there is no way we can do an outside performance.  We have two indoors gigs lined up in the next few weeks, we can manage those.

We did make a few purchases....Kevin bought himself a magnifying glass with a bone (deer antler) handle to help him decipher the family history information (the writing on some of those old hand-written certificates looks legible until you try to read it); we bought some meat pies, currently in the fridge, which will be frozen later and which look very yummy;  I bought a new wombat, made of rusty metal, for the garden (we have a large pot with a succulent growing in it, which will make a nice home for Rusty the wombat) and a couple more goodies with an eye to Christmas gifting.  I drooled over Annette the jewellery lady's lovely trinkets.....I already have some of her beautiful pieces.....I could quite happily have bought several pairs.  But I was strong, and I didn't.  The home-made lemonade we had was welcome on a warm sunny day, too.

So....let's see what we can find in the photo treasure vault, to liven up this post.

All 225 (!) of these basket blocks were sewn together some time ago.  It was the first time I had tried hand-piecing, and I found I enjoyed it......so much so that the original plan of 169 blocks, 13 rows by 13, was enlarged to 15 by 15.  They all face the same way.

The blocks were sewn into sets of nine, with alternating print and white corners.  The design looks better with matching corners, hence the number of blocks.

However, it is huge.....about 90 inches square unquilted......and I find myself wondering if those extra blocks were really necessary?  Why didn't I stop with the smaller size of 78 inches square when I had the chance?  Now a little voice in my brain is telling me to unpick two rows each way, and be happy with the smaller size.  Which I just may do.  It will still be a reasonable sized quilt, after all.

Some sewing of diamonds has happened, and more have been cut.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung, some of the Christmas variety and some not.  The hunting, gathering and foraging essential for survival took place, and also a little op shopping; I am now the owner of a red bag, something needed to match the red straps on my red, black and cream sandals.  They entered my (not quite) sumptuous wardrobe a few years ago, a new purchase on an annual trip to Canberra, and have been asking for a co-ordinating bag ever since.

A link to this quote was posted earlier today on a vintage sewing machine social media page.  It certainly made me chuckle, and I'm sure you will laugh with me:

Advice to the ladies from Mr Rowley of the Sydney Sewing Machine Co:

"An hour's sewing with a good machine soothes a woman's nerves, and exerts the same calming influence that tobacco does with a man. She sews all her little irritations into the seams, imprisons her fancied wrongs into the double gussets, or stays them into the gores; every sensible woman will confess this."

The quote is, unfortunately, not dated. I don't know about the rest of you.....but I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a garment with so many irritations and fancied wrongs in its seams, gussets and gores!

Continuing on with Etiquette of Public Places, following on last week's quote:

"They seem to know, as if by instinct, how to conduct themselves, wherever they may go, or in whatever society they may be thrown. They consider at all times the fitness of things, and their actions and speech are governed by feelings of gentleness and kindness towards everybody with whom they come into social relations, having a due consideration for the opinions and prejudices of others, and doing nothing to wound their feelings. Many people, however, either from ignorance, thoughtlessness or carelessness, are constantly violating some of the observances of etiquette pertaining to places of public assemblages. It is for this reason that rule are here given by which may be regulated the conduct of people in various public gatherings, where awkwardness and ostentatious display often call forth unfavorable criticism."

Perhaps some nations could also take note of this advice, then the world would not be in such a mess.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A day for the wombats of the world

Because today is International Wombat Day!  It does seem a bit silly to have an 'international day' for an animal which lives in only one continent - Australia - unless we count the small number in zoos around the world, but wombats are wonderful and deserve a day of celebration.

The first wombat in my collection was bought in my home town (where we moved in 2010, and where we still live) while on a visit to my mother, back in the late 1990s.  There used to be an interesting shop which was part plant nursery/part café/part gift shop - gone for many years now - and we took ourselves there for a ladylike morning tea.  On a potted plant there was a cute little wombat which appealed to me, I bought it for not many dollars......and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here it is, posing on a daffodil fabric from my stash.  It is slightly creased, but wombats don't use irons.

It has since been joined by many many more.

My blue and green quilt has been booked in with a long arm quilter, and will be delivered a week from tomorrow.  It occurred to me the other day that no decision had been made on binding - woops!  These are a couple of options:

The green swirl used as backing, and a dark blue/green/edging toward purple Fossil Fern which has been in my stash for some time, and which is richer in real life.  The swirl would be interesting in a narrow strip but I am leaning to the dark fabric, which I think it would make a better 'frame' around the quilt.  Thoughts will be thought on the matter over the next few days, and the cutter will be taken to the chosen fabric.

Words have been read, diamonds have been cut and sewn.  Notes have been plinked and sung; our U3A ukulele group leader is away for a couple of weeks so I led the group on Thursday and will do so again next Thursday.  We blundered through without descending into total anarchy; I am not a trained teacher and many people (including, I suspect, the (now ex) DIL) (who is a proper musician herself) would consider that I'm not a proper musician either, but we managed.  I had the heeby jeebies on arrival and breathed a sigh of relief at the end, let me tell you.

The heat of summer is upon us, and it's not pleasant.  If we were to set foot outside this afternoon we would probably be blown to kingdom come, so apart from hanging out washing this morning and bringing it in at lunchtime, we are staying inside.  We are promised a few more hot days with cooler relief by the end of the week, which will be welcome......and rain would be even more welcome, as we are tumbling headlong into another drought.  However - that's Australia for you; if it's not flooding it's on fire, or it's in drought, or it's flooding again.

Despite all the weather throws at us, though, I can't imagine living anywhere else.  Except perhaps Canada, in autumn......but definitely not in winter.

On Friday I had a foray into a new-to-me op shop (although it's been open for some time, I just hadn't been before) and came away with two tops, one dark blue with orange/red flowers, brand new with tags, and another bright yellow with tropical flowers and an interesting double flouncy sleeve.  I have also removed a few shirts/tops from my sumptuous wardrobe; unfortunately I have inherited the thick neck that comes from my mother's family, and now prefer shirts without collars.  Both my brothers have/had it, until a few years ago I hoped I had escaped......but alas, no.  If I have another chance at a life after this one I will pick parents who have slender swan-like necks.

The term 'op shop' - short for 'opportunity shop' - is, it seems, unique to Australia.  It was coined in Melbourne by Lady Someone-or-Other to reduce the stigma that was around at the time for those who bought second-hand goods, but an opportunity shop....who can resist an opportunity?  My Posh Melbourne Grandmother used the term 'opportunity shop', but somehow I don't think she ever shopped in one.  These days, of course, we're all about recycling and being environmentally aware, so opping - or thrifting, or whatever you call it - has become quite popular.  So...someone else will like my collared shirts, and my neck will be more comfortable.

 Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street, Some General Suggestions:

"A young lady should, if possible, avoid walking alone in the street after dark.  If she passes the evening with a friend, provision should be made beforehand for an escort.  If this is not practicable, the person at whose house she is visiting should send a servant with her, or some proper person - a gentleman acquaintance present, or her own husband - to perform the duty.  A married lady may, however, disregard this rule, if circumstances prevent her being able to conveniently find an escort.

Funny how that little gold ring suddenly renders one safe on the street alone at night, isn't it?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Sleepy wombat comes home

My baby wombat drawing, a birthday gift from our older son, is back from the framer.  It is really cute.

Isn't that sweet?  It's not on the wall yet as I need to find just the right spot to hang it, which is why the protective corners are still in place.  The mat and frame colours were chosen to compliment the muted tones of the little feller; much as I like bright colours they would have been out of place here.

The artist's label is on the back.  Hopefully it's legible, as the 'low battery' light was flashing while I was taking this pic.

Although it says 'Common Wombat' the preferred term is now 'Bare Nosed Wombat'.  Unfortunately they aren't as common as they used to be, and this also differentiates them from Southern and Northern Hairy Nosed Wombats which are two different species again.

Have you all been as busy this week as I have?  In addition to the usual Stuff like hunting and gathering, the ukulele group had its retirement village gig on Wednesday.  Once again our audience enjoyed our performance - they are very responsive, and enjoyed singing along.

We joke among ourselves about "singing for the oldies", but then we remember some of the folk living in these places are younger than we are!  At afternoon tea the woman next to me started chatting, we realised we had been in high school together....and she was in the year behind me, so that makes her younger.  What a hoot.

Our musical friend came for a couple of days, and we attended a house concert in which he played; that was a fun night, and also an opportunity to catch up with some folk we hadn't seen for a while.  After hopefully (!) sorting out his car's oil issues he departed late on Friday morning, and that evening I realised he still had our spare house key.  I sent him a message....."oh gosh yes, I do" he said, "I'll send it back when I get home"......"don't worry", I said, "you'll be back in January and you'll need it again!"  Over the past couple of years he has become a friend rather than just a guest; we enjoy having him to stay, and he enjoys staying here.

Progress on the knitting: the front of my jumper is now done, so three of the raglan seams can be sewn and stitches picked up for the neckband.  That will make a good in-front-of-TV project for the coming week.  Words have been read.  No diamonds have been cut or joined.  Many notes were plinked and sung.

The house quilt is back to the fore.  Those loooong sashing strips need to be pieced; as it's a diagonal setting the strips on either side of the centre row are quite long indeed.  However they are now done, as are the next two.  Quilt group is on Tuesday and the Cunning Plan is to work on some of the sashings while there, as it's easy mindless sewing.

Mindless anything at all is good, really......

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Avoid talking down the prices of articles in any way.  If the price does not suit, you may say so quietly, and depart, but it is generally best to say nothing about it."

This is probably a good idea.

Enjoy your days!

Rattling it down

Many years ago - many many years - a Scottish woman where I worked referred to pulling knitting undone as "rattling it down".  "I had to rattle it down to fix the mistake", she would say.  Well, I have been rattling my knitting down.....the cable on the front of my jumper was proceeding nicely when I noticed a mistake several rows back, so off I went a-rattling.  It has now been rectified and can proceed, but that will teach me to be careful about keeping track of where I'm up to; over the years I have knitted far more complicated cables than this one, and they always work out in the end.  

That jumper may be needed this winter!  The weather has turned freezy frosty chilly with frosty morning and (mostly) sunny days, although today is grey with a nasty wind blowing.  Inside is definitely the best place to be.

A few days ago Kevin took the secateurs to the bottle brush just outside the garage.  It's been getting ideas above its station and taking over its small part of the universe, so he cut back some of the foliage that was starting to encroach on the garage door.  Don't throw it away, I said, we'll enjoy it inside - and we are.  It's from Western Australia, and is called 'Kings Park Special'.

The day we came home from Tooraweenah we looked back at The Warrumbungles, and although it was a misty view that morning it's still an amazing vista.

Another rock from our Canberra trip.  This is from Victoria, from the Central Goldfields, an area which has seen a lot of gold mining.  Members of my family lived there back in the 1860s.

The note on this plaque pointing out "This specimen contains no gold" is in response to a robbery several years ago, when the original top rock was stolen.

It's not something you can hoist up with one hand!  It would have taken some heavy machinery to lift and remove it, and more than one person too.....a pity such enterprising people couldn't have put their 'talents' to better use, isn't it.

Words have been read, notes have been plinked and sung, practicing for next Sunday morning's market gig,  A little hand piecing has happened, but no machine piecing; the day is not yet over, far from it, but I don't hold out any great hopes.  Never mind.  Stitches have been knitted, both before and after the aforementioned rattling down, and the chosen cable design will suit very well.

My baby wombat picture is now in a framing shop.  A frame has been chosen, and two different mat boards will compliment both the picture and the frame, and my little baby should be home again at the end of next month.  Some of the components had to be ordered as they weren't in stock; I suppose framing shops can't keep huge quantities of every colour board and wooden frame, but I eagerly await my baby's return home.

The funeral for our choir member went off as well as these things do.  We do have some other older members, although Wally had been our oldest - but Bonnie is 93, so one day we may be called upon for a repeat performance.

A couple of much-appreciated comments have been left on my blog recently, but for some reason they haven't arrived in my inbox so haven't been replied to - if you think I'm ignoring you, I'm not!  Thank you for visiting, and I hope you will come again.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Walking with a lady acquaintance.

A gentleman should not join a lady acquaintance on the street for the purpose of walking with her, unless he ascertains that his company would be perfectly agreeable to her.  It might be otherwise, and she should frankly say so, if asked."

She should.  No gentleman worth of the name would force his attentions on a lady of his acquaintance, would he?

Enjoy your days!

Green calm below, blue quietness above

Isn't that lovely?  It comes from the writings of John Greenleaf Whittier, an American writer.  It turned up when I looked for quotes about green and blue together, and could make a suitable name for my green and blue quilt.  Here are some finished blocks, some cut ready to be sewn, and lots more luscious fabrics waiting to be chopped up.

It has made me realise that more of my greens are on the yellow side of the spectrum than the blue side.  Several blocks have been made, and more will be cut - it is turning out to be quite a fun project!

This week has seen me turning a year older.  My birthday was on Tuesday so we went out to lunch - I always enjoy a meal I haven't had to cook - and we even let our hair down with a glass of bubbly too.  I am feeling more ancient with every passing year.....

When we had breakfast with our son while visiting Canberra he gave me an early birthday gift, a beautiful print of a sleeping baby wombat by Alison Dickin.  We have a couple of framing places here so it will soon be taken to get framed; I am thinking perhaps a narrow pale wood, but will see what choices are on offer,

A couple more pics from our visit to the National Rock Garden.  Don't you think a large slab of this limestone, cut and polished, would make a dramatic wall?

Such a shame that the explanatory plaques have been scratched by small-minded people who need to find a more suitable outlet for their so-called 'creativity'.

This Metasomatite was possibly my favourite.  Close up there are many colours in it, and they are more subtle than the limestone above.  

It's quite old, too.  It's even older than I am.

Words have been read, diamonds have been stitched.  Notes have been plinked and sung.  Knitting has been knitted and pulled undone again, because I didn't like how the cable was turning out.  Another cable was found in one of my stitch dictionaries, less ornate than my original choice, but I think it will serve well.  Eventually a final choice will be made, and there will be much rejoicing.

In the morning the choir will be singing at the funeral of one of our long-time members who died recently, aged 95.  A month before Christmas he went into palliative care, we thought that was the beginning of the end - but he rallied, and went home!  However, given his age we knew this day would inevitably come so at his wife's request (she is also a choir member) we have been rehearsing the 23rd Psalm, and tomorrow we will honour our old friend with our voices.

Our little taste of winter has been just that, a little taste, and now we are in the 'cool nights and mornings followed by lovely sunny days' part of autumn.  We know it won't last, but will enjoy it while it does.  Leaves are changing, our few frosty mornings have obviously given them the "it's time now" signal, and finally we can enjoy the beauty of autumn.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Fulfilling an engagement.

When on your way to fill an engagement, if a friend stops you on the street you may, without committing a breach of etiquette, tell him of your appointment, and release yourself from any delay that may be occasioned by a long talk; but do so in a courteous manner, expressing regret for the necessity."

It is good to be courteous.  How many of us, I wonder, have used the "sorry, can't stop, I have an appointment" excuse to get away from someone?  

Enjoy your days!

Decisions, decisions.....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

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

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

Enjoy your days!

Finally getting around to it

More quilting on the border of my Canadian quilt has been done.  The black inner border is now finished; it was quilted with two parallel rows to match the quilting in the black sashing between the blocks, then a row in the ditch between the black and white borders.  (Occasionally the needle jumped out of the ditch, which is why I am not a great fan of stitching in the ditch.....but it passes the ten feet away rule, so that's all right.)

You can see the black and white borders here.  Next will be a row of stitching - once more into the ditch, dear friends, once more, to paraphrase William Shakespeare - on the edge between the white border and the outer red and black leaf print border.  Although it's only straight stitching it's quite a physical workout because the quilt is heavy and stiff, as there are three or four layers of fusible appliqué in some pictures.

And - I now have my own round tuit!  So there is no excuse for procrastination, is there?  I can no longer say "when I get around to it".

A surprise package from a friend in the Big Smoke - thank you, Sandra! - with a 'round tuit', and a wombat coaster made from Silky Oak, both shown on the red back of my Canadian quilt.

Silky Oak - Grevillea Robusta - is not an oak tree at all, but its sleek grain resembles that of European oak.  It makes beautiful furniture, and I remember a building in the Big Smoke whose entrance hall was lined with wall display cases made from Silky Oak.  Way back before my memory starts our town made the decision to plant Silky Oaks as street trees - many still survive; they are now quite large and provide good summer shade but woe betide anyone who parks underneath when they flowering, as the flowers drip their sticky sap onto cars.

The house is quiet without a cat......but we suspect we will be finding white cat hairs on clothing and furniture for some time yet, and a few were even spotted earlier while quilting.

Yesterday the ukulele group's gig went well, people said nice things to us and about us.  There is another gig coming up soon but - guess what! - this time I have been asked to do it solo on my own by myself, how about that?  The theme is 'Roaring Twenties'; I can do the songs easily enough, but clothes.....not so much.  Perhaps I need to hit the op shops and see what's available.  A sparkly or lacy top could be The Very Thing, something I do not currently own as I really don't do sparkly or lacy clothes.  Plain black pants will be the bottom.

As usual, this week some stitches have been knitted, some diamonds have been pieced, words have been read.  The first sleeve on my whatever-it-becomes (either a jumper [probably] or a cardigan [possibly]) is proceeding along well, the armhole decrease is well under way so the further along it is the quicker it goes.  

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"Never be seen without gloves in a ball-room, or with those of any other color than white, unless they are of the most delicate hue."

For women gloves would probably also be long, as the rule 'the shorter the sleeve, the longer the glove' applied.  Gentlemen also wore gloves to a ball so as not to leave oily marks on their partners' skin or clothing while dancing.  Indeed, some folk in these times of plague might wish the custom of wearing gloves would return, and not just for wearing at balls.

Enjoy your days!

Happy New Year!

We tell ourselves it will be better than the past two years, don't we.....because it's good to be optimistic, pessimism only drags us down.  Glass half full, and stuff like that.  

As usual no resolutions were made, but as usual there are hopes......

These Aussie-themed blocks have been in my stash forever, and one day they will be made into something.  I did get as far as cutting them out and bordering them with our national colours of green and gold, and have also made a hand-appliquéd block (which still needs embroidery details added) for a centrepiece.

One day......

The old year was finished by making the setting triangles for my house quilt.  First five squares were made, each seven rows of seven 2-1/2 inch squares.....

......then they were cut on the diagonal......

......then they were cut again......

......and, for fun, mixed around.

Each of these triangles, 20 in all, will be for the sides, top and bottom.  Some of the greens are greener than others, but they are all green even if the camera hasn't pick up their green-ness.  Green can be a difficult colour to photograph; many years ago I was a project editor for a quilt magazine and we were cautious about having green quilts submitted and chosen for publication, because photography never did them justice.

Did you all manage to stay awake long enough to farewell the old year?  We didn't, although we did send it on its way with some bubbles - and last night we welcomed in the new year with some more.  Someone somewhere was setting off fireworks on NYE; we could hear them as we lay in bed, but couldn't tell where they came from.  Could have been a very long way away, because sounds travels at night.

Our new year was off to a good start with friends popping in for a visit - so good to catch up, it's been several months!

My new calendars are hanging for us to enjoy.  A friend on Vancouver Island sends a scenic calendar each year with drool-worthy photos which sometimes show a place we have visited, always a bonus!  My sewing room has two calendars from wombat rescue organisations; the calendars are a way of fundraising for them, one I am always happy to support.  One was bought from Rocklily Wombats (I have bought a calendars from them for several years now, one for me and one for our son in Canada) and the other, a gift from our family down south, is from the Native Animal Rescue Group.  All the wombats are gorgeous.  I like wombats.

Our music festival gigs are off, sadly.  The craft market at which we were to perform has been cancelled and we have decided not to do the other concert even if it is held, which at this stage is very doubtful.  With plague numbers fairly high still I don't think the festival itself should go ahead, but the organiser bloke who pops up frequently on the news spruiking its value is adamant that it will.  There have been reports that many people have already cancelled their accommodation bookings and at least one good-sized venue has decided, while it will remain open, not to have any music......because the limited numbers of people currently forced on venues mean that, taking staff wages and other costs into account, they would not make enough money to make it worthwhile.  At the end of the day they are a business, not a charity, and have already lost a lot over the past couple of years.

Sigh.......

"An After-Call.

After a ball, an after-call is due the lady of the house at which you were entertained, and should be made as soon as convenient - within two weeks at the furthest.  The call loses its significance entirely, and passes into remissness, when a longer time is permitted to elapse.  If it is not possible to make a call, send your card or leave it at the door.  It has become customary of late for a lady who has no weekly reception day, in sending invitations to a ball, to inclose her card in each invitation for one or more receptions, in order that the after-calls due her may be made on that day."

Sounds very civilised, doesn't it?  I wonder, though, if those after-ball receptions were hot beds of gossip......"did you see what she was wearing, at her age?"....."that colour did nothing for her complexion, you know"....."did you notice that they danced together three times in a row - can we expect an engagement to be announced?"  

Enjoy your days!

Best wishes for Australia Day

Whether you are an Aussie, or not, have an enjoyable day.

Australia is the best country in the world - because we have wombats!