That's it for the year, folks!

A last post to say farewell to 2024....and to practise writing 2025.  It sometimes takes a few days for one's brain to catch up with the different numbers, doesn't it?

Good news on the photo front, I have worked out how to download pics from my camera to the computer.  It entails a new card reader and a new SD card for my camera and takes a few more steps than it used to, but what the heck.  So long as it works.  In between feeling somewhat unwell (although, I'm pleased to say, slowly improving; if I don't talk too much I don't cough, so the house is fairly quiet at present) I managed to make last week's and the previous week's trees.

This blue and brown batik is leftover from a kit for a bag bought on a trip to Canada, some years ago.  I like the contrast with the orange/red and yellow.

This interesting batik has the Colorado state tree and state flower - thank you, Dianne!  This is the second quilt it's been used in, and there is still some left.

A pretty pale yellow batik with highlights of blue/green; the trunk and branches were going to be a bright turquoise with hints of purple, but then my eyes lit on this mottled green in the Big Basket of Batiks.  I seem to recall buying this yellow fabric in a pack with a few others in Canada, too.

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There are fires burning not far from our town at present, and very bad fires in Victoria.  The colours of this tree block say 'Aussie summer'.....I have to say it just might be my favourite block, so far.

And.....look who came home before Christmas!

Poor thing has been languishing waiting for me to feel well enough to think about binding, or adding a hanging sleeve, or even making a label, but a corner seems to have been turned and the label information has been printed off ready for tracing.  It will be embroidered by hand.

How was everyone's Christmas?  Ours was quiet; we managed a video chat with our Canaussian son and his partner in Toronto, Canada, which was wonderful.  We also spoke to our son in Canberra.  Our Christmas dinner was yummy, we had a small turkey roast (bought from the shop at the turkey farm on the outskirts of town) with vegies, and Christmas cake with gelato instead of the more traditional custard or cream, and even a glass of bubbly.  Yes, I know it's hot.  We have often had a cold meal on a hot Christmas day but this year decided to have our meal in the evening.  It was jolly nice, too.

Words have been read, a few stitches have been sewn....none by hand yet, but those tree blocks were made.  Not one note was plinked - or sung, as the result would have been a credible imitation of a donkey braying.  We did manage to get out to hunt and gather, although it took a lot of my energy.

One of the downsides to feeling so unwell (or 'crook', as Aussies say) was being unable to enjoy a coffee, thanks to the medicated lozenges which helped with the cough but left a taste in the mouth which did nothing whatsoever for coffee.  On Friday while we were out and about we stopped in at a favourite café for a cuppa but I didn't fancy my usual hot coffee so I had an iced coffee, and jolly nice it was too.  This morning I managed my first hot coffee for over two weeks which was thoroughly enjoyed, and now I am about to partake of another.

Many years ago when we lived in the Big Smoke we had to make a decision on where to move when we retired from work, as we both wanted to move out of the big city - big cities are not always user friendly for older folk.  In our travels we often visited Victoria, a state we both like very much, and were even thinking that we could up sticks and move down there.  (My father was born in Victoria's capital city, Melbourne, so I joke that I have Victorian citizenship.  The wonderful staff at the two Victorian hospitals where I was treated after the Big Fall earlier this year thought that was funny.)  However, one day I read that Victoria is the most bushfire-prone state in Australia - I have since read that is one of the most fire-prone areas in the whole world, and that would be heartbreaking. That is the sole reason which decided us to stay in New South Wales, albeit in a country town rather than the big city.

There are only a few days left of the year, so here is some advice should you be travelling:

"If, in riding in the street tram-cars or crossing a ferry, your friend insists on paying for you, permit him to do so without serious remonstrance.  You can return the favor at some other time."

Indeed you can.

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

Adding to the forest

This week's blocks have been made.  First a yellow and blue tree.....

......then a sort of reddish-pinkish-goldish tree......

then they stood side by side.

The reddish-pinkish-goldish fabric was included in a kit bought several years ago in Canada; all the leaves were cut from the one fabric, and fabric quantities included with the kit were very generous so there is more than enough left to make a tree.

The different fabric tones made the leaves come alive on that project, and now the leftovers can be part of Arboretum.

How has everyone's week been?  We have had a busy time running here and running there, and trying to stay cool....not always easy when the temperatures is as hot as it has been.  We have had a little rain but nothing to get excited about, so we didn't, but the frog in the drainpipe certainly did.  Some rumbly thunder from time to time, and that was about it.

The mangoes are all sliced, diced and in the freezer, just waiting to be eaten.  It occurred to me that I have a mango recipe which might appeal to some of you; it was published (typed by hand, of course) in the 1988 Bicentennial Cook Book put out by the primary school our sons attended in the 1980s.  You will need:

1 mango

1 tub sour cream, 200 ml - 250 ml.  You can use light sour cream if you wish, but it must be sour cream not regular cream

Flaked coconut.  If you can't get flaked you could use desiccated.  I don't recommend using shredded coconut as it's drippy and messy.

Peel your mango, cut off the flesh and mash with a fork.  Stir in as much sour cream as you need; the quantity will depend on how juicy the mango is, and how runny the sour cream.  You want to have a slightly runny but not liquid consistency.  Lastly, stir in the flaked coconut (as much as the mango/sour cream mix happily takes), cover and store in fridge overnight.  The coconut will absorb some of the sour cream/mango mixture, and it will thicken.  Serve dolloped on fruit salad, or if you really want to push the boat out it can be served in a pretty glass bowl surrounded by cut fruit for dipping - peach/nectarine/apricot slices, strawberries, orange slices, whatever your little heart desires.  This is when you will be pleased that you didn't use shredded coconut.  If memory serves me correctly, it's called 'Mango Fruit Dip'.

Each year Pantone, the colour people, release a 'Colour of the Year' based on trends happing around the world, and the colour for 2025 has been announced.  It is 'Mocha Mousse', and is a rather unfortunate shade of brown.  Now I like coffee, and chocolate, and cocoa, and mousse - all of those - but like many others I lived through the 1970s when brown ruled supreme and 'Mission Brown' was the colour of the decade!  I can only assume that the folk who chose Mocha Mousse weren't alive back in those days.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn.  Notes have been plinked and sung.  The U3A uke group has been getting into the odd seasonal song or two.  We hunted and we gathered, and that was about it.

A few months ago Emma physio loaned me a piece of equipment for the strength exercises which were part of my daily routine, so this week I made an appointment to take it back and to check on how my arm and hand were doing.  Quite well, it seems, especially considering the severity of the injury and the fact that it was on a joint - joint injuries take longer to heal.  Emma has a folding ruler that is used to measure the angle my wrist can bend forward and backward, and it is much more advanced that it was on the last visit.  She also has a grip gadget for measuring strength and, while my right hand isn't yet as strong as the left, it has certainly improved.  Both Emma and I were pleased with the visit.  She felt that it would take a year for my wrist and hand to get back to what they were before the fall, and it certainly seems as though that will be the case - next week will be eight months, so it's on track for a year.

"Attending to the wants of others.

See everywhere and at all times that ladies and elderly people have their wants supplied before you think of your own.  Nor is there need for unmanly haste or pushing in entering or leaving.  There is always time enough allowed for each passenger to enter in a gentlemanly manner and with a due regard to the rights of others."

Of course there is.  There is no need for a gentleman to be ungentlemanly.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Can't see the forest for the trees

Or so it is said.

During the week the first two trees were made for 'Arboretum'.  First there was an orange tree....

......then there was a green tree......

......and then they stood side by side.

The fabrics for the next two trees have been pulled from the Big Basket of Batiks.  They are quite easy to make; the only fiddly-diddly bit was lining up the side seams on the angled cuts so they weren't too far out of whack, but I reckon that by the time I have made a heap ton of blocks I should be pretty good at it.  The blocks are trimmed to size anyway, which accommodates for discrepancies in piecing.

Like the original quilt some of my trees will have co-ordinating branches and leaves while some will have contrasting; some will have two cuts, or three, or even four - or maybe more! - while a few might only have one in addition to the centre cut.  It's certainly going to be fun dipping into those gorgeous fabrics, I didn't realise I had quite that many.....it's been a while since the Big Basket was raided.

How has everyone been this week?  We have had rain, not as much as the folk further out west had, but rain is rain after all.  More is forecast for the coming week so our garden (and all the other gardens in town) will be smiling again.  The recent nasty hot temperatures have cooled somewhat, making for much more pleasant days; even the nights are not too steamy for sleep.

The Frog has been croaking in the drainpipe quite a lot recently, which could be a sign of more rain to come.  Ever since we moved here we have heard and seen the occasional green tree frog; several years ago one even made its way up through the drain into a toilet bowl (fortunately I looked before I sat down, just imagine those cold clammy little fingers tapping on one's bare bum, I would still be in orbit) but so far - touch wood - we haven't had one inside.  Somehow I suspect that our current croaker is not the same frog which welcomed us over 14 years ago, but you never know.....they can apparently live quite long lives......

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn, and more diamonds need to be cut.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  We hunted and we gathered, keeping clear of much of the festive Stuff currently around.....plenty of time for that still.  A little running around here and there, hither and yon, and that was another week done.

For the past few years our neighbour kiddos have knocked on our door late in the year as their school has a mango fundraiser to make some funds for the "over and above" things that kids in primary school need.  The two older kiddos are now in high school but the youngest still has four years to go - so, four more years of yummy mangoes!  The mango tray is sitting on the kitchen counter and as they ripen I am peeling, slicing and dicing them to go in self-seal bags in the freezer.  They are good on ice cream or gelato, and really good blended with milk for my breakfast smoothie.....and, of course, the kitchen smells mango divine.

"The comfort of others.

In seeking his own comfort, no passenger has a right to over-look or disregard that of others.  If for his own comfort, he wishes to raise or lower a window, he should consult the wishes of passengers immediately around him before doing so.  The discomforts of travelling should be borne cheerfully, for what may enhance your own comfort may endanger the health of some fellow-traveller."

Words as relevant in these days of air travel as they were in those far-ago days of train travel.....although I wouldn't recommend opening a window on a plane.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Sending my baby out into the wide world

'Autumn Rhapsody' has gone off to spend time with quilter Margaret.  It has taken so much of my life for the past several months that I will be quite bereft until it comes home again.....but it will be much closer to being a finished quilt when it does.

Now I wasn't going to succumb to another project straight away but the little buzz in my brain said, go for it.....so this morning I pulled some fabrics from the Big Basket of Batiks.

These fabrics will be the first two blocks of 'Arboretum'.  There are smaller pieces in the Big Basket which will be suitable for the leaf veins, and which will be paired with a print in a similar range for the leaf.  The bright orange print came out first and was paired with a blue and green print but, much as I loved the contrast, I decided to go in a different direction.  When the houses for the neighbourhood quilt were being made a couple of years ago the decision was taken to make two a week, so that's what I will do with this quilt too.  

That should keep the brain buzz from getting too annoying, yes?  In the meantime, other projects will be worked on too.

Thoughts have been thought on a label for 'Autumn Rhapsody', but none have settled.  It will probably be embroidered rather than written as my embroidery stitches are neater and nicer than my writing, these days.  Thoughts will continue to be thought on the subject.  

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn; after the peeper border was all stitched down during the week a few diamonds were picked up again, so more will need to be cut to keep the supply going.  Notes have been plinked and songs sung even though the choir is now in its end-of-year recess, because of course the ukulele players sing too.  (Well, some of them sing.....)  My various hurty bits are healing well.  The usual weekly hunting and gathering was done to avert starvation, and so passed another week.

The year is winding down....yesterday the quilt group went out for its Christmas/end of year lunch, and jolly nice it was too.  I had a radicchio, fennel and orange salad with citrus dressing served with grilled haloumi, and oh my - that was good.  It wasn't as heavy as a hot meal in the middle of the day would have been, and was quite different to the salad I would normally choose.  What's more, unlike many salads, it didn't contain tomato!  One of my earliest memories is of my mother holding me down with one hand and trying to force me to eat tomato with the other.  I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now.  Don't like the taste, especially don't like the texture, so now that I am an adult - I don't eat it.

Decorations are appearing in shops and I suppose it won't be long before the fat bloke in the red suit perches on his throne for photos with the kiddie-widdies.  Festive food has been available for some time now, and Glorias and ding dongs have been creeping into radio programming.

Summer is well and truly upon us, the next few days are forecast to be fairly hot before rain later in the week.  Roll on the rain and cloud, I say, because those clouds provide a little shade and keep the hot sun from frying us, even though they raise the humidity as they do so.....but as we live in a dry inland town, a little humidity doesn't matter.  I couldn't go back to living in coastal humidity, something the Big Smoke has in plenty.

"Ladies may assist other ladies.

It is not only the right, but the duty of ladies to render any assistance or be of any service to younger ladies, or those less experienced in travelling than themselves.  They may show many little courtesies which will make the journey less tedious to the inexperienced traveller, and may give her important advice or assistance which may be of benefit to her.  An acquaintance formed in travelling need never be retained afterwards.  It is optional whether it is or not."

In other words, spending a little time helping a less experienced traveller doesn't mean to say she will hang around you like a bad smell for the next few years.......at least, we hope not.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Having a whole heap of fun!

That was what the choir did last night, at our World Premiere.  We sang our little hearts out, managed to achieve our bits of (sitting) choreography without making fools of ourselves, and enjoyed listening to the lead actors sing their parts with and without us.  It was a pleasure and a privilege to be part of it....and even if our composer/director/musical director Bill is able to have it orchestrated and produced on a stage somewhere, we will still be able to say "we did it first"!

So now our moment of fame and glory is over, and it's back to everyday reality once more.

The back of Autumn Rhapsody is done.

This is a queen-size bed; the bottom corner was pulled up to show the outer border of that gorgeous leaf print.  Almost all of that pale background piece was used, there was very little leftover.

The strip goes from over an inch at one end to over two inches at the other as it wasn't quite cut straight - not much was wasted, was it?  It won't be thrown out either; you never know when it may be Just The Very Thing for a scrappy project so it will go into the bin of autumn fabrics, and probably be thrown out on some future date when it isn't big enough to use for anything anyway

Stitching down the peeper border is proceeding well, the final side is almost half done.  What an achievement that will be....then quilter Margaret will be contacted and decisions made as to thread colour/s and quilting design.

Words have been read.  Stitches have, of course, been sewn both by hand and by machine.  Songs have been sung and strings plinked.  A little shopping here and there to keep the hungry wolves at bay, and that was it.  The various hurty bits are healing well, for which we are thankful.  Today is the seven month anniversary of the big fall and subsequent damage and, while the hand and arm are still weaker than they were beforehand, they are slowly recovering.

It has rained, wonderful rain, which came with lights and music - thunder and lightning - and more is forecast for tonight and tomorrow.  The rain delayed my sewing the quilt back together as My Lovely New Bernina has computer Stuff in its innards, and according to technical sewing machine people it's not a good idea to use a computerised machine during lightning storms......so I don't.  The plug is even pulled out from the wall socket, because I'm not taking any chances.  About 15 years ago we lost a computer to a lightning strike; it was plugged in at the time, so we know these things happen.

What is blogger playing at these days?  Every comment comes up in my email inbox as a "no reply"; hopefully though I can still reply if you are in my contacts from previous replies.  I love reading  your comments, every one is appreciated, and I endeavour to reply as and when I can.

"A lady obliged to travel alone.

A lady, in travelling alone, may accept services from her fellow-travellers, which she should always acknowledge graciously.  Indeed, it is the business of a gentleman to see that the wants of an unescorted lady are attended to.  He should offer to raise or lower her window if she seems to have any difficulty in doing it herself.  He may offer his assistance in carrying her packages upon leaving the car, or in engaging a carriage or obtaining a trunk.  Still, women should learn to be as self-reliant as possible; and young women particularly should accept proffered assistance from strangers, in all but the slightest offices, very rarely."

Assistance offered to those of us of the more senior persuasion is much appreciated, let me tell you.  One cannot do everything by one's self any more.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Around the back

There has been fabric spread out on the sewing table while Big Decisions were made about the backing for Autumn Rhapsody.

The orange leaf print at the top has been sewn to the brown print.  (That's a fold you can see vertically in the fabrics, not a join.)  Two of these have been made, one for the top and one for the bottom.....or perhaps it's one for the left side and one for the right?  The orange leaf and brown prints will be sewn on each side of the centre panel when it's done, and the back will be complete.

The print with leaves and writing is about six inches short of being wide enough, wouldn't it rot your socks?   Using a piece of the orange leaf print in the centre will, however, make it wide enough and (hopefully!) add interest to the back.

It's a bit tricky trying to get a good pic of fabrics on a cutting table which is higher than a normal dining table when one is short, you know.  The proportions are better in real life.

The tidgy widgy stitching continues, work is now proceeding along the third side.  It's quite slow going because of the tiny stitches; if I had any sense I wouldn't have started off so small, but......ah well.  At least the point of the quilting foot shouldn't poke underneath when Margaret quilter is working her magic.  My hand complains after a while so it takes a break, then I don't always get back to it, something else gets done instead.....

All the various hurty bits are now doing well, for which I am thankful.  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn.  Notes have been plinked and sung; only one last rehearsal remaining for our World Premiere Extravaganza next Saturday night, and hopefully all will go well.  We have hunted and gathered, so we won't starve.

A couple of nights ago we treated ourselves to a visit to the theatre where the musical society were performing 'A Grand Night for Singing', a show made up of songs from different musicals by Rogers and Hammerstein.  The small cast of five did a sterling job, the staging was very well done, it was a fun evening.  Many of the songs were familiar - the soundtrack of my childhood!  The costumes weren't fancy; two of the women were in short floaty sequin-trimmed dresses - one rosy red, the other a pinky lilac - while the third was in white pants and sequin-trimmed top accessorised with different scarves and, at one point, a red feather boa with red flower atop her hair.  One of the blokes was in a cream three piece suit, the other in blue-grey; their jackets were on and off for different songs, and a couple of times Mr Cream wore a blue jacket with his cream suit while Mr Grey wore a cream jacket with his grey.....a way to add interest while avoiding elaborate costume changes.  The only quibble I would make was that Ms Pinky Lilac's dress was straight; she is quite short, and a little flare in the skirt would have given her more freedom of movement as she tried to keep pace with the taller members of the cast during dance moves.

We've had a taste of the coming summer during the week, a couple of quite nasty hot days.....don't like that at all....fortunately today is milder, in fact rain is forecast for the next couple of days.  It could be a correct forecast too, the frog in the drainpipe has been croaking away today.  We've been hearing it of late, so perhaps it knows something?  The frog must have a few places where it hangs out because quite a long time can pass when we don't hear it at all, perhaps it's like a cat which visits every house in a neighbourhood but doesn't really belong to any of them.

Continuing on with the duty of a lady to her escort:

"A lady should give her attendant as little trouble and annoyance as possible, and she should make no unnecessary demands upon his good nature and gentlemanly services.  Her hand-baggage should be as small as circumstance will permit, and when once disposed of, it should remain undisturbed until she is about to leave the train, unless she should absolutely require it.  As the train nears the end of her journey, she will deliberately gather together her effects preparatory to departure, so that when the train stops she will be ready to leave it an once, and not wait to hurriedly grab her various parcels, or cause her escort unnecessary delay."

Some of that sage advice would also apply to those travelling by air, these days.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A busy week with not much to show for it

We all have weeks like that, don't we.  We seem to have been on the go for most of the week, but when we look back not much seems to have been achieved.  

Work is proceeding on sewing down the peeper strip on Autumn Rhapsody.  I had high hopes of getting to the half-way point last night, but alas - it was not to be.  Some of the pieces for the back are pinned ready to be sewn but that doesn't make for an exciting pic, so there isn't one.  

Thoughts have been thought on which project will be worked on next, and it will probably be borders for the house quilt.

I thought there was a pic of the finished top, but it must be hiding in the photo vault.

Imprismed will be worked on. 

I am determined to finish it next year, it's been taking up a project box for long enough.

A quilt found online some time ago has been burning holes in my brain, so it's time it was started.  'Arboretum' ticks a lot of my boxes; mine will be made in batik fabrics rather than the fabrics used in the original.

That should be enough to keep me out of mischief, yes?

The hairdresser was duly visited, and my head now sports its summer cut.  That should keep me going until autumn, making it several months before the next staring-at-myself-in-the-mirror episode.  Summer means bright sunshine, which means wearing sunglasses and a hat outside, and the hat sits better with shorter hair.....but I miss my longer hair.

My hurt eye is doing very well indeed, if I hadn't remembered hurting it I would never have known the injury happened.  Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn.  Songs have been sung and plinked, there are two more rehearsals before our World Premiere performance, and I'm sure we will be fine.  My nemesis in the U3A ukulele group turned up on Thursday, and true to form was under my skin before we had even sung one song.  I told her she could run it if she wished, and was ready to pack up and walk out; we were drifting along nicely without her.  We hunted and we gathered, often the social highlight of our week.

For the past few weeks our town has been fortunate to have an exhibition by renowned quiltmaker Jenny Bowker which finishes today and I have, of course, been along to see it a few times.  During the time of the exhibition Jenny has given a couple of lectures, one of which was on my monthly day for volunteering at the gallery - how fortuitous was that? although I would have gone along anyway - and the second was last Friday evening as part of the annual lecture series run by ArtsNational.  The first talk was about Jenny's techniques, how she builds up layers and colours for her appliques, and was very interesting; the second was about her life as the wife of a diplomat in various countries in the Middle East, the theme of the quilts in this exhibition.  The organisers had a fund-raising raffle at the entry table so I duly bought a few tickets - I'm always happy to support worthy causes - and, much to my surprise, one of my tickets was the winner!  So now I am the proud possessor of a beautiful platter made of jacaranda wood and a selection of yummy gourmet goodies which will not, I assure you, go to waste.

I've often said I couldn't win an argument, let alone a raffle, and I am more than happy to be proven wrong.

Summer has arrived, the coming week looks like being a bit warm for my liking, but there's not much I can do about it.  We stay inside during the hottest part of the day; sometimes we have to venture out for an appointment or for shopping, but we head for home as soon as we can.  It's not unusual to have a burst of heat early in the season before it settles down to more moderate temperatures for a while, so let's hope that pattern is followed this year too.

"The duty of a lady to her escort.

The lady may supply her escort with a sum of money ample to pay all the expenses of the journey before purchasing her ticket, or furnish him the exact amount required, or, at the suggestion of her escort, she may allow him to defray the expenses from his own pocket, and settle with him at the end of the journey.  The latter course, however, should only be pursued when the gentleman suggests it, and a strict account of the expenses incurred must be insisted on."

We don't need someone else to be out of pocket on account of our journey, do we?  

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

A poke in the eye with a burnt stick

That's an Aussie expression - saying something is "better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick", although I believe the original was "with a sharp stick".

On Wednesday morning I was finishing getting ready to head off to sewing group, lunch was packed, hand sewing was in the bag, just draw on a couple of eyebrows.  Like many older women what eyebrows still remain are now grey and invisible and I'm naturally pale-skinned anyway, so a little definition is good.  Brows drawn on, grasp the pencil with the brush end out to give a little tweak to the shape, when my not-always-steady-yet right hand flipped and the brush poked me in the eye.  Ouch.  Double ouch and triple ouch. 

So off to the optometrist we go, oh dear says Simone, you have scratched your cornea.....use this antibiotic ointment and these lubricating drops, and come back on Friday afternoon.  Ointment and drops were duly used and Friday afternoon's report was "It's healing well.  Not complete healed yet, but doing fine."  The ointment is not needed now, but the drops will be continued for some time yet.

Talk about pain.  I would rather give birth than ever do that to my eye again.

This week has either been busy or raining (or sometimes both at once) so the pic of my quilt top still hasn't happened.....but it will.  Thoughts have been thought on piecing the back, and some fabric has been cut.  Due to the aforementioned busyness and a sore eye for a few days, that's as far as it has gone.  However, in the bustling around a visit was paid to the red and blue fabric and craft store (which shall be nameless because they don't pay me to advertise, but Aussies will know who it is) for some solid fabric, so the in-progress bag can proceed.

This bright blue - called "new turquoise" on the receipt - was chosen, and it suits quite well.  I wonder what happened to the "old" turquoise?

These are the remaining four squares which will form part of the handle; it was taken late yesterday afternoon under artificial light so the top pic is much closer to the true colour.  The bag will be pretty when done, those 22 squares will be moved out of my sewing room to a new owner, and I can pat myself on the back being careful not to dislocate my shoulders in the process.

How have you all been?  Apart from my mishap with the brow brush, we've been well.  Words have been read, stitches sewn by hand and by machine.  Songs have been sung and notes plinked, as ukulele has started up again.  We have hunted and we have gathered so we can eat once more.

Our new(ish) local council has elected the mayor for the next two years, and surprise, surprise - the old mayor is in the seat again.  I had hoped he would not be elected by his fellow councillors, but alas, he was.  So we have another couple of years of seeing his smirking face on the local news.  The mayor for some councils is elected by the locals on polling day - the person with the most votes wins a seat on the council and gets to sit in the mayoral chair, but our council is one of those whose mayor is elected by the councillors themselves.

Oh well.  Hopefully at the next election in four years, we can get some women back on council again.

"Duties of an escort.

However self-possessed and lady-like in all her deportment and general bearing a lady may be, and though capable of undertaking any journey, howsoever long it may be, an escort is at all times preferable, much more pleasant, and generally acceptable.  When a gentleman undertakes the escort of a lady, he should proceed with her to the depot, or meet her there, a sufficient time before the departure of the train, to attend to her baggage, procure her ticket, and obtain for her an eligible seat in the carriage, allowing her to choose such seat as she desires.  He will then dispose of her packages and hand-baggage in their proper receptacle, and make her seat and surroundings as agreeable for her as possible, taking a seat near her, or by the side of her if she requests it, and do all he can to make her journey a pleasant one.

Sounds like a good idea, to me.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

I have a finished top!

However - I'm afraid you'll have to take my word for it because it's quite large (86in square) and my quilt holder-upper isn't a tall enough bloke with a wide enough wingspan.  We shall have to come up with Plan B to get the photo.  The kids next door are growing, a couple are now teens, they are always helpful......

Never mind.  Here, at least, is one of the perfectly mitred corners.

There are another three just like it, too.  You have no idea how pleased I am about them, my shoulder is nearly dislocated from patting myself on the back.....and they do look better than straight borders would have done.  The binding will be the same fabric as the outer borders.

Now my thoughts are turning to piecing the back.  There are a few metres of that gorgeous leaf print used in the border and blocks, and a couple of metres of a different leaf print, and some of the inner border fabric......I'll make it work.  It's going off to be quilted by a long-armer, because it's too big for me to do it justice with My Lovely New Bernina - and, all being well, I hope to enter it in the local show early next year.

How has everyone been this week?  We've been doing well, my formerly broken bits sometimes complain, but I just ignore them.  We had some rain, and more is forecast; when it rains, the neighbourhood kangaroos come around for a visit.

There were several more, too.  It wasn't raining that day but had rained the day before, so the grass was still damp and juicy.  It's a bit difficult getting good pictures of the roos because they don't stay still for long, and we don't want to encourage them down to our fence; kangaroos have been known to attack people they see as a threat, so we stay on our side of the fence when they are out and about.  There is nothing in our garden for them, we are quite happy to see them from a distance, and hope they subscribe to the belief that we hold - "if you don't bother us, we won't bother you".

One thing I did this week was to start making a bag from a pack of five inch squares that came back from Canada with me.  On our last trip a friend took me to a store not far from her house, 'Huckleberry's Fabrics Inc.', which was having a morning of demonstrations, new products and giveaways.  It was a fun day and one of my goodies was a pack of squares - but there were only 22.  What can you do with just 22 squares, without having to buy more co-ordinating fabric?  The idea finally came a couple of days ago; the 18 floral squares were laid out in six rows of three, joined together, then seamed across the bottom to make a bag.  The remaining squares, deep jewel tone-on-tones, will be used to trim the handles.  Sometime soon I will hit the big craft and fabric store for a metre of solid homespun in a suitable colour and the bag will be finished, then off it will go to be filled with toiletries and other necessities to be given to a woman in hospital who may have been admitted with no time to gather what was needed.  Our group has been making such bags for a couple of years now, and they are gratefully received.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn by hand, and by machine.  Songs have been sung.  Exercises are still being done, although not as diligently as a couple of months ago.  We hunted and gathered for the weekly requirements, and that was about it, really.

Last month elections were held to fill places on the local council and I am shocked and surprised by the result, which was recently announced.  Our council now holds the record, not one to be proud of, for being the only council in the state without a single woman.  Not one.  Apparently the last time it happened here was in 1971, and I had already moved to the Big Smoke by then.  Even sitting female councillors who were up for re-election were not voted back in.  Now we have four years of local issues being decided by blokes, despite probably half the population being female.  A much smaller town an hour away has ended up with six women in a council of nine people, but we have none.

If I were younger I would stand for council, but I fear I have left my run thirty years too late.  The older I get, the more of a political animal I have become; back when I was of an age to be useful I didn't have as much interest in politics as I do now.

We have come to the end of Etiquette of Public Places, so now we will turn to Etiquette of Travelling.

"There is nothing that tests the natural politeness of men and women so thoroughly as travelling.  We all desire as much comfort as possible, and as a rule are selfish.  In these days of railroad travel, when every railway is equipped with elegant carriages for the comfort and convenience of its passengers, and provided with conductors and servants, the longest journeys by railroad can be made with perfect safety and but little annoyance."

To which I can only say, so many of these words could also be applied to modern plane travel.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

One down.....

.....three to go.

The four border strips have been assembled for Autumn Rhapsody; they were laid out on the design bed to keep them from being creased.  I'm pleased with the fabric choice for the inner border; it had already been rejected for other parts of the quilt, perhaps it was just waiting for its perfect spot.  The design bed is, of course, not flat, but this was enough to give the idea of how it will look.

A short while ago the first border was sewn to the quilt, then pressed......I am more than happy with the result!  The tan/gold/brown inner border is a good buffer between the different background fabrics and the bright border.  

Three more borders still to be added, then the corners will be mitred.  Mitred borders have a higher fiddly-diddly factor than straight borders, but sometimes they are just what the design needs.

How has everyone's week been?  Ours has been fairly quiet; some of my regular activities cease during school holidays, so there is still another quiet week to go.  The following week it will be a case of hitting the ground running, I suspect.

The big thing here is probably the start of daylight saving, which was at stupid dark o'clock this morning.  We set the clocks before we went to bed so at least, when we stirred, we could look at a clock and say "ah.....so that's what time it is!"  There has already been a whinge on social media about it, as there is every year; I'm not bothered enough by it to wail and whine, because that won't change things.  Must admit, not being a morning person, it was nice to have a darker morning again.  Many years ago we were visiting a state which doesn't have daylight saving; after 30 years we were already attuned to it, so having the day start very early (it was getting light at 4 a.m.!) was quite a shock to the system.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn by machine and by hand, diamonds have been made into hexagons and more diamonds have been cut.  Exercises have been done, although not as diligently as a few months ago.  We hunted and we gathered, doing our best to avoid school holiday crowds.  Songs have been sung, practice for our world premiere is coming along nicely, and all is well with our world.

A couple of years ago some areas on the north coast were hit by very bad flooding.  Even though one of the towns, Lismore, has a well-deserved reputation as being flood-prone the waters surprised everyone by how high they rose, even higher floors in buildings which were thought to be safe turned out not to be so.  Mind you, it is a low-lying town at the junction of two rivers, and no doubt flooding over many years has brought down silt which has raised the river bed level - so flooding is higher than it once was.  

On some of our trips to Canberra we have visited the Woodworks Gallery at Bungendore, a short drive away, and been amazed by the work on display, none more so than the Hannah Cabinet.  We have seen other cabinets made by Geoff Hannah, but this one is really special - and is worth well over a million dollars.  The people of Lismore raised funds to purchase it and it was, until the last big flood a couple of years ago, in the gallery.  Despite being on a higher floor it suffered a great deal of damage, and having seen up close how beautiful it is, we found that heartbreaking.  (Yes, I know people are more important than 'things'.....but this is a truly exquisite 'thing' of amazing beauty)  A few days ago I read that it is to be restored, the restoration will be overseen by its maker, and it will be beautiful once more......and this time, hopefully, out of flood reach.

"Where gentlemen may keep their hats on.

At garden parties and at all assemblies held in the open air, gentlemen keep their hats on their heads.  If draughts of cold air, or other causes, make it necessary for them to retain their hats on their heads, when in the presence of ladies within doors, they explain the necessity and ask permission of the ladies whom they accompany."

I can remember my maternal grandfather, a man who lived all his life in the country (he was born in 1885) raising his hat to a lady when out and about, and always - always! taking it off inside.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The blue and the green

Finally - a finish!

There are still a few bluebells flowering which wanted to be in the picture, too.  This has been a while waiting to be finished but the last stitches were put in the binding during the week, so I can claim a finish....the first for several months.

A close-up of the vertical quilting design.

All the unevenly spaced lines go in one direction, crossing and re-crossing.  Quilter Ann used a similar design on one of my quilts a few years ago which I quite like so I asked for the same idea, but this time using as many different threads as she wished - provided they were blue or green.  What a great idea, she said....there is always thread left over after working on a quilt....so there is a mix of blues and greens in both solid and variegated threads.    Both Ann and I were thrilled with the result.  Size is 48in by 60 in, no borders, just binding to finish the edge.

Finished is a great feeling!

The strips for the inner border of Autumn Rhapsody have been cut.  They still need to be joined into one long strip, and the outer border fabric needs to be cut; the fabric is nearly six metres long, so the borders will be cut along the length rather than across.  That means there will be no joins to interrupt the leaf pattern, it's too gorgeous to break up.....and, of course, the borders will be mitred.

The promised rain came during the week, now the garden looks washed and refreshed.  One of our resident magpie family popped in for a visit and perched on our verandah railing out of the falling rain, talk about looking bedraggled and despondent.....poor Maggie.....

The babies have hatched, and can now be heard clamouring to be fed.  Their appetite seems insatiable but I suppose, like most young folk, they are in a hurry to grow and get out into the world.

Ozzie Magpies have a bad reputation due to their habit of swooping anyone who comes near their nest when the babies are young.  Being swooped is quite a scary experience; many many years ago I was swooped and pecked on the head, so I very smartly moved away from the tree under which I was standing.  Being away from home at the time meant I was unfamiliar with local nests!  They are very smart birds and can recognise faces and voices - our resident maggies from the trees on the hill certainly know us and sometimes come for a visit, and we love their melodious song.  The swoopers are usually male birds, and the worst thing a swoopee can do is run, or try to cycle away quickly......better to get off that bike and walk, cross to the other side of the road if possible, and quietly go about your business without annoying any more magpies.  Last spring there was a problem with swooping magpies near a couple of shops here, but rather than walkers or cyclists those being swooped were women with prams or strollers.  I would guess that a woman with a pram chased a magpie away or annoyed it in some way, and it didn't forget.....but, after all, those birds are protecting their babies, too.

Words have been read.  Diamonds have been cut and sewn.  Notes have been plinked and sung, but now the ukulele groups are on holiday as several members are on grandparent duty, so we will resume in a few weeks.  We hunted and we gathered.  My exercises were diligently done and, as they used to say back in much earlier times, so has another sennight passed.

Over the past few days I have noticed that the nails on the three middle fingers of my right hand each have a bump going across their width.  I can only assume that damage was done when I fell and broke my arm; it happened so quickly that my recollections of how I landed are hazy, but I think that my clenched fingers were caught underneath my hand when I landed on it.  The fingers were certainly bruised and sore for quite some time, and indeed are still tender.  Eventually the nails will regrow, hopefully without bumps.

Oh well.  At least nothing has fallen off.

"Gentlemen passing before ladies.

Gentlemen having occasion to pass before ladies who are already seated in lecture and concert rooms, theatres and other public places, should beg pardon for disturbing them; passing with their faces and never with their backs toward them."

A favourite café of ours on our trips to Canberra is much frequented by cyclists.  Their lycra shorts leave nothing to the imagination, and we certainly don't want their backsides in our face; on one occasion Kevin murmured quietly to me, as those tight black bums passed much too closely to where we were sitting......"it's not very becoming, is 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

Driving to......distraction?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continuing with Conduct in an artist's studio:

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

Indeed, you should.  

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

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer