Fresh off the tree

One of the small pleasures of living in Central Victoria is buying fresh apples at Harcourt during the apple season. These apples have no wax, have never been in a cool store and were hanging on trees a day or two ago.

When I was a little girl we travelled through Harcourt to get to my grandmother's house and would always stop and buy a bag for her and a bag for our family. Today we needed to go over that way so two bags came home with us. Our favorite apple sellers are the appropriately named "Peeler's family orchards"

Track 13

More excitement - our boy has his track on this CD. One Love Sound Machine Compilation 2010 Track 13 "Run" which he wrote and performs on.

Not our kind of music, nor his really, but it's a start for a boy who has loved music all of his life.

He started guitar when he was 8 and loved it from the first moment - started lessons in a group at school and then refused to go back after week 2 because the other kids hadn't practised and he wanted to play more than "Red River Valley", so we arranged private classes which went on for the next 12 years.

When he was a little fellow he had 20 surgical procedures, and took his guitar to hospital with him once he was old enough to have one. He soothed himself (and us!) by sitting in his hospital bed playing classical guitar. The nurses and doctors used to do a double-take when he walked in with the guitar case, it fitted nicely under his hospital beds and aided recovery enormously.

He is now an audio engineer, lives a very interesting life and meets all sorts of famous people. In his spare time he works at music festivals - next month he has one which involves Sydney (Saturday) Perth (Sunday) and Brisbane (Monday)!!!

"Layer on Layer"

Last year I attended a workshop with Gloria Loughman which was wonderful. I learnt so much. I have finished my piece, and have it ready for a display at the Victorian Quilters Showcase in Melbourne later this year.



"African sunset"

My mother also attended and she, being the over achiever that she is, has completed two pieces.



"My garden"



Can't remember this one's name - Autumn something or other.....

(Apologies for the wonky photos, the quilts were laid out on the billiard table and I was home alone so ahd no one to hold them up for me.)

I have heard it all now... currently on display at the Cocalico Valley Historical Society there is an exhibition of privy bags

http://www.cocalicovalleyhs.org/

(sorry, for some reason my computer won't do hyperlinks this week - must be on holidays as well.)

What are "privy bags"?

Apparently they were made by young girls, to practise their sewing skills, and used in the outhouse to store magazine pages which were used as toilet paper.

In my younger days I can remember some frugal neighbours having squares of newspaper hanging off a nail - I used to "hang on" until I got home whenever I visited their place.

Where to from here?

Having a "staycation" is very relaxing. I have dug out some old projects and have done some work on them. This Mariner's Compass is about six years old, and all that was needed was to applique the inner circle on. So, I have done that but am not sure where to go next... any suggestions welcome. It is about 350mm across, I have plenty of background fabric and think I can find the other fabrics "safely put away somewhere in my sewing room". I am thinking a wall hanging of some sort....