This brings back memories

I performed this work way back in the 1970's at St.Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.  I have always loved it.

 

 

Art Gallery Lecture and Lunch

What a pleasant way to spend a day?  With a friend, listening to a great lecture and then finishing with a leisurely special lunch at the art gallery.

My friend Jane and I meet once a month for the members lecture but this time we decided to splurge on lunch as well.

 

The place was full of "ladies who lunch", whom I am not normally one of, but, once a year is acceptable I think.

There is a display of the work of the artist -

She started as a tattoo artist and her work is so detailed.

Many of her painting could have been stitched.

A really enjoyable thought provoking day.

WIPW

I never seem to have nothing to do.  I get one thing finished and there is a host of things to take it's place.

I have finished the quilting of this quilt and now only have the binding to do.  I am debating if I will put a hanging sleeve on it.

I also think this circular quilting pattern suits it.

My applique came to a stop as I realised that I was missing a leaf.  It took some time to find a piece of fabric the same as I had used.  Then my cleaner found the original one that had fallen off the desk.  I will give this piece a rest and come back to it I think.

I am working on some cross stitch and hexis.  I need to finish the prototype to get the design right.

And the strip quilt is still there to be finished.

And just as an added extra I pulled out some old embroidery I had bought in an Op shop to work on.

A good soak to get the stains out then I added a light wadding on the back and sewed a lining in place by hand.  I think this will be a needle case but I want to add to the embroidery first.

Where did all this work come from?

Where I live.

The herons are really great to watch as they hunt at low tide late in the afternoon.

There might be an embroidery in that shot

My Workspace

Oh how I wish I  was a tidy soul! 

I seem to create mess where ever I move.  Not intentionally, it just sort of happens and I find it very difficult to discard things, so they mount up.  I am not a horder more a collector and can dispose of things if I really have to.  Now in my later years I find that I have been living with ADHD disorder all my life without knowing.  I have just thought I was a bit hyperactive, well more than a bit I suppose.  But, that can be a positive.  I have lots of activities on the go all the time.  But now I find my auto-immune problems are catching up with me and I have to slow down.  (My parents were told I wouldn't live past my teenage years, but I'm still here in my 70's.)

What brought this on?  Well I looked at Christine Kelly's  Gentlework's blog which led me to her  Facebook  page and there was this beautiful workspace.

I wonder if it looks like this all the time, or if like me, it can descend into chaos?

I love the way she repurposes old embroidery.

I keep telling myself to "stop, clean up, be more organised, just finish one thing at a time" .

I have to try and get this room organised.  My cleaning lady comes this week!

Tango -2

I like how these two work together, and work with the music.  Great dancing.

 

 

Duel Purpose

I choose this pattern because I thought it would be easy.  (You can download it for free at Jordan Fabrics.)

But there were a few things I hadn't taken into account.

Firstly the difference between Imperial and Metric measures.  This caused me more trouble than I would have thought.  Still, I found that making the blocks a bit smaller I have been able to over come this.  (I am so glad I did a trial first and could correct the size.)

I thought at first that the big trouble would be removing the paper that the pieces have been sewn onto.  My wrist is far weaker than I had at first thought and this project requires me to rip out the paper the fabric is sewn onto.

So, it has now become an exercise in using my non dominant hand. At first it was slow and tedious, but, if this wrist keeps deteriorating, very necessary.

From the quick quilt I thought I was making it has become the start of learning another process altogether.  I thought that it will take at least a week to get all the papers out but actually it was very simple.  I used a short machine stitch to begin with and then creased each sewing line with the back of the scissors and the paper just came out.

To bad about my stitching though.  I got two blocks on the wrong orientation and had to replace them. 

I tried a bit of needle work yesterday but my wrist still wasn't with out pain although it was a lot better than it has been.  I will stay with the machining for a while longer I think.

Now I have to think about the borders.  I will make them a bit bigger than the pattern because I have found a blog that I think will help me with my walking foot quilting.

It is called Blooming in Chintz and the writer has a similar machine to me.   I have been practicing quilting with my walking foot for some time and this seems to be the next step on that journey.  It is a great blog with lots of inspirational quilts and clear explanations or all processes that are featured.  Worth a visit.

WIPW

I should really get a move on with this table runner.

I blame my bad wrist.

My "lock-down quilt" is finished completely, except for the label.

I can say that every stitch in it was mine, including all the quilting.

I took it to my quilting group this week and as luck would have it Natalie, one of the designers and the organiser of the patterns that were put up on-line, was there and I was able to thank her for all the work she had put into putting this project on- line for free. (Natalie belongs to the same quilting group as me.)

The paper pieced quilt is growing.

And I am starting on some small cross stitch pieces to test my wrist again.

Winter

We are having a beautiful winter.  Cold nights  (4-7 degrees C) and warm days 18-24 degrees C) and all the flowers are loving it.

The Camelias have just begun to blossom, so I expect to be able to cut them for a few weeks.

The azalias are coming to the end I think, but they could last a bit longer.

I've forgotten the name of these but I grew them all from cuttings and they are great.

The coloured leaved plants always make a good display and if you leave them too long in the water they shoot.

I have to keep an eye on the black-eyed susan creepers as they can get away from you , but, they look good on the fence.

And the bouganvillas I planted are now all over the back verandahs.  I planted this just over a year ago, they sure can grow.  They will have to be cut back but I just love the colour.

Looks like I have some more lemon butter to make and the herbs are doing well.

Next will be the 'feral flowers'.

 

Dance

That stage craft teacher has a lot to answer for.  It was she who introduced me to the Tango.  Since then it has become an obsession.  I love this couple.