Recycling

Recycling is so very 'now'.  But recycling has been going on for ever.  Then again, recycling can mean something quite different depending on the era.

This book was published in 1915. 

WW1 was raging and recycling was a necessity for most people, so, it was often a topic of interest, especially for women trying to make ends meet.  I find the difference in how we 'express' ourselves in different eras interesting.  Back in 1915 we 'explained' what we meant with a lot more words.

A good example was the 'Preface'.

War is a hard, stern teacher, and its lessons are bitter in the learning; yet some of its teaching we badly needed - and not the least important of its main lessons is the one it inculcated on the criminality of waste.

To so many of us "waste" was a word with a comparative meaning. What was waste in one woman was not necessarily waste in another, we argued.  It was wrong for the factory girl to let her skirts drop off her for lack of mending: but not wrong for the better-off women to discard their clothes directly they showed the least sign of wear, because they could afford to buy more, we said; and besides, it made it good for trade - that was a favourite argument used by the extravagent to excuse their wanton waste.

Harsh words indeed.

On reading this book I had no idea that you could use old crockery for beads.  It seems like a lot of work.  We can purchase beads at a very cheap price today, maybe this is something that will change over the next 100 years?

What I was looking for was drawings, rather like those of Margaret Clarke, to use in my 1920's quilt.  The only thing I found was these illustrations in advertisements.

I might use the faces of the girls looking over the wall and the flowers on the cover could translate into an applique.  Or maybe these?

 

What I can't see myself doing is turning the collars of my husbands shirts.  If he wants that he can do it himself!

WIPW

It is really spring now and although the weather did become cold for a bit, I am starting my spring cleaning.  That means emptying every cupboard and draws. Washing the contents, sorting those things that have to go out and getting ready for summer.  I have set myself 2 draws a day in the kitchen and 2 draws a day in the sewing room, to start.   Now that may not sound a lot but I do need time to sew, draw and read.

For the sewing part I am doing the hand stitching of the bindings on the place mats, there are 18 in total.( I can only manage one a day with my lack on movement in my wrist.)

And I am in the planning stages for a new Donation Quilt.  This one is for a teenage boy.

I am reading another Marjory Allingham novel. I am up to No 15 of the Campion series.

As you can see we are now in the 1950's, mid century modern.  I would like to get back to some embroidery but one thing at a time.

A bit of reflection

I don't think I have had a run of adverse events in years as those that have dogged me since my cancer returned at the end of last year.  It has been a constant struggle just to get from one day to the next.  But I am learning how to accept the circumstances that have come to me.  At first I 'raged' against fate but now I find myself accepting what is given to me and continuing on the best I can.

One thing that has brought me great pleasure has been my garden and this year the Camellias have been beautiful.

I have some interesting books to read, especially the Marjory Allingham books but I also found  "The Remarkable Mrs Reiby" by Grantlee Kieza.

This is the true story of the woman who graces our $20 notes.  My ancestor, who decided to settle in Australia, was an officer in the 73rd Regiment.  He was a mounted soldier so wore a blue jacket rather than the red. This was the first Australian Light Horse Brigade.   He transferred from the 73rd to be part of the mounted troop who became the Govenor's (Macquarie) body guard.  (The rest of the 73rd were sent back to England.)  The book gives a vivid description of what life would have been like for him and his family at that time.

But the most precious thing I have come to appreciate more and more are my friends.  They are a true blessing.

A week alone

Yes, all alone, except for the dog.  My husband has gone to Tangalooma Island with  his ex business partner for the week. 

He has a holiday apartment over there.  I'm not sure if there are any whales at this time of year but it used to be a whaling station in the old days as it sits on the whale migration route

The resort is situated on Moreton Island, which is some way out in the bay but you look back to the mainland and see the city skyline.  It is remote and beautiful.  (The website has some great photos and information.)

I took day trip excursions there when I was a high school teacher.  It is quite a 'wild place'.

I have taken this time to struggle with the computer, work in the garden. walk the dog and have commenced quilting the last quilt.  I hope to have this completed by the time he returns.  It took 2 full days to get it all tacked together, by which time my wrist said "that's enough, I give up".  So then I sat and read my next Marjory Allingham book "Flowers for the judge".  This was published in 1936 and there is a notable change in the writting.  A lot more modern in the use of the English language and her use of suspense sees a change, but the story is just as enjoyable.

So, it has been a kind of holiday for me as well.  I am enjoying this time.

 

Half year review

We are now half way through the year and I am still having trouble walking.  I am greatly improved from where I was a few weeks ago but I have to watch that I don't walk too far or too much.  I find it difficult to pull back, "the mind is willing but the flesh is weak."  I haven't been able to go to the Embroiderers' Guild for a few weeks now as it is a 4 hour + round journey and I have to pace myself.  I miss seeing friends and keeping up with what is going on.

I am working my way through the Marjory Allingham novels and have become quite fond of Albert Campion, the main character.  I am still finding things I know nothing about here and there.  I knew there was an earlier version of a bus but didn't know it was called a "char-a-banc" or that it looked like this,

or this,

or this.

The text just said the Gypies arrived in it.  The descriptive text paints so many pictures with details I am not sure about.

I have pre-ordered Donna Leon's next book, which is due for release next month and look forward to starting that.

I usually review how I have travelled at the end of the year but I am having a half yearly review of my progress.  Not too bad considering the major health issues I have had to face.  Last year I would have said "could do better" but all things considered I think "not too bad" sums it up.

I have been reading, quiet a bit.

With the lack of access to the sewing room I have been reading.  Some of the books have been very interesting.

This one I loved.

All the things I didn't know about some historical women!  Plus it's a good read with lots of supporting images and references.  (I'm keeping this one to make some International women's day blocks for the quilts.)

And the book of the moment is another Margret Allingham book.  "Police at the Funeral".

There is so much detail in the description of the characters and each scene.  I am reading this on Kindle and have to have my Ipad nearby to look up just what some things mean.  Like, I have never heard of a "knife boy".  Turns out this is the bottom rung for male servants.  The number of times I have thought "what's that".  But you know that makes the book even more interesting.  Because there is a lot of descriptions of things I have no knowledge of it means that I have to slow down and read, even reread many parts of the book.  For a speed reader like me this is great for lowering stress levels.

(Oh I see I've missed book three.  I will have to go looking for that.)

 

How did I miss these books?

I am ill as a result of a flu innoculation. 

I knew I would be, but the risk of getting the actual flu was too high and the outcome too severe, so, I have opted for being ill voluntarily.   So, not too much sewing going on at the moment as I am lying around, but, I can read.  Then the problem was what to read?  I like "Who dunit's"  (detective fiction) but have read just about everyone, and the thrill of working out who did it doesn't really "cut it" with re-reading books.  So I went looking for old books, of the Agatha Christie vintage, and happened upon the books by Marjory Allingham. 

The "four queens" of this style of writting were Christie, Marsh, Sayers and Allingham.

The writting is very dated and I took me a number of chapters to adjust to the "older style" of writting, but once I did I was hooked. 

The books were written 100 years ago, literally, and putting myself back to that time took some adjustment in my mind.  People talked, thought and acted  differently to today and Oh these books are a window into what that time was like.  At one point the main characters are driving around London and out to the suburbs "and there are no other cars on the road".  That alone is mind boggling and the role of women is so different from today.

These books would make wonderful period dramas for TV,  I can see all the characters up there on the screen.  I wonder why no-one has thought of that? 

So I am reading the series of "Campion Mysteries" , starting with book 1, "The Crime at Black Dudley".

Pure escapism, and it has kept me on the edge of my seat right up to the last chapter. 

As an aside, I see that Agatha Christie wrote of the author that "She stand out as a shining light" and JK Rowling felt the same,  I have to agree.

A bit of shopping

I did an on-line course concerning "Quilting with your walking-foot" with Jacquiie Gering a few years ago and as I can no longer access it I decided to buy the book.

(It is on special at Booktopia.)

It has got me thinking about 'angles' and how we measure them.  You can buy a quilting ruler and use this but I wanted to understand the math, which turns out to be a bit more complicated.

  It is far more accurate if you use metric rather than imperial measurements.  (I should have guessed that!) and I made a chart for myself as well.

I think I will just use the ruler, all the thinking is done for me!

But, I can highly recommend this book.

Now it is Autumn

The Easter weekend was wet and windy but that didn't stop the day-trippers and holiday makers from flooding onto the island.  The ferry's were packed, everyone seemed to bring a dog with them and it was impossible to find a BBQ.  The smell of sausages cooking hung in the air, even my eldest son came to visit but decided it was too much trouble to put the boat in the water.

I have been doing a bit of sewing every day, concentrating on my machine quilting.  I am so cross with myself for not keeping a record of my previous quilting.  So cross that I went on-line and ordered three new books.

I did an on-line course a number of years ago with Craftsy with Jacquie Gering.  Then the company changed hands and I lost all access to the content, hence this book.

While I was there I thought I might get some more, so book 2.

And then I thought that this book would be a good addition for the library at my patchwork group.

After ordering them, and paying, I got a message from the company to say they had ordered the 2nd and 3rd book from overseas and I would have another 3 to 4 weeks wait!   Gee I miss the Book Depository!!

Yet another book!

I have just loved reading this little book.

It is a series of short stories, all about how cats have been part of different families.  It  is the kind of book you can take with you to the coffee shop and read a story while you are there.  I am going to have to look out for other English translations of books by this author.

I had a love/ hate relationship for over 20 years with our cat "Fluffy" and I wouldn't get another cat to live here because it is a bird sanctuary, but, Oh how I can relate to those cats.

 

New Books (sort of) and future projects

When I say "sort of new books" they are not actually mine.  I am the librarian for my local quilting group and it is my job to source new books and maintain our collection.  This has been difficult due to the changes in how books are published and the demise of many publishing houses.  To overcome this for the past year all the new additions have been donations that I have sourced from members and friends and this has worked well.  The big problem has been the costs of buying and transporting books from the other side of the world where all the publishers are.  This sees the  landed cost at least double the original price.

Then I got an email from Quiltmania saying they were having a 10 day sale.  So many beautiful books and such limited funds!  Most meeting days a good percentage of members are stitching Sashiko so I decided that I would purchase Japanese quilting books. (Two books took my whole small budget.)

Of course I had to read them first and have selected a number of projects from which I will choose.

This is paper pieced and the patterns are for a quilt and a cushion.  I am going to do the cushion.

I would like to experiment with a small quilt like this.

And my daughter and her husband are going to build a Japanese inspired house on their new cattle station.  (This station is partly on the plains but the house will be on elevated land in the forest.)  I expect the quilt to take a year to construct and these are the two front runners.

The quilts in the books are mostly made from re-purposed fabrics,  I don't think I can source those.  But I have found a Futon manufacturer who imports fabrics from Japan and will sell me the off cuts.

Both books have English and French texts and are just brimming with inspiration.