Last Week

I am hoping that the past week has seen a turnaround in some of my health issues.  I seem to be more stable and able to move forward without having to monitor every thing I do.   The up side has been a loss of weight, about 11kilos and I have been forced to just slow down.  Even had to say "I can't do that" and move onto something else.  The downside, I can't remember where I put my Ipad!!  (It will turn up, eventually.)

I repaired our Ted, there wasn't that much there to work with, and this made me use my sewing machine.  After all the problems I have had since it came back for it's service I have to say I was afraid to use it in case there was another problem.  But this job go me on the machine again.  Now I am moving along on the quilt I have on the design board.   And I got my car back from the repair shop.  (I'm quite attached to that little Honda Jazz and the Ipad did turn up in my sewing bag.)

Slowing down has seen me going to my GOMA monthly lectures again.  I have been introduced to the wonderful Art Movie program that they run.  Unfortunately the movies are often at night, so , those ones are out of the question but when I can I will go and stay at the town house overnight as long as I have someone to keep an eye on the dog.  (My husband is not reliable!)  They also have some great interviews on their You Tube channel.

One exhibit I did see was the Hawaiian Feathers.  This was dedicated to Hina, the goddess of femininity.  They believed that the gods were born covered in feathers and that like birds they could move effortlessly between earth and the heavens.

This video is about how feathers are stitched in Hawaiian culture.  It is only a short video (5 mins) but so interesting.

(The New Zealand Moari were originally from Hawaii so this would probably apply to their feather work as well.)

 

 

Food for Thought

I haven't been able to knit for over a year now and oh I miss being able to do this.  I keep stitching despite the pain it causes and sometimes I can manage to crochet but how I miss  being able to knit.  I have stopped following all my knitting sites, except one, and that is Kates Davies.  She not only knits, I just love her patterns, but she writes, eloquently.  I have joined her latest 'knit club' mainly to receive her book and in this round of patterns there are a number  I would love to have kniited.

Recently there was an alignment of the planets and residents of the island took up positions on the beach to observe this.  We don't have the same light pollution as the mainland and the night skies spread from horizon to horizon, 360 degree, but it was a bit cloudy that night so the photos weren't very good.

 

However, Kate has written a thought provoking blog post titled "Resonance" which has some wonderful images of the night skies in northern Scotland.  (She also references some books that I need to add to my reading list.).

Why all this about the night sky?  Well that will be the theme of my next Shakespeare sonnet textile piece. 

 

 

 

A bundle of unlooked for treats

I love it when people say "can you use this?"  I sure can.

Some lovely Japanese fabric.

And some aboriginal printed fabrics.

I'm sure I can find a use for both of these.

Repair Time

I don't have a large wardrobe of dresses but I love those I have.  Ripping a hole in one is a disaster, and that is what I did.  It is made of a light cotton voile and I must have snagged it on something.  I repaired it by backing the hole with a plain fabric and machining this in place.

Up close the repair looks messy but it gets lost in the folds.  I might get a couple more years out of this one.

Sure pays to know how to sew.

A bit lost

I think I have missed my Vit B12 injection, my mind just isn't working properly.  Plus I got carried away with the gardening and used up what spare energy I might have had!  The garden and lawns look good but I feel terrible!

I keep falling asleep all the time.

But, I have got all my book bags plus added goodies finished.  What seemed like an easy project actually wasn't that easy.

I started with the six bags, that had boxed bottoms and a pocket, with a velcro closure, on the outside.

Into this I put a spiral note book and pocket tissues in covers that I made.  I was going to make covers for the note books but they were so pretty I just left them as they were.

These little tissue covers caused me lots of grief.  I was so tired I couldn't remember how to make them  but in the end I completed the six.

Next I made six pencil cases, but found I only had enough fabric for four,

so had to improvise for the other two.

Into each pencil case I put a selection of supplies.

   

I tried to only use fabrics from my stash but I am not making any kind of impression on it's size!! Still, I can cross the bag job off my list.

Time to stop!

Every so often I need to stop and take stock.  It is usually sparked by my sewing room being out of control.  It has happened again. 

I finished the quilting on the No2 charity quilt and then accidently pulled everything off the cutting table, then  got my foot caught on the power cord and added to the chaos.

This  coming week is looking dangerously overloaded so time to put things in order but on a brighter note, friends returning from overseas brought fabric.***

Angela from Alaska.

Cora from South Africa.

And Ros gave me some green fabric from Ireland, which I have already used.  Looking at the exchange rate on the Assie dollar I think Japan is where I should visit.  Europe the UK and the USA will be too expensive, but, I'm not allowed to travel just yet.  So It is all academic!!

A Reality Check

As my concentration has been interrupted by "the intruder", the number of things I am working on has exploded.  I was becoming quite overwhelmed by it all. So, I sat down and made a list of the things I am working on.

That has come to 20+!!!

I have given myself a talking to.  Packed up a good number of them and hung them in the cupboard.  Here I can see them but they are not under foot.

I have left the skirt on the outside of the cupboard because I need to do that one.

Then I looked at the list again and have reduced my current work to just two others.

The Cornish Coast embroidery, just a small amount each day.

And one Charity Quilt.

I still want to be able to walk the dog, read, see friends etc.  That husband of mine has a lot to answer for!

That shopping day

I was really looking forward to the shopping day with my Quilting Group, Star Sea Quilters, and it didn't disappoint.  Sometimes lady luck picks you out and says

"you need a break, here is a blessing to cheer you up."

That has been this quilting group.  The more I talk to the members the more I realise what a remarkable group of women I have joined up with.

Hiring a bus for the trip was inspired.  That traffic down on the Gold Coast is a nightmare and there I sat in a comfortable bus being driven to and from all the place I wanted to go to.  That was win No1.  Number two was the company of great people, so good.  Then there was the shopping.

We started at Fi Fi's.  Never been there?  It is well worth the visit.  The shop is arranged differently from other Quilting Shops.  Most organise their stock by colour, this shop is organised by designers, and she keeps the full range of those designers who are purchased.  (Natalie Bird who is a member of our group is featured here as well.)

The only problem is making a decision about what to buy.  I bought a new pair of scissors, that fit my hand that doesn't work properly,and some fabric to use in my charity quilts for kids and teenagers and

some to make some pillows for my grand daughter.  ( I bought a bit more than I intended but...)

Then onto Japanashe.  They manufacture futons and when they cut the fabric there are all these off cuts.  $100 work will be enough to make a King sized quilt , maybe 2!

They have a great range of Japanese fabrics and

so I had to have some of those.

And they also had Japanese Antiques.  (One of our members is still an antiques dealer so she checked everything out for us.)  I also found a lovely little tea pot for my daughter.

Then we were all dropped of in Burleigh Heads to find a place to eat, this saw us spread out in all directions.  My little group of friends from the island headed to the Surf Life Saving Club.  These clubs are located along the coast of Queensland and all are right on the beach and serve great food. This was our view whilst we ate.

Personally I think it is a bit cold for swimming, 24 degrees C.

Then a bit of retail therapy in the shops at Burleigh where I found a dress from my daughter.  (I hope she likes it?)   Back on the bus and then home.  It was a long day.  I caught the 7am ferry to the mainland and the 5.30pm ferry back to the island.

I now have so many projects planned for all that fabric!

Why didn't I think of that?

At one point I cleaned out my fabric cupboard and gave a great bundle of dressmaking fabrics to me daughter.  I was never going to make clothes again.  (Since then I have changed my mind.)

My daughter came to visit wearing a jacket she had made from left over woollen fabric, It gets cold up on the range.

Then she showed me the lining.

My son bought this fabric for me from Bali 20 odd years ago and I didn't know what to do with it, so I passed it on to my daughter.  I couldn't think what I would make with it.  It was so bright.

I Love the result.  Not a shabby result from scrap fabric.

A change in the weather

I think the weather might be changing!  It is still raining and humid but last night I put a light cover on the bed.  Well it is nearly the end of March so I suppose it was bound to happen.

This got me thinking about changing over my wardrobe.  I had a look in some shops but I must have missed that all the prices have sky rocketed!  Time to start some dressmaking.  I don't need a lot, just 2 or 3 dresses and I have turned to one of my favourite designers for inspiration.  Gudren Sjodon.

Her style is very relaxed, which suits my lifestyle.  I no longer need business suits or fancy clothes to wear when I go out.  But I would like some of these petticoats.

Dead simple to make but finding that lace for the bottom is not going to be easy.  At one time there were fabric shops in every suburb but now I can only think of 4 or 5 in the whole of Brisbane! (Not counting Spotlight and Lincraft.)  I like the way she layers her clothes, great for our weather.

I won't find the colours but then I have a draw full of fabric dye so that is no problem.  I have a whole bolt of pain cotton fabric I just have to source this lace.