Post 136 Doves and Acorns are back

I got organised with a few tasks this morning - blocked the Jacobean Sampler, mended the sole of my slippers,

got my next project in a hoop and found the threads for it.















Then Turtle turned up.  He stayed while I distributed some seed. Within a minute Myrtle was there as well.


They tucked in very cooperatively for about ten minutes before surveying the scene from the balcony rail and flying away.










An hour or so later there was an unmistakable loud bird call. The Noisy Myna was back to feed again.

















It was cold and clear for most of the day. Late in the afternoon the clouds lined up over the Hills. I'm sure there is some scientific explanation for the straight line.

I had dinner at Katherine and Anthony's. Anthony made a delicious risotto, and Niamh and Veronica made desert. Wow!





I got stems and leaves done on the Acorns.  I'm looking forward to doing the acorns tomorrow - they are amongst my favourite things to stitch.

The Jacobean Sampler was still a little bit damp this evening, so I shall leave it until tomorrow to remove from the blocking board. I'll wait until the Acorns are finished before adding them both to the cushion.

Post 135 Not a lot to show

I opened the blind when I woke this morning so I could watch the sunrise from bed. I couldn't, of course, resist getting up and taking more photos.





I love the cloud formations, and also the way the light shines through the trees where they are gaps in the leaves.





The bare trees in the centre of this photo were to feature later in the morning.

.

About three hours later, I noticed a group of lorikeets flying around some distance away. They settled on those bare trees in the centre of the sunrise photo above. I could only just make them out. I got my SLR and captured them with the telephoto lens.

I am very pleased with these photos.

















The plan for today was Pilates, followed by lunch with Jennifer and Susan at Grange Cafe. However, Jennifer had a bad night and was contacting her physician this morning, so we cancelled.

After my Pilates class I was tempted to go down to Grange alone and see if the Cafe had a vacancy.

I decided against it, and went home to check on the Covid news and work on my Jacobean Sampler.


I played quite a lot with the colours and stitches.  I'm not sure I got the best possible combination, but I'm content.




























I think the overall impact is better than the sum of the parts.


Tomorrow I will block it.

Post 134 Images

I had my annual checkup with my dermatologist this morning. For her practice it is now pretty much business as usual - within a framework of patients being checked before attending for symptoms and contacts, hand sanitising on entry, distancing in waiting rooms, doctors wearing face masks and frequently washing hands and surfaces. She says it took them a couple of weeks to work out procedures and set up the practice but now it flows smoothly. My moles seem to be inactive. For what it's worth, her view is that we will not be able to travel overseas from Australia until there is a vaccine, but she's optimistic we may have that in the first half of next year.

From her practice I went to Frewville to get a few supplies. There were quite a few people around, but they largely keep their distance. I couldn't take photos without breaching privacy but this one is, I think, OK.

As I was driving out I noticed a flash of red amongst the green on their plant wall. I didn't get close enough to see what it is, but next time I'll check it out. It might work in mine.

Back at home I was fortunate enough to be looking out the bedroom window when the Noisy Myna landed on the rail of my balcony. I had the SLR handy and managed to get some good shots through the glass. He sat on the rail for a while, surveying the scene and keeping watch before heading to the nectar

2nd Noisy Myna

A second Myna appeared briefly, but didn't stay.




I took a lot more photos while I had the chance. These are the ones I really like.
















These are photos of the same bird taken less than a minute apart. It really interests me to see how birds change their shape by stretching or dropping their weight and puffing their feathers.

The doves didn't appear while I was looking today. Maybe it has become Myna territory while the plant is blooming.

I had a nice long phone call with a Guild friend. Their latest foster dog has just turned into their dog.



Sunsets are infinitely interesting. Tonights was a stripy one.












I took a photo of the view from inside - with the inside light on, and with it off. Either way, it is a very serene scene.
















My late afternoon/ evening time was spent on the Jacobean Sampler. I'm largely making up the colour scheme as I go. I'm not at all sure how it will turn out. I should probably do it with coloured pencils first. It's a lot of fun.


I received a checklist from the Guild today, outlining what Convenors need to adhere to if their group meets. I need now to work out what World Embroidery Study Group members want to do.

Tomorrow I shall ask them. 

Post 133 A Crewel Day

This morning, first up, I sent out my Wednesday World Embroidery Group email. It contained the presentation we'd have had face-to-face had we not been locked down. It was a broad look at Storytelling through embroidery, prepared with great care by a member of the group.



Once the email had gone I took the plunge and cut the blocked Muncaster Orange fabric to fit on my chair and pinned it on.

Then came the slightly tricky bit of taking the cover off the chair. Next I had to pin it on properly and stitch it.

As I was taking the cover off,  I realised that the there was space here for the Phillipa’s Redwork Rabbit, which I’ve had in kit form since March 2019. I got out the kit and tested the placement. Since it is an effort to get the cover on and off the chair, it seemed sensible to stitch it straight away and applique it on today before I put the chair back on.













It took me a couple of hours. I didn’t stitch the buttonhole outline as close as Phillipa’s.  I wanted to see the stitches rather than a more solid outline.






It was an easy matter to cut out the rabbit, pin and stitch it.





















Putting the cover back on is more tricky. It needs a bit of manipulating.  I'm glad I thought of the apple.

This is my current plan for the next stage. The purple blobs on the rim will be feathers from the Tumbling Feathers cushion. The red and purple squiggle on the cushion will be the  Jacobean Sampler that I am currently stitching. The red circle (well, oval then) is to be the Elizabethan Acorns. At the moment the yellow on the skirt is planned to be, from left, Rabbits, Rabbits at Dawn and Oak Apple Tree

I'm now highly motivated to get on with it. So there was no knitting tonight, while I progressed the Jacobean sampler. It's very pleasant to be pursuing my own thing with this.  Fortunately, Crewel is very forgiving so I can afford to play and experiment a little.

The sunset created clouds that fuel imagination. Perhaps there's scope for embroidery of stories in the clouds!


No sign of Myrtle and Turtle today. I did see the Noisy Myna on the trees behind my apartment and plenty of birds wheeling in the sky. I think the doves are preoccupied.

Post132: Hair and thread

The Muncaster Oranges look spick and span after their blocking. Tomorrow I hope to applique them on to my chair.







Today's main task was getting my hair permed. I have this done for two reasons, one to give my fine hair a bit of body, and secondly to dry out some of the oil. Without it, I wash my hair every day.


It is a fairly old-fashioned process, but I have a young hairdresser trained and keen to do it for me, so I count myself lucky.

My hairdresser is on the edge of the Central Market, so I bought some grapes and blueberries and dropped my soft plastic recycling in at the supermarket. I also took my travel handbag to the shoe repair man. The clasp broke yesterday and I very much want it fixed. He's not sure how he will do it, but I'm sure he will manage.

Back at home I spent the afternoon knitting the shawl and watching the Victorian Premier announce the return to lock-down for Melbourne. It's a sad, but necessary step.  It's a major challenge for all of us, including governments, to get things right. We are in new territory and mistakes are inevitable. The challenge is to learn from them quickly enough to not repeat them.

I also set up the Jacobean Fantasy - mounting it in a 10"hoop and identifying a bunch of suitable threads.

I worked a little bit to get myself going.
This piece is to fill a specific gap on my chair.


Jennifer phoned this afternoon from the hospital where she had done the first batch of follow-up tests. They had gone well but she won't have the results for a while.








It was one of those cloudy, pale sky with lots of puffy clouds. Irresistible!

Post 131

I promised to write a bit more about the book on the Australian Quaker Narrative Embroidery Project that I have borrowed from Junette. It tells the story of the Project from its conception in 2005 to the completion of 20 panels in 2019.

Usefully, it outlines the debates and discussions within the Society of Friends about committing resources of time, money and energy to a project of narrative embroidery.  There are lessons in here for any group considering a major community project.

The section on the process of producing the panels - deciding on and sourcing fabric and thread, design, the concept of ‘cartoons’, limiting stitches, sharing the work - is really interesting and helpful. I am still not sure how the design is transferred from the calico backing to the wool fabric, but in every other way the process is thoroughly outlined. 

The second part of the book outlines and shows the 20 panels completed by 2019 and the 12 panels under production at that time. I found the latter especially interesting. It's really helpful to see the outline, some background and a detail of embroidery.

Also of particular interest is the discussion to the completed Cotton panel, which enshrines a view of Frances Cotton’s recording of Aboriginal stories in Tasmania. This was believed to be true when the panel was stitched but is now known to be untrue. All credit to the compiler for detailing and discussing the issue. Hopefully, when the 40 panels are finished, the book will be updated and include a further discussion of the issue and a way of resolving it. It is a really important issue which can’t be avoided in projecting a view of history. I'm keen to know how the Society works it through.

Meanwhile, I finished the Muncaster Oranges. It is currently being blocked.

















I had postal success today. The missing books were delivered (no explanation - but I'm not asking) and  Rabbits at Dawn, not available when Phillipa sent my package of linens, arrived.




Another job today was fixing my boot, the sole of which I noticed was coming away from the upper at the toe.

It didn't seem to need a trip to the repairer, so I have glued and clamped it. I do hope it works - they are so comfortable and useful.





I have many projects to choose from as my next one. Do I go back to the Nicola birds, continue with the Crewel linens, finish the Owl or do some knitting?

For the moment knitting has won.
I've been itching to work on this Adagio Mill kit I bought last year. Adagio process alpaca for local producers in  Orange NSW.  It is lovely to work with. The kit is in natural greys. It's also a chance to work with the new set of circular needles I bought with birthday money from a friend in January.



Tonight I finished the first stage- 70 rows to establish one end of what is an irregular triangle. Tomorrow I get to change colour!

That's when I get back from the hairdresser,