Post 281 Thinking about Christmas

It was, for Adelaide, an extraordinarily grey and overcast start to the day, no light flooding in. The contrast with the one tree with lime green leaves was stark. There was, however no rain, so after a couple of reconnaissance missions by doves,  

I watered the plants and put out some seed. It wasn't long before one of them returned.

I spent a bit of time getting myself a bit more organised for Christmas. I made a list!

I have one friend who collects ornaments for her tree. I thought this year might be the appropriate time to work this little oval of a bird for her. I think it came from my mother's stash. Maybe I can turn the sparrow into a blue wren. 

Jennifer called me and we arranged for me to have a crochet lesson next Thursday after Pilates. I had grand plans to test out my UK stitch theory today but it didn't happen. 

Much of the day was spent finishing the stitching  on  and constructing the third sashiko pouch. As with the first one, I couldn't avoid a rim of white lining showing  along the zip line. Luckily I remembered some orange gimp I had bought at a BATB market day.  It was a little tricky to apply, but does the job well I will now do the same for the first pouch.                       .

In the middle of the afternoon the wind got up and brought with it a bit of rain. I tried to photograph it but couldn't capture the effect in a still photo. It brought to mind Christina Rosetti's poem

Who has seen the wind,?

Neither you nor I 

But when the trees bow down their heads

The wind is passing by.

I guess you only have my word for it!

I have registered to bid online at tomorrow's art auction. I have my eye on one of the paintings as a gift. I called at the Gallery on my way to dinner and registered to bid in person. I have a reserved seat. All options covered.

I progressed another sashiko square, this time using some of Sue Spargo's Wonderfil Eleganza Perle thread. It works fairly well. I don't have enough choice in sashiko thread. I'll visit Riverlea Quilts on Monday to see what they have.

I'm enjoying both he ease of execution and the result of these panels.

Post 280 Sit’n Stitch

 

This morning I put the zip in the second sashiko pouch and joined the sides. I also stitched the backing on to the remaining four squares, so they are ready to embroider.

It was a fairly hot day - 34C. I'm not sure what this young pigeon was doing sitting on the tiles of the balcony. I'd have thought the surface much too hot.

At our Sit'n Stitch Jennifer helped me with my crochet. She worked a square with my pattern, cotton and hook/ Hers is the apricot one. As you can see, it is more compact. The main problem she identified is that I have been crocheting into the spaces between the stitches rather than into the stitch itself. This fixes the corners.  When not working on my crochet, Jennifer has progressed her sampler panel. Again, I didn't think to photograph. 

This evening I have been working another square with the stitch going into the head of the stitch. It still doesn't quite work. I am pretty sure the problem is that I am following the US crochet convention and this gives me extra length in each stitch. I am too tired tonight, but tomorrow I shall try to rework a square assuming the pattern is using the English crochet terminology. Tension doesn't explain the different.

The jacaranda bushes are moving into their green leaf stage, with only bits of stubborn blossom hanging in clumps. They still look lovely - such vivid green.

• This evening, in between playing with the crochet, I did a bit more on my third sashiko panel. It's not finished yet, but it is coming along nicely. I might go to Riverlea Quilts tomorrow to see what colour sashiko cottons they have.

It was a very gentle sunset this evening - greys and apricots.

Post 279 Few photo opportunities

I had a few jobs to do today, a bit of domestic tidying in the morning and commitments in the afternoon. I managed to add a zip to the first of the sashiko squares I had finished.I haven't fixed the sides as yet, but I wanted to try the zip. 

It seemed to work, so I went off happy to Pilates. There I was able to try out the new Covid Safe Check-in app. The first time you use it you need to register with a verification code sent to your mobile. I didn't want to do that with a queue behind me. Plenty of time and space at Pilates.

It worked!

I had arranged to meet some friends at Elders Fine Art on Melbourne St North Adelaide. They have an Art auction on Sunday and I am interested in a couple of paintings. My friends were interested in some Bernard Hesling plates. Elders have two buildings in their Gallery, the old church on the left and the terrace on the right. There is a building between. The paintings I am interested in are in the church. I used my Covid Safe Check-in app to get in - again, it worked very quickly!  I'm still thinking about the paintings.

Between Pilates and Elders I managed to park outside DK Fabrics and buy a pile of zips for however many sashiko pouches I might make. DK have plenty of parking at the back, but the council has introduced ticket parking to stop people parking there all day. It is a nuisance. You can't use a credit card for less than 3 hours. For 1 hour parking you need a $1 coin. Covid has all but eliminated coins as a method of payment, so I rarely have a $1 coin. Street parking outside is 15 minutes only - OK for buying a handful of zips!

I got home with about 15 minutes to spare before Niamh and Veronica arrived so I could take them to choir practice.  They are getting ready for a socially distanced end of year concert. Usually Young Adelaide Voices have concerts in which all six of their choirs perform but this year each choir will perform only to their own parents. 

In between my outings I managed to finish a second sashiko panel.

I  also worked another dot square. I'm getting the hang of these. I will make a blanket, but I think I need to come up with a second and third plan to use up some of this cotton.

I admit, however, that I am finding both these projects more engrossing than stitching on hexies. The quilt,  is taking up quite a bit of room next to a chair in my lounge room and will eventually shame me into tackling it.

Eventually.

Post 278 Christmas cards

Another pleasant Adelaide day. The walls continue to rise on the apartment block next door. There is a young dove who returns each morning to look for seed and rest in my small balcony box.

I had a couple of phone calls, read a lot of news bulletins and a bit of my latest cosy crime before deciding I really did need to compose and order my Christmas cards. For several years now I have used a photo to create and print a card and add a summary of my year. It was harder than normal. this year. I pitched it, in the end, to friends who haven't followed my blog, and kept it shorter than usual.

When my laptop battery was ready to die, I set off to Unley Village to get milk,  a bit more fruit, drop off my soft plastic recycling and get a bit of cash from the bank. I tried to manipulate the amount to get as many notes under $50 as possible. I had minor success. They don't dispense $5 notes, which is what I need for visits to the Guild. 

I had to wait in a queue to get out of the carpark. The carpark exit faces St Augustine's Unley. I have often wanted to take a photograph but couldn't do it safely. The wait was long enough today. The church was built in 1870 and remains well-positioned. There are usually people coming and going, possibly to an op shop that seems to operate on some days. It advertises two ministries, one in English and one in Mandarin. It also has a William Morris window.

Back at home I finished designing and ordering my cards. This is a spoiler for anyone who gets a card - for the most part people who don't read blogs! I've had this photo in mind for this purpose since I took it several weeks ago. It usually takes me several days to prepare the card, but today I managed in about 3 hours.

I also posted the 46th Baby Boomer Teacher Conversation.

I dug out all the 4 ply knitting cotton I have, so I can experiment with the Morris & Sons Baby Blanket. There are 12-13 200 gram balls in various pastel colours. I think this will be more than a baby blanket by the time I finish

I completed a second square, a bit neater than the first. I think it could work, but I might need a bit of help if I am to use up the wool.

I also cut out the rest of my sashiko squares and backing to go with them 6 more squares in all. 

I have stitched the backing to two of those squares, ready to stitch. The one I stitched yesterday did not have interfacing between the top and backing. It was much easier to stitch by scooped running stitch whereas I needed to stab with the interfacing in between. Much faster, and quite firm enough without. 

This is what I worked today. Not a whole lot, but fun and interesting.

I have notification that the two crewel printed linens for the back of my chair are in Adelaide. They should come in the post either tomorrow or Friday. That might put some of these projects on to the back-burner

 

Post 277 Farewells, Finishes and Fabricated walls

  

I've chosen to start with the (interim) finish today. It speaks of hope and promise as well as history.  The Oak Apple blocking was dry this morning so I took the cover off my crewel chair and arranged the three small pieces on the skirt. I had always intended to use the machine to attach these. It took a bit of manoeuvring, but wasn't too difficult.  

I had originally intended to stitch the feathers around the top by hand,  but decided to try machining them, for strength as much as speed.         

It was an awkward task. My machine is not built for the thickness of upholstery. I got it done  by the end of the day.   The hardest part is getting the cover back on the chair. It's a very tight fit, and no stretch or give in the fabric.. 

 

It's now ready for the last three pieces on the back. Two of those are on their way from The Crewel Work Company, and the last, the Aesop Frame, is ordered. Maybe I can wait till all three are finished before attempting to add any more to the chair. That way I'll only have to take the cover off once more!                              

The most significant part of today was the private farewell to Susan Monks, a gathering of 20 or so family and friends at a White Lady Chapel. Jennifer had prepared cards as a memento and thank you - a lovely gesture and a fine photo for the purpose. 

Jennifer spoke briefly, there was a comfortable Quaker-like silence and we placed gum leaves on the casket.

Vale Susan, friend and colleague.

I had a long conversation with my brother as he drove home from a gig. There's always so much to talk about. How fortunate are we after more than 70 years! 

The building work next door is gaining momentum. Walls are going up - some of them very close to my Eastern balcony. It this corner goes up the full 9 storeys of the building it will block part of my view to the South East.

There is nothing I can do about this but I can change the view I have to the South East from the chair just inside my bedroom, looking over the balcony. I spend time in the chair in the mornings when the light is excellent.. I've worked out a way of shifting a couple of pieces of furniture so my view from the chair is to the North, East where, if it progresses in that corner, the building will not be in my view. I might see if my mattress-turning granddaughters  are up for furniture shifting.

In between these activities today I have plugged away at the sashiko panel I started yesterday. I really love the way the patterns emerge. Even though you can see the printed pattern on the fabric, the intricacies don't emerge until you stitch. I especially like the way the star points emerge at the centre of the figures, and sometimes you see circles and sometimes flowers.

I have a couple of ideas about how to use it. I’ll sleep on it.

Post 276 mostly experiments.

 

Over the last week of hot weather I have got into the habit of watering the plants before the day gets too hot, filling the water dish and putting out some seed on the little plate. This morning Myrtle was waiting

There was a lot of activity on the building site today. Looked like the concrete floor reinforcement being applied.

I decided today was the day I was going to solve a small problem. One thing I haven't worked out how to do since living on my own is to turn my mattress. I could get the kids to help me, but they are always here after school, and the thought of leaving the bed unmade all day is out of my comfort zone. I decided today I would bite the bullet. I stripped the bed and washed the linen, including the mattress protector, put the quilt back on the bed and planned to ask the kids to help after school. Niamh and Veronica were very happy to help. It took about 3 minutes, then another  4 minutes for me to make the bed. I will now build this in every quarter. Thank you girls.

I went to Frewville to get a few supplies.and make up the ragu for tonight's pasta bake.While the ragu was simmering away I cut  out the next Sashiko square and backed it with cotton. This time I didn't add any interfacing.

Before dinner I blocked the Oak Apple Tree. It's looking very good. When this one is dry I will take the cover off the chair and add the feathers and the three small pieces for the skirt.

• I also did a trial run on a crocheted square from some of the 4 ply cotton in my stash. There is quite a bit of it - bought when the girls were small with the intention of making summer tops for them. I recently found a pattern that I thought would look good in it. The pattern is designed for 8 ply, so I wanted to test it in 4 ply. I came fairly late to crochet but I can manage squares once I've imprinted the pattern on my hands I'm pleased with this one. I thought it might not be dense enough but Katherine thought it fine. It is a summer blanket  One down, probably about 400-500 to go when it dies.

I had a long conversation with Panayoula after the family had gone this evening. She is retiring very soon and, typically, obsessed with leaving things in order on her exit. Regards it as the only professional thing to do. She and I share many values and beliefs. I'd be doing the same thing.

I had a play with the Sashiko square. I think it's going to look good.

It's way past the time I should have posted this. The turned mattress calls.

Post 275 Confirmation and planning, with a little stitching

I made it to the church on time this morning for Niamh and Veronica's confirmation. It was interesting to note the technology mix - an icon of St Margaret of Scotland, below an electronic screed, not to mention the different cultural mix. That's Anglicanism for you!

The service, which included an adult baptism, had a strong community feel to it - a far cry from the dominant images I have from the past, which sadly was very much groups of men inducting young people into their world.

It was good to catch up with Godparents and family friends at morning tea - though I ate too many cupcakes. 

                              The weather had improved remarkably since yesterday's heat. There was a strong breeze, blue skies and a very pleasant 24C. Every mild day is a bonus at this time of the year. 

I spent a couple of hours at Jennifer's place late this afternoon with a small group helping to plan a wake for Susan in late January. 

In between and after these activities I worked on the prototype of a small pouch from the Sashiko square I began yesterday. I liked the bag Lori made last week so much I thought I'd have a go at making something useful out of the Sashiko squares I have. 

Most of the sashiko squares are more interesting than this one, which is why I used it as the first one. it's about 5" square. I think it will make quite a nice little gift with some small thing inside.

The twisted cord didn't work very well. I think perhaps I was a bit distracted while making it.

And finally, tonight I finished the Oak Apple Tree panel for my chair. I am inordinately pleased with this. I think it is the best piece of crewel I have done. As it is to go on the skirt of the chair, you will need to lie on the floor to see it clearly, but the benefit will be seen, I'm sure, in the three pieces I have to do to finish my crewel chair. Two of these are winging their way from Appleby and the last one, the Aesop Frame, will be sent soon. That's the one that will test my needle-working mettle.

It's been a very full and productive day.