Post 499 Buttons and Birds

Spring arrived with a fanfare of birds this week. On the third level of an apartment with trees in front and behind, their noise is constant; chattering, calling, warning, arguing, as they seek out the emerging buds barely visible to human eyes. 

On Saturday evening it was a flock of lorikeets - the noisiest of them all.

It was in contrast to the almost monochrome moonscape as I tried to capture the super blue moon on Wednesday and Thursday nights. This was as close as I came to the golden glow, but I was pleased, nonetheless. Moonshots are difficult and at least I got a few decent shots, even without the gold.

I got some help on Saturday from JEMS for the jewellery pouch I had decided to make from last week's Certificate Course endeavour. I worked on the sample all week, unable to resist the temptation to play with the stitches and design. I couldn't decide between two pieces of fabric for the lining and back. The girls at JEMS worked it out - the velvet for the back because it matched the outer edge I was still working, and the shiny pink, which everyone loved, as lining. Later that night, Veronica added, sensibly, that the red necklaces I was planning to put in it would be hard to see if I used the velvet as lining. Good advice all round.  The pouch is now finished - detail in my embroidery blog. I've promised to take it back next month to show the JEMS.

A side activity at JEMS was button sorting. The JEMS button collection was being sorted into bags by colour and size. A button sort is irresistible, and I got a bit hooked. It's the result of a call for buttons for the children's dresses made by the Guild's shop team.

Sunday was sunny, with a stiff breeze in the morning, so I took the opportunity to throw my sheepskin slippers in the washing machine. The second load of washing was dry in an hour. The slippers took longer, but were clean and dry by the end of the afternoon.   I'll wait at least a couple of weeks before I wash my woollens - reckon I'll need them  yet.

On Sunday afternoon I took myself off to an Elders Art Auction to bid on a bark painting - the last item in the auction. It turned into a battle between an online bidder and myself. I allowed myself two bids over my notional limit, before bowing out. I'm now waiting for a photograph to come back from the framers before organising for my picture hanger to come and hang the botanical mosaic I bought a couple of weeks ago.

I've spent a bit of time on the western balcony in the late afternoons, stitching, reading or writing.  Once summer arrives with a vengeance the balcony will be much too hot.

I further refined the vegetable-bake-with-chipolatas recipe for Monday night dinner. This time I baked the vegetables on a high temperature for about 40 minutes before adding the chipolatas and lowering the temperature for another 30-40 minutes. This produced firmer vegetables without over-cooking the chipolatas. Once again, I intended to add lemon juice before serving, but forgot. Maybe next time I'll remember.

                                               

On Wednesday some fabulous fabric arrived from Tessuti. Need is certainly not the driving force here, but this presented too many bag possibilities to be ignored. I now have Christmas fabric for gift bags, quite a few linens from Ink and Spindle for totes, as well as this one. 

I need to make room in my life for a bag making binge.  

Two books on Australian women artists also arrived this week, in preparation for helping my brother with his next books. I’m also gearing up to write more family history and to document my own paintings, as well as prepare for several Guild presentations. 

I might have to slow down my knitting, although this will be a challenge. This is the beginning of the next alpaca shawl in the round. I  knitted the first few inches back and forth until there was enough to join in the round without dpns. As this one is mosaic knitting,  alternating 2 full rows in each colour, there is less reason I can see for the steek, but I am persevering.    

I also got another knitting book in today's mail - with some very attractive bag patterns.

After the book was delivered, I took myself off to the Tuesday Stitchers group at the Guild for a couple of hours to catch up with news and work on the Christine Bishop Pulled Thread mat. I was home in time to hear, then see, the flock of noisy New Holland Honeyeaters visit my balcony.

A single lorikeet also visited this morning. The buds that attract them are now visible to human eyes.

I'm having a couple of excisions of moles later this week, so may get time at home to observe while healing.