Post 345 Mostly getting organised

 

Cleaning this morning - for a short while there are no threads on the carpet, or chairs.

It was the first Junior Embroiderers meeting of the year, but Niamh had for not put it in her diary and had arranged to catch up with a friend from last year. That left me with an unexpected whole day free, so I decided to use it to do some preparation for the workshop I've committed to give to the Guild's Certificate Course as well as constructing the bag with the Western Spinebill.

I used as lining a piece of snake fabric I bought from Aboriginal Fabrics in Alice Springs a while back.  

I used it for the sides as well as the lining. 

I think it blends well with the spinebill, and works well in a pocket on the reverse side.

Once again, I haven't ironed it yet. I figure I'll do that when I'm ready to enter it into the Guild Exhibition. It's only going to need to be done again then anyway.

I read all the books I have on Bulgarian Embroidery and made notes on each of them. I need to get some background context before I start to examine the collection that Nelly has lent me. So far the most interesting bits relate to the layers of historic migrations and the persistence of symbols and beliefs from pre-Christian times.  

This symbol, for example, according to Daniel Montiglio, is a Katanitza, an ancient symbol of family strength, harmony and balance.

From there I returned to my Icelandic Embroidery workshop and reread Elsa Gudjonsson's Traditional Icelandic Embroidery.   I modified the PowerPoint a little and played around with some examples of designs from old Icelandic embroideries that I might be able to use for students to work in the original stitches.

I ran my printer's cleaning program which restored it to print. This enabled me to enlarge a couple of the examples in the book and trace out the shapes. I think these will provide enough for students to get the idea. They can use these, or components of them, or design their own.

I now need to diagram the stitches and put it all together into a set of notes. 

Yesterday I contacted the Adelaide City Libraries, to see if they could obtain a digital copy of Margrethe Hald's book Ancient Danish Textiles in Bogs and Burials  for me from Flinders University Library, which holds a hard copy.  After much transferring of phones and emails, they told me they do not have an arrangement with Flinders. It looks as if I will need to contact Flinders directly and hope they will deal with a non-member of the University.  I want this for the session I have promised to take on Viking embroidery for the World Embroidery Study Group, but it would also be useful for Icelandic Embroidery. I'll follow up on Monday.

I'm pleased, however, with the progress I made today. I'm beginning to feel a little organised.

Anthony barbecued pork chops, meat patties and sausages tonight along with roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips and broccoli. I caught up with the netball news and a lot more. Fionn has football assessments tomorrow.

Katherine is making progress on her Adagio Mills shawl and I now have 5 pale blue circles to work with. 

Progress.

Post 146: Shawl Finish and Mainly Masks

I did finish the shawl tonight but blocking will wait until tomorrow as well as photographing it in its full splendour. The day did not turn out to be simply knitting and blocking!


I discovered this morning that the new row markers I ordered from the Fox Collection had arrived yesterday after I had checked the letterbox.
The one I have been using is on the left.It requires metal backboard for the magnet, It's OK, but is a bit clunky to carry around. The new are ruler-sized strips with an inbuilt magnet. They slip over the page like a bookmark.


Unfortunately, I no longer need the pattern for the shawl, but there will be other projects.


The day took off in an unexpected direction. I got into a conversation about face masks with my daughters. This led to my finding an online pattern for masks made from circles of cloth - using different sized plates for adult, adolescent and child sized masks.

I made a sample with three layers - cotton outer, 1200 thread count middle layer and T-shirt fabric on the inner layer. It was rather too tight and too small.






I then downloaded a shaped pattern in two sizes - women/adolescent and men.

The test sample, with the same three layers, was much more satisfactory.

I had used an old t-shirt of mine for the sample. Once I had cut the t-shirt for the sample, it seemed sensible to use it up on a batch. I spent several hours, ironing and cutting out layers. The t-shirt yielded 9 large sets and 13 medium. I matched these with middle layers from the sheeting. I then raided my stash for cotton outer layers for 22 masks.

Here's the result.

It was quite tiring. I did the cutting standing up so I could use the iron at the same time. I don't usually stand so long. It triggers my sciatica and back ache. I took short breaks every hour.

Tomorrow I will try to get as many stitched as I can.

As i result, I did not get the shawl blocked. As can be seen from the photo above I did finish, but am too tired to either display of block it.

That's for tomorrow.







It was an impressive sunset.

Post 141 Repairs

I thought I should look in on the Western balcony spider. The old web in the pot plant has deteriorated. It seems the spider has moved on to the balcony rail. Perhaps she likes the view over the square.

Meanwhile, on the Eastern balcony Turtle made himself at home with the seed. He was jointed by Myrtle for a few minutes, until they both took flight. Myrtle was back a couple of times- and both times chased away by the Noisy Miner. I, however, asserted my domination of the territory by hanging out the washing. The Noisy Miner had to concede the territory to me.

Eventually, I plucked up courage to ring the crash repairer whose name was given to me yesterday at CMI Toyota. I was pleasantly surprised by the open and friendly response, so drove there straight away. The managed took many photos and insisted that, even 5 months after the accident, and not having reported it to the police at the time, I should contact the insurance company. He is convinced they will accept a claim - and this is why I pay insurance. The bill is likely to be around $3000, although the quote is not completed, and they will need the car for at least 5 days. I am nervous of contacting my insurer, but have worked out the dates and tomorrow will take the plunge and ring.

From the crash repairer I dropped some wool off at my daughter's place and called at Officeworks to buy another box of face masks. I haven't used any of the box I bought a week or so ago, but it has occurred to me that it would be useful to have a box in the car, in case South Australia has a further outbreak and I find myself in situations where distancing is difficult.

I managed to read about half of the Agatha Christie book that arrived yesterday. I'm enjoying it, especially with the introduction by the 80 year-old  illustrator, Tom Adams, who illustrated the covers of her paperbacks from the 1950s onwards.  I mostly read, from preferenee, on a Kindle or Kobo, but this slim volume is really lovely to hold and the cover is beautiful.


I spoke to Jennifer late this afternoon. She is still in the RAH and will return home tomorrow morning for what the doctor describes as  'home hospital'. She still has fluid on her lungs, but it is reducing. It seems all her doctors are agreed her heart is not ready for an operation and she has an appointment to see the  physician and surgeon at Calvary next week. She was in good spirits and happy with the position reached by her medical team. She is on a mission to see better press coverage of the ongoing impact of the virus on those who have had it. I have a couple of stories from friends of doctors assuring non-Covid patients this is 'just a flu' - inexcusable ignorance.

I made soup today, from chicken bones, vegetables and barley.  It made a good dinner tonight.

I've made some progress on the shawl, finishing the next band of  the main colour.  From this point on the balance shifts to the dark colour and lace bands. I have completed just under two thirds of the rows - but of course, the rows are getting longer, so I am probably more like half way through. It is, however, taking shape.

Post 138: Getting Organised

Turtle turned up this morning, waiting for seed and allowing me to distribute it and take photographs from one metre away.










I needed to be at the Toyota service centre by 10.30. It was well organised, distancing measures in place, and the coffee's still good. I got them to adjust my clock back from daylight saving (yeah, well...), restore the voice on my GPS and give me advice on the dent I put in the back passenger-side door when avoiding a mad woman in February.  My service guy, Mason, was patient, courteous, obliging and unfazed.

I now have the name of a crash repairer.

I got quite a bit of knitting done while waiting - finished the plain band and began the next lace band.




Afterwards, I went to Officeworks to purchase some more document boxes. I have decided to use them to organise my Appleton's threads. I bought 5 of them, 4 coloured, with a view to using the colours to separate and organise the threads.

From there I went to Create in Stitch to pick up a few bits and pieces. Di Kirshner had a class going. It's great to see people distanced, enjoying themselves and concentrating.

Since it was now nearly 2pm and I was hungry, I stopped at Mr Nick's and had an excellent calamari lunch.

Back at home, I tackled my old Appleton's storage system.










I managed to divide them into four main colour groups (cleverly aligned with the box colours!) and then arrange them in rough number order.


I suspect I should have gone for the wider storage boxes.

They do, however, just fit. The advantage of this system is that I can see the numbers through the box and it is easy to pick out a set of blending colours.
















That left the clear box for me to use for the threads I need for my current project and the fill-in bits for my Crewel chair. .


I didn't start the Oak Apple Tree tonight. I wanted to get the next (lace) band done on my shawl. I managed that.


I have a window cleaner coming at 8am in the morning, so I'd better get to bed.

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,

Post 114. Colourful and Auspicious Day

I opened the blind in time to see this morning's colourful sky at sunrise.


It very soon gave way to grey gloom, but there were moments of sunshine throughout the day.

Mine was, for me, busy. I had Pilates, lunch with Jennifer (yes, really) and shopping to do.










Before we get to that, however, I want to share the bloom on the aloe. This photo was taken about 5pm yesterday, when I got home. It is truly lovely. There are more buds to come out, but I don't believe it will ever look quite as good as this again. I hope I'm proved wrong.







The very first flowers on this one are also open - just these two, but it won't be long before it is covered in little star flowers.

I go away for 28 hours and look what happens!






I was trying to get ready for Pilates when I noticed the Crimson Rosella land on the tree closest to my balcony. No time to set up my SLR: had to do the best I could with my phone.

The doves had come and gone. There was a little bit of seed left from yesterday's late distribution but I added a bit more when they arrived. Myrtle flies  away as soon as I open the door, however slowly, but Turtle stays.

Incidentally, my brother rang me the other day to tell me that doves need grit to digest their food, as do chickens. and eat small pieces of gravel for this purpose. It is held in their gizzard and is regurgitated. This is why I sometimes end up with the gravel on my balcony. 

Pilates was good - I am back to fairly easy exercises because I missed over three months and need to build up again. Martine, my instructor, is very good at this.

Then to Grange Jetty Cafe for lunch with Jennifer. She is looking remarkably good and walking very confidently.

We only had an hour because of Covid restrictions. It was so good. Jennifer now has a physio program to help her. The physio says her recovery will take 12  months.

One of the things we talked about was the need to capture the experiences of those who have had the virus. While medical staff working in the Covid wards will have medical records and aggregated data, there are many other stories in the experience of patients and those who have recovered.

The cafe is on the beach with a lovely outlook. I was so focused on the occasion, I didn't even take a photo of it. I did, however, think to get one of us to mark the occasion.


On my way home I stopped at North Adelaide to get fruit for my breakfast - including Australian grapes, which shelf stackers at Frewville told me were now finished. Metropolitan Fresh at North Adelaide seem better at calculating need, purchasing and storing fruit.

By the time I got home and packed away my purchases, I was very tired, so I read for a while and contemplated my next project. Vivienne sent me some photos this morning of simple Fair Isle patterns that could be used for the left over wool from the scarf. That reminded me of a couple of books I had, so the next thing I am searching the shelves.

I spent a bit of time reading these and considering whether I could adapt something from them.
I also dug out the Adagio kit I bought last year. I'd love to get on with this one. It would be amusing, after a day of such colour, to choose a project in shades of grey!

And I am still working on the owl in between other things.

I made no decisions and did very little stitching. I am playing with another  embroidery project but don't want to photograph it yet.

It is still my intention to work next on the Reverse Muncaster Orange. I didn't even iron the scarf. I think an early night is called for. I have potential projects all over the lounge room. I will need to put them away before my cleaner comes tomorrow morning at 8.30.

Lunching with Jennifer has made it a very auspicious day.