Post 358 One foot up and one foot down, that's the way to London town.

I read a bit more of my book this morning, changed the bed linen and did a load of washing. I hung the washing out before heading out for lunch with 3 friends.

We all met through work somewhere in 70s or 80s and as we retired fell into meeting for lunch about 4 times a year at different venues organised by Anne each time.  

Today's lunch was at Jolley's Boathouse Restaurant on the River Torrens - where I had a birthday lunch a couple of weeks ago.

The food and the company was excellent. I admit to having exactly the same as I had last time - Tommy Ruff Fillets followed by Lamb Backstrap. Interestingly they were both slightly differently presented and balanced. I like that.

The only thing I can fault in the restaurant is that it's a bit noisy. Tables are very well spaced but I think the recent renovations have not considered acoustics. It would be better with some or all of the glass doors open, but that's not going to happen on a 36C day.

Niamh and Veronica got back from their Year 8 Orientation Camp this afternoon and had netball matches to play at 6 pm. Brigid got them organised and I picked them all up from school and brought them back here. I heard all about the camp - good food, challenging activities, a few personality issues and not a lot of sleep. Both of them had a brief sleep before their father collected them for netball.

I am minding Brigid's birthday flowers for 24 hours - a gift from workmates.. They wouldn't go well in the car with all the gear from camp while they are at netball. Fabulous colours.

After they had gone to netball I brought in the washing and hung out another load. then unpicked the first line of text on the Owl Service and redid it. I'm happier with it. 

The gimp I ordered from The Thread Studio arrived today before I went out, three colours to try. I'm thinking the one on the reel.

I tried out the piece in the hoop in which I'm planning to mount it, putting a slightly smaller hoop inside to mark a line for the gimp edge

then tried out the gimp. I think it works. I'm now tacking the line, so I can wash and block the piece before I add the gimp. I think it's too risky to put the gimp on first in case the dye runs.

It was a pleasant sunset palette tonight and it looks as if the heart-in-window-lights has been turned off.

The gimp line is tacked, the piece washed and blocked.

I hope netball was OK. The temperature was down to around 33C by the time they would have been playing. Outdoors.

Nelly left a comment on yesterday's blog with a link to a website about the Bulgarian city of Varna, from which her family come. It seems to figure heavily in the story of Bulgarian embroidery. I'll try to follow up.

This blog has 5 more daily posts. I started in one year ago on 25 February 2020. I plan to continue daily until 24 February 2021, then move to weekly posts on Wednesdays, possibly for another year, or at least until we are well on the way out of national and international Covid isolation. It's been an exercise worth doing - and helped me to focus and think. It's time, however, to shift to another gear. 

Carpe diem.

Post 343 Another lunch and bag

My main commitment today was late lunch at Jolley's Boathouse Restaurant in the city. This was my birthday lunch with 3 friends. We have lunch for each of our birthdays.  Jolley's has been renovated during a Covid lockdown and has a new chef. It's a favourite of mine and I wanted to try the new look and the new cook. 

No pain in my mouth so time this morning to return to the Nicola Jarvis Blue Wren and create the bag. There wasn't time to finish it, but I could get a good start. 

I cut out the Blue Wren and appliqued it to the Bottlebrush linen and worked the legs and feet.

Yesterday I had found some fabric in my stash that I thought would make good lining.

I got the bird appliqued and the bag cut out before I left for lunch.

This is a stock photo, from Jolley's website.  I didn't think to take one while there. We were  sitting at the table in the middle, obviously with four chairs, and there were people on other tables.                                It was raining today and the windows were closed. It was a little noisy at first but quietened down. 

The food was superb, as was the company. I have no qualms about stretching my birthday celebration out over a month. An early January birthday in Australia has always place limits on celebration, with friends away on summer holidays. I'm not fussed. I would, however, always choose to celebrate my birthday in a place on the water - ocean or river. It's one of the things I like about the Mitre - which incongruously still appears on the heading of this blog. 

I was home about 5 pm (yes, a long lunch) and set about constructing the bag. I needed to use plain linen on the sides and base. The lining fabric was short of the depth of the bag, so I supplemented with calico in the base. I think the colours and theme of the lining work well. 

There was enough of the lining fabric to put a pocket on the back. It's handy, I think, on shopping bags (or totes, if you prefer).

As can be seen, I haven't ironed this yet, but I think it has worked - both as a useful bag, and as an item for the Guild Exhibition next month.

The rest of the evening was spent working on the next bird. The Western Spinebill is ready to cut out tomorrow and applique on to the Kangaroo Paw linen.

Once again, I will work the legs directly on to the bag. 

I might get it done before our Sit'nStitch afternoon.

For now, another salt water mouth rinse and bed.