Post 362 Walls go up, squirrels emerge and Sophie's Universe expands.

This morning, when the building work began around 7am, there was a bit of tapping and drilling noise and a slight chemical smell. It was not enough to draw me to investigate and I drifted back to sleep. When I raised the blind, around 9.30, I discovered the wall has risen by another level. As I expected, the wall is going to protrude just over a metre beyond our building and my balcony.

 

This is what it looks like from the chair inside my bedroom .The wall will, of course, keep going higher - to 9 storeys. I'd prefer it wasn't there, but it is not terrible. Yes, it will block some of my view from the balcony, but it is nowhere near as drastic as I had feared.

This (left) is the view from my sewing machine (the sewing/office room has a non-opening window on to the balcony)

and this (below right) is what you see at the moment from the window of the spare bedroom. The scaffold will, of course, eventually be removed.

From my bed the wall is not visible at all. If I find the wall annoying me, I shall probably move the chair to the other wall rather than spend longer in bed!

This afternoon was our Sit'nStitch. Susan is doing great things with one of the Margaret Light designs using Gum Nut woollen threads. I didn't take a photo. 

Jennifer meanwhile has progressed  her Sophie's Universe. The circle has turned into a square and will continue that way. It gets longer and longer around each row. Jennifer is well up to the challenge. 

Susan and I are in awe. 

Many thanks to those of you who have expressed approval of my decision to continue weekly posts to this blog. I am most appreciative. I'm also glad  so many have enjoyed reading my daily routines and occasional adventures. My friend Christine in Watford has even written a poem! My only quarrel is that it is au revoir, rather than adieu - it will, after tomorrow, only be a week to the next post!

It was a year since it started,
As her home shores she departed,
She blogged of her travels and much much much more,
Of Shakespeare,Anne Hathaway and all that folklore,
Of linens and thread,
Of meals and new beds,
Till she picked up her skirts and ran for that plane,
Leaving the UK  and all of that rain,
As holding her breath she just made it back,
As the world all fell silent and had to change tack.

So she’s blogged for a year,
But the last postings now here,
As she knitted and sewed and crocheted and cooked,
And we all waited to see what new activity she’d booked,
With birds being feed,
And sunsets all red,
We enjoyed the wide views,
From the balconies two,
And those golfing kangaroos were really just great,
And we mustn’t forget Murtle ( and of course her best mate)

So farewell and adieu to Jillian’s fair table,
As we all await soon to hear old Aesop’s Fables.

(Eat your heart out Keats - well it is his 200th anniversary this week)

Thank you so much Christine. It's so generous when you are coping with lockdown - and trying to trim your own hair. It will be such a joy if we can meet up again in a year or so.

For dinner I had reheated left-overs from last night - delicious. I think Ken is right. He thought the secret of this dish was the oil, lemon juice and garlic mixture in which is it roasted. That flavour was even stronger when reheated.

It's been, from my point of view, a much more pleasant day weather-wise at 23C compared to last week's temperatures.

Here's my progress on the squirrel. I'm not quite happy with it but will probably move o the leaves and remaining trunk before attempting any tweaks. 

It's very satisfying.

Post 351

This fine example of cutwork belonged to Eli Chorbadjiska, Nelly's piano teacher. It is part of a set, all worked by hand. Cutwork (punto tagliato) originated in Italy around the 14th or 15th century. These are mostly buttonhole stitch, really evenly and neatly worked. There is a little bit of stem stitch, back stitch and satin stitch dots on the shapes, which cleverly represent a pond with fish and plants in it.

Working a whole set of these is a major undertaking - hundreds of hours work. 

I finished reading this 1959 Michael Innes book, recently re-issued by Agora Books and provided for review by Net Galley. It is a frivolous crime fiction read which doesn't take itself very seriously -  boys' own adventure meets Lewis Carroll and Sherlock Holmes with elements of locked room and mistaken identity. It's fun once you suspend your disbelief and come along for the ride.

I progressed my Owl Service at Sit'nStitch. It appears below.

I got home in time to water the plants, fill up the water bowl and put some seed out for Black Tips. He arrived while I was there and waited while I put out seed, but baulked at hanging around while I had the hose going. 

He was back as soon as I'd hung up the hose and stepped inside.         He tolerated me taking photos through the open door while he ate, making crunching noises as he bit the seeds.

I was hungry tonight, so cut up a potato and put it in the oven with one of Herbert Adams' slow cooked beef with cracked pepper and shiraz pies out of the freezer. A bit of salad and glass of bubbles - all good.

I've done a bit of unpicking on this one. I'm working it out as I go - in terms of colour, and, to some extent, design.There's likely to be more unpicking before I'm finished. I'm glad I enlarged this motif when I put it on the linen.

I'm getting a little better at capturing birds coming home to roost at sunset. So far I've managed pairs. One day I'll be in time to capture a flock.

For now, it's time for me to roost too.

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.

Post 329 Embroidery all the way; starts and finishes

 First thing this morning I checked the blocking. It was dry, but not wrinkle-free, so I tightened the pins and dampened it again.By midday it was dry and wrinkle-free,  so I removed the pins and added the bead eye. (Yes, I should have done this before I blocked it and the wrinkling around the head is the result).

I couldn't wait to try the two finished pieces on the chair. This is a rough pinning. The Phoenix and Flowers is in the exact position, Lady Ann's Flowers in more roughly placed. The space that is left is exactly the width of the Aesop Frame embroidery.

The two pieces are now rolled up safely in my embroidery roll.

 

Next week I will take the cover off and stitch these two pieces on. I had thought to wait, but the Aesop Frame is going to take a few weeks.

It was our Sit'nStitch afternoon - very relaxed but also productive. Susan finished her Anna Scott Mountain Oak. This is just out of the hoop. It's really lovely work, hugely detailed.

Jennifer is working on Sophie's Universe. This is the centre. The two outer colours were added this afternoon.       

I worked on these - or one and a half of them The rest I finished at home.

This morning I transferred the sketch I had made yesterday to linen using a light pad and a pencil. I haven't sketched in much of the fine detail but can do that as I go.  I fitted it to a hoop.

I also hooped up one of Nicola's bird linens. I'm planning to do this one in the colours of an Australian Blue Wren.

This evening I found some threads I want to use for both projects.

I began work on the easier of the two, using a deep blue Madeira metallic with quite a sparkle - which, of course. does not shop up in the photo. 

It's going to be fun doing this.

Tomorrow Alison and Karl arrive and I have a bit of preparation to do. Today's glut of needlework news is unlikely to be repeated.

Post 253 Mostly rabbits, a seagull and a bat

This morning I removed the pins from the 2 blocked Rabbits panels and joined them together before placing them on the cushion cover. It was only then that I realised I would need to complete the hillocks on either end. Otherwise the hillocks end suddenly before the end of cushion front.  I should have thought of this before blocking - even before taking the panels out of the hoop.

I had been intending to attach the panel to the cushion this morning and take the completed cushion to Sit 'n Stitch to show my friends.

I set to work to finish the hillocks. I had put away the green wools, so had to find them and match the colours, sketch on the hillock shape and get stitching.

When it came to time to leave for Sit'n Stitch, I had just finished the hillocks. Although I frequently work without a hoop, just holding embroidery in my hand, it's not an easy way of working crewel, because it is difficult to manage the tension. This however, had to be worked in hand because it is at the edge of the fabric.  Reluctantly, at this point, I decided to leave this at home and take my knitting to Sit 'n Stitch.

I had decided not to rush to the Post Office to pick up the parcel I missed yesterday but to pick it up on my way to Sit 'n Stitch. I only needed to drive around the block once to get a parking space outside the Post Office. When I got to the counter, I discovered the parcel had been taken to another Post Office, not my nominated local one. I had not checked the notification, just assuming it was my nominated one. So I drove the 2 km to the Hutt St PO and got the parcel.

It was, as I had thought, the Jos Hendriks book on Assisi work. I didn't have time to read it, as I was already late for Sit'n Stitch. I have now had a quick look but still haven't had a serious read. It looks as if it might prove to be the basis of yet another World Embroidery Study Group discussion. There are wahat look like useful chapters on the history and style as well as beautiful colour designs. It is not a workbook.

At Sit'n Stitch I helped Jennifer cut out two knitting needle rolls before I got on with my knitting.  

On the way home I swung past the beach. It was sunny, but windy. Relaxing to breath sea air. 

I had to slow for a seagull on the road. 

Back at home I read an article about a Queensland farmer who planted 40.000 sunflower seeds on his property and created a message to be seen from the air, to cheer people up.  

My single pot of sunflowers have a similar effect!

The sun went down a bit like thunder tonight and I was just in time to catch a bat returning to the bat roosting tree.

After dinner I got to work attaching the rabbits. It took about 3 hours.

This, I think, finishes the cushion. I have 3 more pieces to add to the skirt (one finished) and the feathers to attach (currently pinned) before the final panel on the centre back of the chair.

I suspect I might end up adding something to the front panels of the arms.

Post 248 More of the same

It warmed up in Adelaide today - 27C, and the next two days forecast over 30C.  I watered the Eastern balcony plants first up in preparation for the coming days. The Sweet Kisses Bliss Bomb from last Summer has a single flower. I might coax some more, but I'm not greedy, this one is worth having.

This afternoon was our Sit'n Stitch - Jennifer, Susan and I  at Susan's place at Grange. 

In the morning I did a load of washing, prepared an eggplant parmigiana for tomorrow night, finished the last chapter of The Bird Way and reviewed it for Goodreads. I also had another look for the fabric for Jenny McWinney's Cockerill, which I have mislaid . No luck.

It's in that safe place.

Jennifer has finished her Mother and Father Christmas - a fundraiser for Zonta. The scale isn't evident here. They are about 45cm high - quite large. And fabulous.

Susan had made a batch of her much appreciated cheese scones. I had one straight out of the oven - and another later,  and one to take home.

Jennifer worked on another of the panels we bought from Jenny McWinney way back in February (top right panel) , Susan worked on her blanket and I added another inch to my shawl.

At this time of the year every time I go out I I look to see how far the jacaranda blossom has advanced. It seems to be a bit later in Adelaide than some other parts of the country. 

It is, however, underway.

I managed to hold the SLR still for long enough to get this shot of tonight's full moon rising over the hills.

This evening I worked on the last of the Rabbits at Dawn panels, finishing the hillock that has to match up with the panel already worked. Now this is done I can freelance on the rest of it.

Tomorrow Brigid has the first of her final exams. I hope she gets a really good night's sleep.