Post 621 Darkness and Light

On Thursday I finished the Aurora embroidery, and made the bag on Friday. As my embroidery blog says, I am in love with these panels. 

On my way to shop for Moussaka ingredients for Monday night’s dinner, I swung by Create in Stitch for more threads. The Jacquot panels chew through thread, because they use 6 strands of a limited colour range. While I’ve varied it a bit, the palette works too well to move too far. 

I also bought a couple of packets of 14 count Aida. I find it hard to believe I don’t have a supply of this, but search as I might, none materialised. I really want to have a go at the cross stitch pattern for A Slavic Inspired Purse in the Winter 2025 Piecework magazine. While it recommends 28 count linen I want to try it on Aida. I’ve gridded it up and found the threads, so now it’s in the queue. And, yes, it might have benefitted from an iron, but given the amount of stiffening in it I might wait to see how it hoops up. It’s going to need a wash to remove the stiffener..

We’ve been having trouble with our lobby lights since early Wednesday morning. On Thursday an electrician attempted a fix which was initially intermittently successful, then a total failure.  

As our lobbies have no external light source, they are pitch black without lighting. I resurrected a battery-operated lamp and placed it outside my door before realising there is a power point near the stair door.  I dug out a craft standing lamp and plugged it in. It can be switched on when heading out and turned off when you return,  and replaced with a night light. Pays to be inventive. 

Turns out it was a two electrician job. The booking for a Monday fix was postponed because the electricians were needed at a major fire in a solar panel factory. Today they returned and restored the foyer lights - adjusting the range to significantly improve the coverage from my door. Unfortunately the Exit light over the stair door is still out of action - so they’ll be back.

 On Wednesday I also received notice from OfficeWorks that the two mugs and coasters I had ordered on Boxing Day had arrived. I hastened to pick it up, curious to see if the disappearing picture mug worked. It did! I’m not showing much, as it is personal to a couple of family members, but the mug is initially black. When hot liquid is poured in, the black slowly disappears, revealing the picture underneath. This photo is about halfway through the process.  While the mug is warm, the picture remains, the black returning when it is cold. Magic! 

 

After finishing the Aurora bag mentioned above, I sorted out the remaining panels and bags I have, ironed them  and prepared the next one to embroider,  all detailed in my embroidery blog.

I've managed to make a small birthday bag since then which I'll report on later in the year.

Most of Saturday was spent making moussaka for Monday dinner. I decided to make two smaller rather than one large one - easier to deal with if not everyone turns up. I haven't done a roast for a while, and was tempted, but the temperature is above 30C all week and I'd rather not heat the kitchen up by having the oven on for 3+ hours. While moussaka takes me about 5 hours to make, it's a mixture of oven and cooktop in stages, rather than a constant - and I'm the only one affected.  I was still perspiring by the time I finished.  There were 5 of us for dinner, so the larger of the two sufficed, with enough left for my dinner tonight, and the smaller went home for those who missed out.  

Sunday was Book Club. I now have a data base of the titles we discuss, so take my laptop and add them as we talk. In addition to discussing the 2-3 nominated books, we report on all the other crime fiction we've read since our last meeting. Because that was in late November, there were a lot. I added 70 books to the database during the meeting! I will only attempt to read one or two of them. Today, after my hairdressing appointment, and before stopping at The Grind for 3kg of coffee beans, I called at Dymocks for a copy of Jane Harper’s Last One Out.  The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell is on its way from the World of Books.

That’s enough for me.

While it was only 31C today, its's heating up again, culminating in a forecast 42C on Saturday, which is when I will be giving a presentation and workshop on The Evil Eye in Embroidery at the Guild's Certificate Course Workshop. This afternoon I made a few adjustments and checked the exaample, templates, instructions and construction process.  I've been asked to bring my laptop, so I'm trying to locate a HDMI cable for my Mac. Otherwise I think it will be OK - provided the trading table has a good supply of beads and bling!

I've made a bit of progress on that next Kasia Jacquot panel. With a bit of luck I'll finish it tomorrow. The latest Inspirations magazine arrived today, with a couple of projects I find appealing. I'll take a rain check when I've finished a few more bags - including the Piecework cross-stitch one outlined above.

  

Post 462 Christmas is coming....

On Wednesday I ventured to Hahndorf to meet my brother at Otto's Bakery during his lunch break. He was in Adelaide for the day on a cruise ship, accompanying a tour group. Very sensibly, he took them to The Cedars, the Hans Heysen house in Hahndorf. He has done this before and we take the opportunity to catch up in his lunch break. I wish I had taken a photo - but I was living in the moment, enjoying the rare chance to meet in person. It's not gourmet food - but an easy and pleasant place to meet. A rare and treasured opportunity.

On the way to Hahndorf, I took the opportunity to stop off in Crafers at Atelier - a gallery with a shop selling local crafts (and food). I hadn't been before but had found online that they carried the ceramics of Jane Burbidge (Just Jane Ceramics), whose beautifully shaped and sized coffee mugs I have used for well over a decade. From at least half a dozen, I am down to two with handles - and I wanted replacements. The gift of the Claire Unger mug a fortnight ago only made the loss more acute.

The ones I am replacing are no longer available but I was hoping she had retained the shape and size in her current Ginko range.  My hope was realised. The gallery ( a great find - I'll go back!) had two of her Ginko mugs (right), good size and very pleasant shape to hold. They also had a range by Indigo Clay, slightly different shape, and a rather more 1970s colour and texture, but still promising. Of course I bought both. I am now enjoying my first coffee from a Ginko mug and have retired the most recently broken original (centre) to service as a succulent pot.

The basket in the photos above was another find at the gallery, interestingly made with a sewing machine and washable. I reckon it works well for my Big Red Geranium.

I couldn't resist trying for some more bat photos. I can't get closer versions. They are too fast for me using my DSLR. A bit of distance does show their size against the landscape.

As a follow-up to my saga of sending a registered medical report to the Dept of Infrastructure & Transport, I had a feedback request from Australia Post, so I politely pointed out that yes, the letter had been delivered, but no, I did not think the matter was resolved until I understood why I had no tracking or delivery advice. Within 5 minutes I had a phone call to explain that registered mail to departments that receive mail in volumes is signed over in large batches, not individual letters. Great for the department and Australia Post, hopeless for senders. I have now suggested they place "Not Suitable for correspondence with Government Department" on the registered letter form.

Saturday was the Maggie's Mart Footpath Sale of Goods  at St Margaret's Woodville and I went along to stock up on plants, which are always good there. For $50 I got a load of succulents and daisies to fill gaps on my balconies. I resisted the very healthy looking frangipani.  As much as I love them and these looked very healthy, three frangipani trees are enough for any balcony!

Over the weekend I placed them into spare spots, these ones on the front  balcony

and a few on the back. 

        

During the week I also soaked and prepared the clay beads and planted a succulent and a begonia in the chipped glass and the handleless mug.

I'll  be interested to see how these go. The ones I bought from my Pilates Studio are doing very well, but they were well established when I bought them. 

There is now an array of Just Jane planters on the front balcony - and I have plenty of coffee cups! 

I managed to get to Grange in time to find a parking space and have lunch at the Grange Hotel before Sit'nStitch on Friday. It was a lovely day, a relaxing time at the beach and also at stitching. It is now very busy at Grange (and other beaches) as the weather has warmed up.  Not everyone swims or fishes. Many just meet friends, walk their dogs and, like me, soak up the wonderful sky and sea.

On the way home I managed a photo of Carrington Street in full Jacaranda glory. A few days later, the purple is being overtaken by the green leaves. That's also a good look, but I am pleased to have captured the purple at its best.

I've still been knitting, but yesterday I played around with some striped plisse that I had originally purchased to make nightdresses for granddaughters, but abandoned. The Guild exhibition next year has a theme of 'It starts with a Stitch' and I decided I could use this very pink fabric to make aprons with sampler-type stitching down the stripes. I think it could work, so I used an apron I had bought for the purpose as a pattern and cut out one apron. 

I'm not quite ready to start stitching. The next couple of weeks are mostly spoken for but but it won't be long. Hope it works. 

Today I spent 3 hours having coffee and lunch with a past neighbour. It was good to catch up. She gave me a very pretty necklace which also serves as a a pendulum for divination. She also suggested my granddaughters might like to borrow it sometimes. 

On my way home I stopped at Bunnings to buy secateurs. I also bought 2 air plants on impulse. By next week I will have them sorted.

Earlier in the morning I made my gingerbread biscuits for Christmas. They look a bit pale here, but they are done, and taste good. There is sugar and golden syrup in them, so I am not going to add more by icing them. 

Finally today, I am sad to learn my sister-in-law's mother died last night after a long illness and decline. A big loss and sadness. Rest in Peace, Wenda.