Grace Green

Meet Molly.  Molly is sister to Milly aka Milly Mazda.  I named Milly Milly because Milly means hardworker and lord knows my car needs to be a hard worker - driving people to sporting events, horsey dos, parties, work, family etc.  Molly is called Molly because of Milly Molly Mandy - my favourite book when I was a child.  No, we will not be getting a Mandy. And no, Milly hasn't died...it's just that Robbie's van is on it's last legs and there are more drivers in the family now so competition for wheels is hotting up.....

Molly is a diminutive of Mary which could, according to the Behind the Name site, could mean "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". "However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love"."  Let's go with beloved.

I would call the colour military green but according to the manual it is Grace Green.  I have never heard of green being described in this way - have you?

And while we're on the subject of Grace Green...did you know that there is an author called Grace Green?  She writes Harlequin/Mills and Boon type books with titles like An Eligible Bachelor, The Only Man to Trust, Forever Wife and Mother, His Potential Wife and oh my goodness ...it gets worse....A Bittersweet Promise and Trouble in Paradise.......Do I want to drive this car anymore???????!!!!!!

Let's go back to Milly Molly Mandy - much more reassuring.....

If you haven't read Milly Molly Mandy by Joyce Lancaster Brisley, you simply must.  There is all manner of advice in this series of books from how to budget, how to redecorate bedrooms, how to be a friend and so on.  When I was little, I was lucky enough to have a friend who looked just like Milly Molly Mandy and since I have grown up, I now have a friend called Susan who I meet once a year at the Movie Convention.  I am truly blessed.  What was your favourite book when you were little?

Yesterday my work took me to Lone Pine Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket.  I live not very far away from Lone Pine but am ashamed to say that in all the nearly 30 years I have lived in Brisbane, I have not visited it once. 

It is VERY popular with overseas tourists and for good reason.  Australia is blessed with the most extraordinary animals.  We are so used to to them we forget that to people from other countries they seem quite exotic.  And indeed they are.  Look at these gorgeous koalas !  They can sleep up to 16 hours a day bless them.  I was very impressed with the athleticism of the ones I saw - leaping from branch to branch rather like possums.

Lone Pine has been going since 1927 and is rated one of the top 20 zoos in the world. There are daily shows featuring birds of prey, wombats, snakes etc.  There is even a barn for handling guinea pigs and chicks for the younger members of the family.  Guests can walk freely in the kangaroo enclosure and get up close to the roos.The newest exhibition is the Platypus - Barak the platypus is the first to be bred in captivity in 55 years and arrived in Lone Pine from another sanctuary in Victoria, Healesville.

I was particularly taken with the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat who I think looks quite prehistoric and like that model in the Queensland Museum. 

Does anyone else remember reading The Muddle Headed Wombat by Ruth Park as a child?  It was a radio show too wasn't it?  ....google ....google...google...and there you are....I found out via Wikipaedia that in fact it was a radio show first ....through the Children's Hour and the Argonauts Club (of which I was a very proud member) and then it became a book.  The Children's Hour was cancelled in 1970- there- showing my age now!!  The Muddle Headed Wombat generated such phrases as treely ruly (for really truly) and Cindergorilla for Cinderella!  Oh my goodness....one could Wikipaedia for ever really.....John Ewart played the part of the Muddle Headed Wombat....his first film role at the age of 18 was in Sons of Matthew by Charles Chauvel.  In fact, if you look at his bio - he was in just about everything - Caddie, Newsfront, Bellbird, A Country Practice, Sunday Too Far Away, Homicide, Matlock Police....the list goes on!!

I tried to find my Argonauts badge but couldn't - it must be pinned to a garment somewhere.  Have you got an Argonauts badge?  Were you a member of the Argonauts?

40 Squares

Isn't this luscious fabric?

I had my second "Yellow Brick Road" lesson at Patches on Saturday.  Poor Christine was ill with the flu so Bev stepped into the breach.....

This was an exciting day because we are starting to see what we are creating and we had to choose our fabrics for our border...I could not resist this....and then Bev and Sharon helped me choose trim and relief border colours.....

so yesterday I spent sewing squares and then strips together making sure that where necessary seams were opposing...lots of ironing....this is what 40 squares looks like sewn together....this will be the size of a lap quilt...

 

Sneak Peak

Of course it's nowhere near done but I thought you might like a sneak peak.....I don't think it looks too bad....

Spoiled Rotten

One forgot to mention how spoiled one was on one's birthday.  My birthday started before my birthday, if you know what I mean...Dad and Jen took me out to a concert at St Mary's Kangaroo Point with a picnic dinner to follow in the new park.  We watched the bats glide across the river and the lights come on as we sipped champagne

and I cried over the beautiful design of various kitchen accoutrements given to me - how is it possible to get excited about a juicer....?  or measuring jugs?  If you've lost a measuring jug to a husband intent on mixing bog to fix the rust in his car..well, you'll know why I was excited to receive not one - but three beautiful measuring jugs with both imperial and metric measurements.  And the juicer...well...check it out...space age n'est-ce-pas?

On my actual birthday family gave me a Blue Ant Hands free kit for my mobile phone which was lots of fun to install.  Cas hunted down Wolf Hall for me in a bookshop which was a major feat for him as he is not a reader or a bookshop afficionado. My sister-in-law swung by with a bottle of wine on her way home from work which was much appreciated.

Later in the week a bunch of us gathered at Cloudland for lunch which really is a great place to go to with a big group.  We shared tapas and I was thoroughly spoiled with flowers and books.  Grand Purl Baa excelled herself by generously giving me some of her stash and a beautiful book on Patchwork and the Reader's Digest Guide to Needlecraft which is magnificent.  Another friend gave me my very own cup and saucer together with some beautiful Di Bella coffee.

This week I made the momentous decision to buy a new sewing machine to pursue my new found interest in sewing....I christened the new Bernette H70 by finishing my first applique project - a cushion....

I took Grand Purl Baa's advice and changed my nook from a family history nook to a sewing nook as per the photo below so I was all ready for my first class in Patchwork yesterday at Patches.

Today is Sunday which is always a wonderful day being free of work.  However one is always perplexed as to how to spend it as one is torn between various hobbies - to knit? to patchwork? to read? to go to the movies?.   Inevitably one ends up experimenting with food !  I took the plunge and made some Fat Rascals, as inspired by the Needled blog (the recipe is on this blog).  But I confess I wouldn't know a nutmeg if I tripped over it and used powdered nutmeg.  Here is the result....

The scary faces with almonds for teeth seem to have met with some small acclaim.  Dan likes 'em but they are too sweet for Caspar. 

I think I can die happy now - books, wool, flowers, wine, coffee, fat quarters, fat rascals, friends, family.  Thank you one and all.  You're the best!!

Turkish Delight

I entered my tea cosy - Turkish Delight - into the Brookfield Show this year.

Needlework Section 6B is a fairly broad section - Garments and other items - 6 months to Adult....so there was everything from jumpers to shawls to socks to tea cosies. 

The Brookfield Show has quite strict and detailed regulations - No soiled items.........Must be made within the previous 2 years ....

Every tea cosy entered was one of Grand Purl Baa's designs. 

Mine didn't even get a mention - sniff. 

Some enterprising knitter from Coonabarabran entered a whole box of stuff (how can someone from NSW enter the Brookfield Show I ask you?????) and took out 1st prize with a man's jumper with some kind of fancy stitching - Aran I think they call it. 

But I was mature about it. 

I went to the Preview and hob-nobbed with the other entrants...it was the 100th year of the Brookfield Show so I wanted to enter into the spirit of things. 

The patchwork as always was stunning. 

And I caught up with some dear friends from another lifetime. 

I went to collect my tea cosy the following Monday night - Entries must be collected by 7pm.

I had carefully kept my handwritten receipt in my wallet so I didn't lose it.

Turkish Delight was patiently waiting for me like a kid at childcare - the last item left on the long trestle table....I rushed down the dark path towards the brightly lit Brookfield hall - apologising profusely for being the last bloody entrant to collect her stuff....

As I reached for Turkish Delight, the woman behind the trestle table bid me "Wait!"....my hand fell obediently to my side....

"I'll get the judge's comments" she said "What entry number are you?"

"203" I replied earnestly....thinking to self ...."Judge's comments...an unexpected bonus"......

The woman rifled through the sheaf of judge's notes endlessly, then eyed me and observed...... "No comment."....

It really was quite extraordinary how many emotions I went through in the space of 90 seconds - from tired stress commuter to chastened schoolgirl to hopeful undiscovered artist to sheer bloody humiliation.....

Turkish Delight and I crawled out of there resolving to pack off a box to Coonabarabran next year. 

Pastimes

aka diversions....

Am feeling very content today....dinner is in the slow cooker (lamb shanks)...bread is in the bread oven....so there are lots of lovely smells brewing.....

The house has had a bit of a spit and polish (don't want to get too carried away - just enough so I don't flinch when I walk into particular areas)...

and lots of little projects on the go or about to be on the go...

Yesterday I went to Patches to have a good old squiz at fabric...in preparation for an Applique workshop this month.  I am very keen on William Morris stuff and purchase Michele Hill's book on William Morris Applique whilst on my sojourn with Grand Purl Baa last year... I met my tutor who helped me choose fabrics for the class...thanks Beverley!

I also had a mooch around Henderson's looking at sewing machines.  There are some good specials on at the moment in preparation for Mother's Day.  Janomes seem to be all the go but I've been a Husqvarna girl to date and am worried about changing brands.  I've received lots of good advice from everyone....go in, sit down and try them out....so I will!!

Started knitting Phil's jumper last night.  On the advice of Grand Purl Baa I bought some yarn from Thicket so got quite a good bargain.  It's very different from knitting with baby wool though!

I watched Seraphine whilst I knitted and was absolutely captivated by the character Yolande Moreau portrayed...what a great actress!  You may remember she played the concierge in Amelie.  I love Seraphine's artwork - described as naive or by some as Modern Primitive.

Here is an example...

Isn't it beautiful?  Seraphine de Senlis was a cleaner/domestic by day and artist by night....inspirational stuff.