Kantha Stitch

Today I went to the Melbourne Quilt Show, a long and tiring day but amongst tother tngs I bought this piece of Indian Kantha work, done on scrap silk, first the front and then the back, fascinating.I caught up with Dale and Ian Rollerson and bought some stuff for Dale' new on line class Gilding the Lily that starts next month.
The other piece of fabric is my own version of Kantha work that I have been stiching while I have been away, so much fun to see the different ways the fabric wiggles when you stitch it.
we arrived down here in Melbourne yesterday, after a 6 am start and battled the public transport all the way, the worst was the final bus bit as I couldnt emember which bit to get off at, but the driver did, and wheeling the by then extrememy heavy cases 3 blocks to where our son and his family live.
A lot colder and my new shoes after a day in them are now aching and s are my shoulders from carrying heavy bags.
I was a bit chuffed to win one of Dale's give away bags as I did remember which rugby team she follows.
Probably no more for a day or so as we leave for home tomorrow and arrive home late and will be busy getting over it all when we do arrive home.
I have a foal show on Sunday!!

skylines from the beach and Botanic Gardens

This was the view from the beach when we walked yesterday
These were what we saw this morning when we walked at the Gold Coast Botanic gardens this morning.
A lovely place to walk when there was a raging south easter battering the beach, would you believe that in all the 30 odd years we have been coming that we have never been here. Adnittedly it really has only been developed in the last few years and there is still a lot planned.
I loved the bits of art that were dotted around, and the insects included this red dragonfly on a rock and water and water birds every where.
We have been doing a lot of entertaining, drinking and eating probably far too much but also walking, swimming and generally doing the things one only does on holiday and not at home.
The weather has been interesting, rain, hot and muggy, cool and blue skies a bit of everything while I think at home still no rain, not another drought year please.

Jewel beetle

Isnt this spectacular, they are really stink beetles but this blue job was electric in his color.
Most of them were orange like the one behind the blue one.

Gecko's, and the beach

Last night while we were having pre dinner drinks these gecko's were fighting next to us, not the native ones, unfortunately they have killed those out, these are from Malaysia, accidently imported they think in wood.
Another reason to keep plants and animals out of Australia that dont belong.
Bother my next photo has disappeared, this is the beach as it was when we walked for an hour at 7 am this morning, isnt it different, we almost got sun burnt and no rain around.
After a detour to Noosa we spent most of the day packing, travelling back and then unpacking.
A lovely few days but I am not really a resort person.
To night we are going out to dinner so we needed a rest when we got home!
At least the travelling was much easier without the rain.

Beach at Twin Waters

I am having problems blogging through Picasa but I will see how this goes.
This is a walk on the beach early this morning, quite spectacular seas and this is Old Woman Island!
Two shots as I got closer.
Then one of the spectacular jewell beetles, the one of the blue and red one didnt come out I am afraid, they are truly spectacular.
finally the shells we found this morning, the helmet is lovely, John found that one.
Not doing a lot, a leisurely lunch by the pool with M as the rest have gone to play golf.
I am making the most of a rest as we have dinner tonight with other people's friends.

Brisbane

This was Brisbane yesterday.We went up in the train and silly me sat with my back to the way I was going and got train sick!
We were going up to see the exhibition of hats that was on at the Art Gallery from the V&A which was wonderful, we also saw a couple of other exhibitions one a primitif painter whose name escapes me some od which were great fun.
As well as some of the permanent exhibitions of various Australian painters, some I had only seen photos of so it was interesting to see them in the flesh so to speak.
It rained off and on all day so a good day to go to galleries.
We got home without me feeling at all sick which was a plus, but we had walked our feet off.
So there is a photo of downtown Brisbane across the river, a lovely water feature with bronze pelicans at the art gallery and this wonderful baobab tree planted in the square in the center of the city by the way in to the railway station.
The last is a rather fuzzy photo of the card I made for Liz, for her Birthday all hand sewn and fun to do out of scraps I had brought with me.

Walking the beach this morning

Just a few photos I took this morning, the pelican was a shock as they do not normally fly past on surf beaches preferring calmer water.
He was so close it was lovely to get sich a shot on my little camera.
There are still the odd small houses amongst the high rise on the sea front, but not many, this one looks a bit uncared for, maybe it is waiting to become a high rise too.
Still not swimming weather, but I dont mind, it has been good walking weather.
The last photo was of a discussion on what would make a good photo shoot between oriental gentlemen, unfortunately I was too late to catch the clothed one jumping up and down.
9 for dinner tonight, I have a huge roast beef in the oven, filet with grainy mustard and herbs crusted on top, as I dont know J's oven I hope it will be ok. Certainly the blow flies have all rushed in!

Last night at The Casino

We went out last night for a meal and to see the new show at the casino, called Mother Africa it was a fast circus type of show with the most incredible contortionist I have ever seen, so much so that my bones and joints ached. How they manage to do what they did is just amazing.
Drumming, dancing, acrobats and strong men. We sat enthralled.I am not sure how J's scanner works so I havent done any of the prigramme but I did take this shot of the set before the show began.
Yesterday we walked the beach and I played with some sewing and this morning we went shopping, I now have 2 new tops, and some joggers, John has new togs and a top and as there were sales on we did well.
I think we will walk the beach this afternoon but I have done my laps of the pool, not that I will lose much weight as lunches are more than I normally eat!! I will come home weighing more and having to diet madly again.
The weather is lovely, warm and shirt sleevesd and 3/4 pants, just as I like it.
Relaxing and I am begining to relax.
We had a 3.8 earthquake at home last night, havent heard if we had any damage, probably not but that is the strongest for a long time, not that it was very strong but the center was not too far away from us. Our son said he woke to the sound of what he thought was very strong wind and then his house shook. Hope not too many things fell off walls or shelves.

On the Goldcoast

A few photos from this mornings beach walk, a far cry from the ones I do at home, much warmer.
Then J and John on the balcony setting up for lunch.
We are starting to relax and I am trying to remember how I use picasa instead of adobe to do photos.
I think I am being called for dinner, it has taken me so long to sort out my blogging I almost gave up.

Tast 2010 week 6

This is a combination stitch using buttonhole in the center and bullion around the outside to make a flower, I added stem and chain for the vine and leaves and green bullion for a bud.
I like this combination of stitches.

A few photos from the week

Here are some shots taken at the Friday night dinner, in the first photo here is Christine Atkins and Jen Crossley, then Hilary Steel, Estelle Virgen and our teacher Mary Hettmansperger, all enjoying the chat and the meal.
Here we are all singing the Fish head song with Pamela Wade in front wearing a fish head and doing a fantastic job, I am in the back row on the right. No other class put on a performance like we did!
Finally a couple of close ups of some of the pieces I made. One is a copper leaf and tendril and the other encased sea glass doing looping with copper wire. I love the little red drops on the end, they are done in the flame and then into water and they come out this wonderful red.
I have been flat out all day trying to get order into chaos, at least the house is sort of clean, dusted and mopped and vacuumed.
More washing on the line, and a lovely casserole for dinner.
It has become quite cold here overnight and I have been in a windcheater all day and tomorrow I think it will still be cool.
Jill tells me it is hot and terribly humid up on the Gold Coast so I must haul out my summer things, sounds as if we will spend quite a lot of time in and around the pool.
Off for a bit of tv to relax by and then bed I have an early start tomorrow, I am trying to get my TAST2 done for whichever week we were in last week, should be up today but probably wont be.

I am home.

I am home for a few days before we head off for Queensland on Wednesday, have to have the house tidy and clean before then for the house sitter!
I am tired, very tired, I am happy, we had a wonderful time and I made a lot of jewellery and learnt so much.
so here are a few sots, the first is early this morning of Wright Island after we had had breakfast at Whalers with friends, the only time we could manage to catch up, it was lovely.
The next is of the sky yesterday and the wide open space around Horsham as we drove home.
We have had some rain and there were odd showers as we drove our 8 hours.
The next is my part of the display we put on, this is what I made, ear rings and pendants and other 'things'.
Mary Hettmansperger was the funniest, nicest and most giving teacher you could want for, we had a great class no difficult people and we were there most days from about 8 am to about 8 pm or a bit later with breaks for lunch and dinner. I went to bed absolutely exhausted and then slept badly!!
I sort of kept up with emails and a few blogs but there is no time for things like that when you are having so much fun.
There was an ever changing display of 'stuff' around the school grounds and it was fun to see what was up each morning.
Wonderful to catch up with friends I only see once a year and catch up on what they are doing.
More I hope tomorrow but I have unpacked everything and am now about to pack again, most washing is done but I will be in bed early tonight.

Fabric and Embroidery zapped and un zapped

This is a piece I have been working on for ages, only a small piece and it has taken forever. Rayon embroidered on organza and then zapped with a heat gun.
I love the colours, it will probably end up as a decoration for a book cover or some thing.
I was an idiot and forgot to take my camera over to the Exhibition this afternoon that I was helping to man. Some of my pieces are in it but very few have sold, what a bummer.
Loads of people through, obviously what I do does not appeal to the general public. Should have realised that!! Just when I desperately need the money.
Very tired as a full day today, we did have a walk this morning and tomorrow I try to pack some sort of semblance of what is on my list for Ballarat.
So a really scrappy blog post, hope to do better tomorrow.