Time to get stitching again

Happy New Year folks. I am nearly too late with that greeting as 2011 is well under way now. I have taken time out from stitching for a while and been busy making making Christmas cards and a scrapbook about my father, and working on our family histories. Christmas/New Year was a happy time for us and reasonably quiet, but what a time it has been for others. The snow and blizzards overseas, and the devasting floods in the northern parts of Australia have been unbelievable, bringing sadness and hardship to many. And the flooding continues. There will be some beneficial flows into the Murray River here in South Australia from New South Wales, but Queensland has been hardest hit and recovery for the people and the economy is going to take a very long time. I can't imagine losing everything to the water and mud.


The birds around our garden continue to amuse and delight us - mostly. I am not really thrilled by the blackbirds foraging in my flower beds, but the humble spoggies (sparrows) have been showing remarkable intelligence flying onto the tall wild oat stems on the vacant block next door, to bring them down to the ground so that they can eat the grains. The honeyeaters too, have been bouncing on the nylon bird netting to flatten it enough that they can peck through it to get at my boysenberries. I only have one bush, so I am not that keen on sharing! We were amused by this cute little bird we spotted today in the city. Went to see The King's speech (excellent) and noticed it painted on the bottom of the wall in Frome Street, feet below the large piece of street art on the wall above. Before the movie we went to a car boot sale and I picked up these 2 pieces of beadwork for $2. The beaded pieces of fabric have been stuck to a background. They have seen better days in a few areas but I am sure I can use them somehow - - and if not, they are pretty to look at anyway!

Ban the people on the beach?

Went to our Quilters' Guild meeting last week and really enjoyed the presentation by Julie Haddrick, giving insight into the design process for her award winning quilts. She incorporates a lot of her own hand dyed and painted fabric - check out her website if you want to know more www.haddrickonfabric.com.au


While there it was suggested to me that I don't post very often, so thought I would try to do so more frequently. Only 6 days have passed since then ... I started on the Christmas cards on Saturday, and then thought I had better finish them before starting anything else. I made a photo collage and then after printing had to make the cards and prepare an accompanying letter. A bit of a chore, but no-one writes letters these days and it is nice to keep in touch with friends, so the Christmas deadline is a great incentive (just like in making a quilt). All done now - mostly posted and a few to email. I don't mind the postage - I am old enough to enjoy getting letters in the mail box (especially non-window ones!) but the younger generations don't understand that nostalgia.


Went for a walk on the beach early on Sunday morning and was sure at one point that I could smell kerosine like the burning fuel smell at an airport and couldn't fathom where it might be coming from. Then I passed the recently installed wooden steps and was disgusted to find that some morons had broken a whole lot of palings from them.

Went a little bit further and found a smouldering fire...



No doubt the smell was from the treated timber. Couldn't help hoping that the fumes might have made them sick, but then wondered if it is a new way to get high...


Thought at this point it might be a good point to show the quilt art piece I did earlier in the year from 'foreign' items found on the beach. It is enitled 'And we found a shell!' There are 60 plus items, including the bag, all found on the same kilometere of beach. Only the thread for the quilting stitches was not. It is a telling statement about pollution and public attitude.

In these jars below are more of the items picked up. I don't go walking there every day, and it is not all the litter to be found each time - just the smaller and oddest things which are not biodegradable. For example the white in the top of the right hand jar is a lemon squeezer - on the beach??? I leave you to consider.