Hello! I'm very happy to be able to say I have returned to the blogosphere after a long absence, during which time computer woes kept me from "speaking". Finally things are sorted (fingers crossed) and I can return. Just an advance warning that this will be a very picture heavy post though.
This week we came back from another marvellous Art Deco Weekend in Napier, and of course yet again I must declare that it was the best ever. We met some very interesting new friends and had a wonderful break, and declared that next year there will be more advance attention paid to the creation of new costumes so as not to leave things to the last minute and/or have nothing new to wear. Actually we were very good in our prepping this time, and didn't leave packing to the last minute, which was very helpful as it prevented Mr Shoestring and me from crashing into one another and cursing under our breath as we tried to locate all our choicest bits and pieces. Or in Mr Shoestring's case, his favourite hats and ties, which always seem to go missing somehow. (He is also known as Captain Peacock by his nearest and dearest friends. You get the picture.) In the last year we have been to a wonderful millinery course with The Dancing Queen and now feel inspired to make our own headware, but needless to say we have not actually made anything yet. We are much more confident about steaming hats back into shape after the inevitable ravages of travel though. Mr Shoestring in particular is a master of the art and made the hats I took appear as new. This year we only took what we actually needed, so we weren't so laden down with unnecessary things and it was a much better approach. The Southern Belles had an inspiring array of new costumes and some wonderful suggestions about things to try as far as creating dresses and accessories for next year. They had a nautical theme for their beach pyjamas and even had the cutest little motifs such as anchors on their sailor tops and had made rafia handbags! Mrs Raglan was sporting a very fetching new beach pyjama ensemble also, in rusty shades, complete with matching orange headscarf tied on the side.
I think I have already posted photos of the last quilt I was trying to finish and I'm happy to say it is just needing to be tied now. Here is a part of it, in all its cheerfully coloured glory.
and yellow at the side.
Also I didn't have quite enough turn under to go all the way around and make a border at the back, so I had to create extra medallions on the black chintz background to go in the four corners at the back. I never go out and purchase an exact amount of fabric with a quilt in mind, just buy random things which call to me, "Take me home, take me away from all this", so just have to make the most of what I have. And since I have vowed not to buy more fabric it's a question of making the most of what is in the capacious storage cupboards in the sewing room
I tell myself that this only adds to the charm of the quilt but I was a bit perplexed when I had put aside four medallions ready to finish the corners and then lost them, and had to make four more. Some quilts are just more problematical than others but I'm very pleased with the end result of this one, unlike the last one I finished which I was so heartily sick of that I could barely look at it for a few months. (I do like it once more now though, fortunately.) The backing fabric was a great op shop find. It is a French cotton duvet cover (obviously from the eighties, to my eye at least) which is beautiful quality and suits the quilt really well. It cost me $2.50 and I still have another piece left to back another quilt.
Sadly the remaining piece is only pink and green, but I'm sure it will come in handy for something. I could even make a fifties style dress out of it, if all else fails. Some of the blocks I particularly liked and others were just a bit bleh, but they all work in nicely together. It always surprises me when somebody looks at a quilt and picks out as a favourite one block which I personally feel is somewhat mediocre and lacking in charm. I loved this fabric (birdies of course)
and this one, a cheerful small floral.
Some blocks I used all over florals and others were bordered with a stripe or other fabric to frame the teacups. Sometimes I used the main fabric to outline the teacups, like the first one below.
This clever paving stone effect particularly appealed to me, but not to anybody else I know.
I decided I needed a break from my hexagon hand pieced obsession, so have returned to the love of my life, crazy quilting. I already have a red themed (named second hand rose), and a doyleys and old linen crazy quilt on the go but I have long wanted to do one in pansy colours so made two blocks. Just for an experiment, you understand. It will not distract me from day to day chores. Very much. Like a true pansy, each block is going to have a bit of black like the "eye" in the centre, and after that it's a free for all of bright colours. As well as silk remnants there is the usual collection of old silk ties and op shop cut up blouses and what not. What a mess this made in my sewing room though, now the hard part begins in trying to force everything back from whence it came.
Because of the frugal approach at Shoestring we have ended up with some very unusual arrangements. My sister gave me some beautiful crockery for Christmas and it is now jumbled in with the other favourites because I can't afford an entire collection of chintz crockery but it fits in well with what other pieces I have scavenged or been given. I am actually coming to appreciate this more than if I did have all of one sort. The same goes for the serving dishes and all the pretty old glasses; together they make a nice jumble and I like having different combinations of glasses, serving dishes and plates.
Very taken with these spotty glasses and the ones with pretty flowers painted on them. Luckily the dishwasher has broken blown up, so hand washing isn't an issue; rather a necessity. Otherwise the paint would probably wash off. Always look on the bright side.
After the great success with the pink wall (which is still receiving additions of plates, but we cannot add any more at present as we cannot reach high enough without scaffolding), Mr Shoestring went mad with his pink paint and now the garden furniture is all pink too. Even the sun lounger kindly donated by my dear sister is pink, which looks very fetching with the green squabs. And as for the details on the table and chairs, he has picked out the flowers in a brighter pink and added green leaves. What a paragon of virtue he is, endlessly toiling away with his paint brush.
It has been a very hot, long and dry summer but the garden is coping admirably. The pink and purple theme is coming along by leaps and bounds and have started potting up things such as canna lilies into large pots so that they can be kept under better control and I can remove their offensive orange or bright yellow flowers before they begin to bloom. I have put in Nahema, a most beautifully fragrant rose, along with Ebb Tide and some others which have miraculously all survived and are looking happy. Purple ground covers are surprisingly easy to find and friends have been very kind and donated various bits and pieces. Lord Ringloes gave me a bit of the most vibrant purple ground cover when we were at Art Deco weekend and if it survives I will be very happy.
The mandevillea vine has made an amazing display, having been in flower since November, and now its pods are dropping seeds which are germinating, much to my pleasure. I am potting them up and pressing them onto anybody who will take them. They have climbed all through the old plum tree and the best thing is that when the flowers fall onto the earth they stay pure white and look like lovely big white stars on the grass.
Success even in shade with the purple foliaged and flowered plants!
Mr Shoestring got carried away with enthusiasm and bought some water plants, so the fishes have vegetation to swim around in, plus there is always the interesting pink, plate bedecked wall for them to look up at if they so desire. I must say, they are masters of disguise and it is very unusual that I can count them all at once. Another bothersome thing about them, but they are so pretty to watch and it's very soothing on a hot afternoon to see them in all their colourful glory. Not that we have much time for such frivolous pursuits, though. Too many weeds to do battle with, too much to be done in the sewing room and garden!
Hoping that is well with you and yours, and the world is spinning along nicely on it axis wherever you may be.
