Great Weekend Part Two

On Sunday, we went to GOMA (the Gallery of Modern Art) at Southbank to see the Ron Mueck exhibition. If you get a chance to go, GO. It was fabulous, but make sure you see the film in the resource room, opposite the entrance to the sculptures.
It explains how the sculptures are made.
I tried to get people in the photos to show the scale.
This guy from the front was ... let's just say confronting. LOL
They are incredibly life-like in everything but the scale. The skin tone, blemishes, hair placement, wrinkles, etc. I could go on for ages. Do go if you have the opportunity.
After this, DH and I wandered through Southbbank, had a nice lunch at a Japanese restaurant, and a Swiss ice cream for dessert.
All in all a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday.

Take care everyone,
Kayly.

Great Weekend Part One

DH and I just had a great weekend. It was supposed to start out with DH's first night on road race meet with his RC car. He built his car from scratch and has been keen to try it out on the track. The meet got rained out, but at least he got to have a little practice. He asked me to show his car, so here it is. Yes I know it's PINK, but he reckons the other guys won't claim it as theirs.
Saturday actually saw me doing some quilting on the quilt mentioned in the previous post. The pinning went fairly well and at the moment I'm just ditch stitching it.

Saturday night we went out with family to Ortiga, a Spanish restaurant in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.
From our table we were able to watch the kitchen action. No tantrums here. The menu is suitable for sharing. We all picked 2 entree sized dishes each. They came out in pairs.




















We were adventurous. The dish above is all piggy - snout, ears and cheeks -and delicious. I was too late to get a photo of the desserts. Trust me they were delicious also.
We'd like to go back to try the bar and its tapas menu.
I'll tell you about Sunday tomorrow.

Finally some sewing to show!

I think it is safe to show this quilt top. It is going to be a group present for a friend. 'J' does not know I have a blog. I know her through our local high school. She has been the bookshop convenor for over 20 years and has decided it is time to retire. Her children have long since left the school. It has been hard to do as they are not 'my' colours. I rang her hubbie, 'K', to talk to him about her favourite colours. Normally he is a great help, but I stumped him this time. No help at all! :-) So I've have been taking note of what she wears. I've had a bit of a guess with the colours and I'm just hoping she'll like it. Now for the quilting.
I have also finished Block A for the Stitch-a-long of the Gardener's Quilt. I may redo it as I've noticed two bits the same touching. Then I again, it's not going in any competitions, so why stress.

Take care everyone,
Kayly

Gardener's Journal Update and Book Review

I've finished the stitching needed for block A. Now to give them a quick wash and to pick the fabric for the borders around two of the stitcheries. I've left cutting these fabrics until the stitching was finished so I could pick just the right ones. Check out the Stitch-a-long blog to see what everyone else has been making.
Above are 2 books I've bought recently. Both books have really clear close-up photos and well written instructions. The crocheting book covers ties and drawstrings, buttonholes, zips and buttons, trims and embellishing as well as 8 projects. It covers the basics also, including clear pictures of how to thread the yarn around fingers. After you make a long base chain, it is often hard to know where to put the hook when doing the next row. The author Betty Barnden explains the resulting edge finish if you use one or two top loops or the back loop. I'm going to use this book to teach my neighbour to crochet.
The other book is really 2 books in one. Author Jenny Rolfe has written 'Handmade Embroidered Bags' and 'Handmade Embroidered Purses'. The publisher has put both books together and called it 'Fabulous Bags to Stitch and Sew'. Bright colourful photos, encouraging instructions and imaginative projects makes this book one I had to have. Jenny talks about free motion quilting in the techniques section and gives little projects to practise.
One thing I am particularly impressed with is in the publisher information blurb - Jenny gives permission to make and sell for charity any of the projects in this book. That is very generous of her.
Details- Finishing Techniques for Crochet, Betty Barnden, 2009, Quarto Publishing,
ISBN 978-1-84448-434-8
and Fabulous Bags to Stitch & Make, Jenny Rolfe, 2009, Search Press,
ISBN 978-1-84448-393-9.

Lastly but certainly not least, the above 2 photos were taken on what I think is called a supper cloth. My mum is having a clean out of her linen closet. My sister and I scored 5 tablecloths. Three of them were hand embroidered. The above one was made by my Grandmother Lucy. It's got beautiful satin stitch all over it. (LOL- that will be understood by anyone who knows my aversion/reluctance concerning satin stitch) The butterflies and flowers are beautifully embroidered. Wish she was still with us to give me help, just like when she tried to teach me knitting when I was about eight or nine.

Take care everyone,
Kayly

Us and 175,000 other people!

Brisbanites will go to the opening of a paper bag! I am certainly not rubbishing my fellow citizens. It is just that we love to get out to see the new things happening in our city. I blame Expo 88. :-)
Twenty-four years ago, the Gateway Bridge was opened. DH and I were also at that open day. Last Sunday its twin was open for the public to walk across.
We got up very early and were there well before the official opening time, so we had a very unhurried walk.
The bridges look very steep, but they are really an easy climb. They have to be tall enough to let the cruise ships get under, but be short enough that the planes taking off and landing at the near-by airport don't hit it!
The rest of Brisbane had woken up by the end of our walk. One side of the bridge had fish and chips for sale, the other sausages and burgers. The service clubs and other groups did a marvellous job parking, directing and feeding the masses. On one side of the new bridge is a wide bike/walk way, with a seat at the top to rest and look at the port and mouth of the river.
There was no peeing over the side allowed!

I will have some craft news soon, promise.

Take care, everyone.
Kayly

The Sisters of Stitch

A year ago, a very lovely lady called Judy decided she would like to start a community craft group. She wanted one where things were not too controlled, no fees, no office bearers, no elections, where all you had to do was turn up. Judy approached her local library. The library staff welcomed her with open arms. That is how 'The Sisters of Stitch' came into being. My neighbour and I started going about 2 months ago. It's great. The group is very friendly and welcoming. There is a wide variety of crafts practised and a wide range of ages as well. It is wonderful to see everyone interacting, helping each out or just admiring each other's work.
Last week we had our first birthday. I should have taken a photo of the food table. As well as being great crafters, the ladies are also great cooks! Let's just say we didn't starve. In the above photo, we have our 2 eldest members, Audrey (left) and Melva cutting the cake. Both ladies are 87 years old and still doing beautiful work. I just hope my eyes and hands are as good as theirs, as I age.
These photos were taken at Tenterfield on the recent long weekend. DH and I escaped to a delightful B&B called Comerford Hall. I can thoroughly recommend it. I even managed to find a bit of time to sit and stitch in their pretty garden, but I forgot to take a photo of that.
The autumn colours were stunning. We don't get much of this in Brisbane, certainly not this intensity or quantity of colour.
I should have some crafty photos soon. I am nearly finished the stitching for block A in the Gardener's Journal stitch-a-long.
Take care everyone,
Kayly

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Particularly to those mothers with difficult children
and for whom motherhood turned out to be different
to what they had hoped for or expected.

In the above photo from the left is my Grandmother Lucy, my Great-Grandmother Emily holding me and my mother Joyce. It was taken in 19.......let's just say it was awhile ago!

Have a good day tomorrow. I'm going out for breakfast.
Kayly

Boondooma

Last week, I went on a road trip to Boondooma Homestead, near Proston here in south-east Queensland. Mum and I have wanted to come here for sometime.
The above building is a storehouse, built in about 1855 by my great great great grandfather Wilhelm Brill. He was a stonemason from Germany. It is possibly the first building in Australia built to metric measurements.
The building is in remarkable condition, virtually untouched. The stone came from a nearby creek. Ant bed was used as mortar. It was very moving to put my hands where Wilhelm once put his.

This is the homestead. It is being bought back to life by a dedicated band of people -the Friends of Boondooma, in particular Buddy Thompson. They are to be congratulated on doing such a great job.
One of their major fundraisers is a country music and bush poetry weekend. It is held on the last weekend of April each year. Most people camp on the grounds. Next year it falls at Easter, so I suspect a good time will had by all.
It is a beautiful part of the country. Well worth a visit if you are ever in the area.
Kayly