I've completed two placemats from my table setting fabrics - changing the positions of the different colours. Other combinations are possible, but will have to wait since this is such a busy time of the year.
Today is the Christmas party at the Croquet club. We celebrate with a 'Bring and Share' lunch. I think it is something special to prepare food to share with friends. Mindfulness as you cook or arrange adds another dimension to the dish. My contribution is a platter of Rice Paper Rolls, filled with noodles, sprouts, vegetables, herbs, tofu and cashews. The party is at the club so that we can play Golf Croquet and Association Croquet in short fun games, or simply sit back and socialise. The competition trophies for 2010 will be presented to the winners after lunch, and the new Champions Board will be unveiled.
I'm sure it will be a lovely day and I am looking forward to going [must go and hang the washing first].
My DH and I went for a late birthday lunch today at Em's Thai Kitchen at Harrington. Delicious, authentic food.
I am known for having more than one project on the go at a time. My current, quilt on the go is a stash buster using up some of my accumulated fabric. I bought the background spotty material at a sale, with a huge discount for buying whatever was left on the roll, and the large print purple floral for the first border and binding. It will be included in a few blocks for continuity.
It took a couple of days to do all the cutting, but the blocks are simple and going together quickly - I have made 7 of the 30 that I will need.
This quilt is for the bed in the second bedroom - the visitors room. More pictures later.
I completed the first part of the table setting just in time for the second part - place mats. My colours make it useful for any season, not just Christmas. Since a table cloth is usually only one layer of fabric, I decided not to use batting and quilted the top directly onto the backing.
I intend to make a set of 4 placemats but they will not be the same. The fabrics will be used in different combinations for the trees, the background and the border and bindings. Pictures as they are made.
We were surprised and quietly delighted when we found a Peacock wandering in our back yard - it is 20 acres. What an exotic and beautiful bird - the irridescent colours are just amazing. His tail expanded and held overhead in display is very dramatic.
BUT - it appears a neighbour has decided to let his birds free range, the Peacock spends most of his days here, with up to four hens. They eat every seedling that pops its head up in the vege garden, they graze on spinach and capsicum leaves and scratch through the mulch on the garden beds.
The owners are away at the moment and I wish the birds would just go home.
I play croquet twice a week when the weather is fine and not too hot. I have the odd hit at Golf Croquet, but my choice is Association Croquet. It is quite complex and challenging, makes you think and plan, helps you learn to relax - you can't play well if you are uptight. There were no coaches at our club when I began, so I completed a coaching course and set about coaching myself.
A member of a nearby club taught me to respect the Laws of the game. He trained players as referees, and worked hard to lift the standard of refereeing. I am now the State Director of Refereeing in NSW. Thank you Merv.
The pattern is designed for Christmas - but I'm afraid that I really don't like the commercial trappings of modern Christmas, so, my fabrics will suit any season.
The sarong is a gift from my daughter and includes three patterns that I can use for borders and blocks. Black, cream, gold and bronze are perfect accompanying colours. More as the set comes together.
Another daughter and her partner have been staying on weekends as they renovate a house in town. The work has taken many weekends, and I have tried very hard to offer meals that are never repeated. It has been wonderful searching through my books and magazines to find delicious menus for them to enjoy.
Last weekend was a simple green salad with tomatoes, fried haloumi cheese and a dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, plus grilled polenta with mixed garlic mushrooms, followed by Italian coffee cake and mascarpone. Simple to prepare and very impressive and tasty.
My newest finished quilt is a scrappy, Jigsaw Puzzle. This is part of an event with International Friendship Quilters. I have been with this group for two years now and thoroughly enjoy the projects and much more, the contact with patchers and quilters all around the world.
I have made baby quilts for each of my grandchildren, and now they are no longer babies I will be planning bigger and very different quilts. My mother has one of my quilts, as have two of my daughters and children of my dearest friend. Some of my quilts are planned and made with the recipient in mind, but others are simply an indulgence - I cut and stitch for myself - then when someone tells me how they love it, it's theirs (maybe).
The fabric for my latest effort is drying on the line now.
