Matching Pegs

Tracey, in Queensland, was telling us about the copious amounts of rain yesterday when I left the following comment…

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Last night most of the family slept in our small lounge room, which has an air conditioner – we have never had it on overnight before.  Tonight we are setting up the lounge room like a tent with a bed for everyone.

Tomorrow I escape to the small town of Loch (that is a view of the countryside around the town, at the top of the post) for the Quilt Hanging on Sunday – Saturday is the quilt-shop-a-thon at all the shops along the way.  I am feeling very guilty to be leaving the family in such a hot little house, all grumpy and tired.

Before the heat spell, the kids were playing a lot of “swirly tennis” aka totem tennis.  Perhaps they have been playing too much – the bats were not up to challenge.

I’ll post again soon with some lovely quilt shots from the Hanging, and hopefully it will be cooler, and life will return to normal (and we will all return to sleep in our own rooms).

So here is a look at my latest Work In Progress.  It is going to be a Baltimore-Bride style cushion cover, featuring flowers, a doily, a teapot and eventually some butterflies.  I’m calling it “Tea in the Garden”.  I’ve been using that pile of fabric, from a few posts back.  I am doing it using the tradition Needle Turn Method – I just mark the stitching lines on the applique fabrics and start turning/sewing – no basting, fusing, gluing or freezer paper involved.  Simple.

Here is something that I just had to share with you, and it revolves around pegs (or clothespins actually, as it is from the USA).

It is a game called Clothespins, made by Briarpatch, and the kids love playing it.  It is easy enough for Amelia and Rory to play it without needing adult help all the time (hello Monopoly) and quick enough that if someone gets sick of playing, they can finish without stopping in the middle of play.  Funnily enough, it is all about matching, but in this case it is the clothes, rather than the pegs.  It gets the Matching Pegs seal of approval as a great school holiday game.

What was your favourite childhood game?  Mine was “The Amazing Labyrinth”, but I must admit that we probably didn’t get it until I was about 12.

Have you seen the latest interview meme doing the rounds.  I read a very heartfelt response that Tracey wrote (over at Peppermint Patcher) to 5 tailor made questions she was asked.  I put up my hand to give it a go, and here are my responses to her 5 questions, written just for me – thanks Tracey.

What is the most important life lesson you have ever learnt?

I learnt pretty early that life can change dramatically in just a few short hours.  This lesson was rammed home when I was 10 and my sister (who was 3) was diagnosed with lymphoma, and given 30% chance of surviving (she is currently 27, yay).  This lesson was repeated multiple times through my 20’s as my twin brother battled with a serious illness that had him hospitalised repeatedly.  I was given a refresher course, pretty much exactly 2 years ago, when my sister had a tumor the size of a grapefruit removed from her brain – thankfully it was a benign grapefruit.  Both of my siblings continue to deal with the effects their illnesses have had on them.  The most important lesson that I have learnt is actually that I am one amazingly lucky, healthy, person.  Fate has been so kind to me, and I am so grateful.  I have a wonderfully ordinary life, which I value more than I can express with words.  I have had none of the mountains that my siblings have had to climb, just to survive.  So the lesson reminds me to appreciate all the mundane happy things that happen, (along with the big events) because I am so lucky.

Here are two pieces of work that are inspiring me at the moment.  I have put them back into circulation and they are above the dresser at the foot of our bed.

The Door Into The Garden – Grace Cossington Smith 1892-1984.

I just love the use of colour in this one, in fact it is full of colours that I love to use throughout my house. Grace Cossington Smith was instrumental in introducing postmodernism to Australia.  Probably her most widely recognised piece of work is of the Sydney Harbour Bridge under construction, called “The Bridge in Curve”.

Girl With Cigarette – Agnes Goodsir 1865–1939

Not much is know about Agnes Goodsir, but I did manage to find this little profile on the web.  I just love this portrait, (even though I wish cigarettes were not involved).  Unfortunately, you can’t really see the colours correctly in this shot – have a peek here for a more accurate depiction, thanks to the Bendigo Art Gallery.

Both are prints which I fell in love with, and purchased from the Bendigo Art Gallery years ago.  Because I did not have enough money to have them framed, I had them laminated at the University print shop – a move that allowed me to decorate our rental on the cheap, all those years ago.

Here is a little more decorating on the cheap.  That sad looking picture above the bed is what is going to be replaced by my new painting, when it is completed.  The roses are actually 5 pages from an old calendar, attached to a large piece of cardboard (Which came off some Billy shelves from IKEA) with spray adhesive.

Actually, using prints from calendars is a really good way to get a collection of matching prints you can frame for not much money.  Michaela’s room has three framed prints from a calendar based on the illustrations from The Illustrated “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe“.  The illustrations are by Christian Birmingham, who does lovely work.  If she was not tucked up in bed asleep, then I would take a photo for you, but you will have to follow the links instead.

What are your cheap decorating tricks?

The other evening I painted it in the daylight, after the kids had gone to bed (thank-you daylight savings).  It was hard to capture in this photo, but the background has quite a bit of texture, thanks to a few layers, topped by some white I rubbed on to give it a kind of chalky finish.

I started painting the flowers, but at least one of the colours that I used is a bit muddy.  Never mind, I will paint over it, just as soon as I can buy some more white paint to mix up just the right colour.

It has been pretty hot here in Melbourne the last two days – we have been inside, hiding out from the heat.  As I type this, the kids are in the hallway, (with all the doors closed) bouncing the rubber balls that they were given for Christmas.  It sounds like I have a mob of kangaroos in the house, jumping up and down.  Bring on some cooler weather so we can run off some energy at the park tomorrow!

How do you keep your kids amused inside, in the stinking heat/bitter cold?

These summer holidays are all about……………………………………………………

Blowing bubbles in the sunshine,

Saving the Universe,

Jumping in Circles,

Yummy dinners as a family,

Drawing, Lego, Uno, Jigsaws, Totem Tennis, Going to the Park, Riding Bicycles and Painting – some of which may even be done by Mum!

Here is my latest project – A canvas to hang above our bed.  60″ x 15″.  I wonder how long it is going to take me to paint, in between all the other kid related activities.

Your guess is as good as mine.

My New Year started today.  For the last 5 days I have still been operating on that amorphous, fluid time (holiday time) where it doesn’t really matter what day it is.  Today I rejoined reality, as Luke went back to work, and I was home alone with three children.

The kids played in the sandpit, drew with chalk, did a huge pile of paintings, and made an enormous cubby house with an airing rack, a couple of chairs, and all the quilts and blankets they could lay their hands on.

So 2009 started for me today, and I started a brand new project to celebrate.

The pile of fabric I collated is in my favourite palette of colours, and it gave me that feeling you get when you amass a whole lot of new stationery at the start of a new school year- the feeling of possibility.  This afternoon I picked up a needle and made a start (It’s a needle turn applique project).

I’m feeling good about 2009, it feels like exciting things might happen this year.

As I have three kids home, I know that posting is going to be a little light-on around here for the rest of the holidays, while I spend time with them.

My New Years resolution – to reply to comments more promptly -sorry if I owe you a reply.  To my small band of friendly readers – Happy New Year, may 2009 be full of possibilities for you too.