Category: Patho

COVID Christmas Creature

July 18, 2020

Just flew in form the North Pole

While I was sorting the fabric, I rediscovered lots of Christmas prints and wondered what Christmas,post COVID, might be like this year. Will we all be free of it? Will the virus be under control or will we still be on this awful roller coaster surfing the waves? I really wasn’t feeling optimistic enough to launch myself into a complex Christmas project. As I was pondering where to start, the little guys behind me suggested I make them another friend, after all it gets pretty lonely living up in an attic studio, the pattern is simple and another reindeer for Christmas might be useful.

So….I followed the usual process. Here comes Reindeer no 4.

I gathered the pattern pieces and… as I make a ‘doll’ it usually starts to take on its own characteristics. Rarely, do I slavishly follow the original pattern. This one though really had a mind of his own. He had just dodged the border controls and escaped from the North Pole. Apparently, Santa’s mob are very concerned about the virus too. Yes, even there. They have it too. There is a lot of dissent about working conditions in the next 6 months. He wasn’t looking forward to Christmas 2020, in fact, it was already taking its toll. He was exhausted. Between lock downs, there was a lot of travel and preparation. Sourcing the materials that they need for the workshops was becoming stressful. Santa was admitting to being more than a little anxious. The elves were all hoping that they’d stay in good health. Some of them were finding it difficult to think about spreading joy and presents. I mean, think about it. The risks involved in landing on all the roofs. Someone had to go down all those chimneys. Who knows what germs might be lurking below. Did they really have to go to every continent? Even…? This one just couldn’t take it anymore. He needed a break. (Don’t we all?), so he dropped in to stay with the other lads for a while. I must say he looked in bad shape.

He seems to be settling in well, enjoying the company of the others. Hopefully he’ll make a full recovery and disappear, with his new buddies, to help Santa with the Christmas rush.

grrrr…

July 17, 2020

My opponents in the battle to have a garden, (other than the weather), are usually furry, have cute little white tails, eat most of our lucerne crop and have travelled across Australia. A rabbit proof fence had to be built across the continent to stop their advance. Sadly, I have never been able to afford a fence all around my property. Over the years I discovered that they were very reluctant to leap over a smelly old tyre and eat whatever treat I had just planted. The evidence of my success is everywhere. Look at my amazing gum trees I planted years ago. In most cases I remembered to remove the tyres, just before they strangled the trees.

I’d nurtured my new gum tree in the glass house until it was 3 feet high. It was healthy and looked ready to go. So imagine my horror this morning when I went to check on my new gum and found this. All that was left was a STICK!

The tyre was intact. So can I conclude that either a three feet tall bunny, ate dinner last night or I have some sort of bouncing bunny that can repeatedly bounce and eat…? or what?????

After the rain

July 13, 2020

I woke up to more rain, just a lazy drizzle. Yesterday it poured. That was welcome relief from the worry that we desperately need rain for the latest crop to get growing. Today, it’s gloomy and depressing. I braved the miserable weather to have a look around. Nature was enjoying the weather.

Blossom on the almond tree at this time of the year? Is it my imagination or do trees do this? I’ve always thought it a little ironic that the blossom seems to emerge at the same time as the rain washes the flowers away. Won’t be long and it will be spring. I went back inside, much cheerier and up the stairs to see what was happening up there in the studio.

Blogged down

July 11, 2020

So it is easy to make a resolution to blog regularly, but it’s much harder to keep going. I’ll bet that’s been said before? The weather and the threat of the second wave of COVID isn’t helping. Cold, rain, border closures, lock downs, endless TV images. It sucked any creativity and get up and go right away. Nothing happening, nothing to say, no reason to get out of bed, not going anywhere soon. BUT…

I did manage to throw myself into cleaning and sorting. I wonder if it’s satisfying my need for order and control of my life. An orderly cupboard, lots of full ordered drawers, an empty drawer, lots of empty plastic tubs and an empty work space. It’s taken quite a lot more time than I thought but I did it. Well, to be honest I can say that I sorted the cotton pieces. There is still lots more of the more interesting pieces to sort. I quite enjoyed the ironing and folding, rediscovering lots of lovely fabric pieces that I have collected over many years. I even ‘sanded’ the work table, trying to remove the creative efforts of the grandchild, who had put more texta and paint on the table than on the many art pieces he has contributed.

Strange, how the trio perched on the railing behind me watched my efforts, with wry grins on their faces. Curious creatures… they’re my cross between a reindeer and a rabbit. They emerge to add to the decor in both seasons, Christmas and Easter. It might be a stretch, but holding a big Easter egg, they could pass for a rabbit.

So how long did the work table stay in its pristine condition? Well, lets just say that before the sanding has been effectively finished….the table has a new project. Funny how a clean work bench just seems to call out to me. Or was it the idle chattering of those three watching me? More on that soon.

To prune or not to prune

July 1, 2020

In Australia, the general advice is to prune roses in June or July, after they have finished flowering. It is now July the first, so the time is right. Right? It always worries me, too early, too late, what do I do? The danger is frost. Frost can damage the canes of recently pruned roses. See my last post! We had frost! The weather here is so unpredictable. I’m hoping that the weather people have got it right when they said the frosts should ease of in our area for the next few weeks. The poor old plants were looking very sad. I don’t need gloom in my garden, there’s enough in the world around me. So, they can just take their chances. Off with their heads and other plant body parts.

A few late bloomers protested by looking beautiful, on their way to Rose Heaven. Sorry, I’m not saving you lot. You’ve caused me enough pain with all those thorns. You must be incinerated along with all your friends. You had a nasty case of black spot. We’ll blame the weather for that too. I’m not altogether heartless. I did save a few of your more attractive friends for one last vase. I have to say, I’m a little embarrassed to post their picture. I hope you can all do better in spring time. I’m looking forward to another wonderful and long lasting display. That is if you survive till then. At least you’re not in danger from COVID. Be happy with your lot in life.

For the record, the birds nest was empty.

Amazing Sunset

June 28, 2020

Life just got more complicated. I changed my theme, and have been working on sorting out how the new one is so different. This new theme displays post excerpts on the home page as well as on the blog page. I’m excited to see what will happen. Here goes.

Driving home tonight I was fascinated by the colours and shapes of the clouds, changing as the sun set.

It faded quickly as the sun set.

Folding the Fat Quarters

June 27, 2020

It’s all happening. I have two time consuming projects on the go. One is learning to blog and the other is the BIG CLEANUP. Now that the grandkids are back at school and I’ve stopped home schooling, I have no excuse.

My blogging skills are developing. Today I changed my template to allow me to show my posts on the home page. Yes, I know, they’re not there yet, but look again tomorrow!!! It does mean messing things around a bit, so stay with me. I made a few brief new posts to play with. I learnt to reorder posts, so I have more control.

I have a follower!!! I’d love some more (hint, hint). The FOLLOW button is now displayed more prominently. My new challenge is to find a quicker way to get to get my photos from my phone to here. I’ll work on it. Back to today’s post.

My attic studio has, I admit, been neglected for years. Fabric piled up in heaps wherever it landed. As a doll maker I have stored everything useful from fabric, doll hair, eyes, eyelashes, buttons, cottons etc. I save everything. Some may say compulsive. There was some vague order, but…..

Sorting and Storing the Stash

I’ve decided to start the clean up by sorting my fabric stash. After some experimentation and lots of mess I have a new system. Firstly I’ve sorted fabric by type, chiffon, velvet, cotton, fur etc into groups. Then the fun started. I’d all but put my iron and ironing board into moth balls years ago. I dragged it all upstairs and started to iron maniacally. But I was disappointed after trying to put it back into the cupboard drawers. It still ended up being a crumpled mess. Now, I think I’ve found a solution. I’ve started with the cottons. I sorted it into sizes as I ironed. I bought office filing cards in two sizes and wound the strips, fat quarters, and other lengths around the different cards. It stays firm and I can see all the different colours more easily.

    I could take another studio photo… but I I’ve only made a miniscule difference so far.