Good Wishes

All Graphics courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Yes, it’s that time of the year again.  Amazing how quickly it sneaks up on you!  Rather than sending out newsletters this year, our adventures have been mostly covered over our 7 months of Windjammer3 travels anyway.  Link to the WJ3 blog, here.  Surely guaranteed to get you snoozing!

It has been a slow year in the textile travels department, largely due I think, to quilts not being an essential item for the tropics.  Fabrics though are another matter.  I am looking forward to finding fabric stores in Trinidad when we return with hopes of locating wonderful waxies (African prints) and colourful designs that make life Carnival every day of the year.   

We trust Santa brings joy to you and your family this festive season, where-ever you are; under a blanket of snow or basking in tropical sunshine.  Have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas and New Years, and allow at least some time to kick back and relax.  After all, you will need to be match fit for a game of cricket (or tennis) and have that barbie fired up, ready for Australia Day.  Lamb chops and lamingtons essential!

A Less Adventurous Life

Can it have been so long since my last post?  Well, yes and we all know why.  I did find my way to Adelaide earlier this year, so I have no real excuses for not writing up my textile finds.  I have however, recently done a review of sorts, looking for the gaps in my humble textile observations, so there is hope for a few photos and notes in the offing – most likely after the Christmas Rush.  School holidays are about to start soon too and it’s a long summer break.  So, the lethargy may continue for a little while longer and it might be time to sit under a shady tree and read a book or three. 

I will say that I’ve also done a bit of a make-over on this blog's inner workings (design), so hopefully it’s easier to read and the photos a better size.  Also, I’ve been sorting and organising my photos, a job that was desperately needed.  I’ll write a bit about that soon – it promises to be a bit of a moan anyway, as the learning curve was steep and the youtube videos to watch rather numerous. 

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, a prosperous New Year and time for lots and lots of stitching/researching textiles.

Graphic courtesy Graphics Fairy

Purple Haze

Tides out at Bradley's

Welcome to 2008!  What's been happening since my last post?  Lots, so where to start...  The jacaranda trees were in flower in November covering the island in a glorious purple haze; even the roads were littered with little purple trumpet flowers. I love this time of year as we head into summer, everything's flourishing, especially since we've had good rain recently. 

The romance of purple soon gave way to bright pink crepe myrtles ("Pride of India" my mum calls them and I can see why!) and I am so inspired to quilt....something, anything in these wonderful colours!  Too bad however, as there's still too much to do in the house with the ongoing renovations.  Also my garden has gone to weeds in the space of a week or two of neglect and the lawn needs mowing. Again! 

Jacaranda Blue

I've finally set up and moved into our (my) study, a converted sunroom overlooking the garden. Now I can really watch the weeds grow (through my new timber venetians, yes!).  The family room is also close to finished as is one of the downstairs bedrooms.  I've done all my painting tasks for our second bedroom (yellow walls - what possessed me?) and so begins the laborious task of  stripping, sanding and staining the old bed.  This will be the room where I store and display my quilts and other textile goodies gathered on my travels.  Reason enough to keep motivated wouldn't you say!

Of course nothing's simple and sometimes I feel that I am living in a life-sized rubik's cube as we move boxes and still more boxes of belongings about the house.  I'm starting work on my garden shed too, soon to be painted & fitted with blinds and the odd sewing machine or two (or three) to be my work space, shared with the old salt who is also handy with a machine - for canvas work for the boat mind, none of this girly, quilting stuff!!  

River Pirates?

The highlight of summer on the island was the children's Christmas Parade. Those clever mums & kids filled the shed on our public jetty with all manner of things using a theme of  "Twelve days of Christmas" over, your guessed it, twelve days. 

On Christmas eve we all gathered at the jetty and followed a happy, noisy procession of children carrying their artworks down to the beach for a "street party" for all islanders. I had thought the parade was going to be invaded by pint-sized pirates who arrived in a very small dingy but it later turned out to be a Chinese goddess and her "minders".  She was there to bring us prosperity and good fortune (not to hold us for ransom)! 

So, in the words of the Island children, I hope you all have a.....

jelly fish-mas!