Knowing me as well as I do I had better start looking at what I'm doing for Chrissie presents. Actually I did start — thinking that is — about the neighbours gifts, they have to be something small and I usually like to make or buy something that I've seen somewhere on our travels. Last year we bought them tea pot stands made out of the local marble from Chillagoe. We also brought home a great unpolished slab of it and it now adorns the top of the barbecue holding the lid down. Picked it up for free beside the marble factory in the rubbish heap.
Chillagoe is a marvellous place. The caravan park is in the centre of town and one night we walked down the middle of the road to the pub for tea. Not much traffic. We spent time exploring the caves which are out of this world. From the outside you would never know such beautiful, majestic places exist a stones throw under your feet . . . and then there is the local petrol depot run by Tom Price who would be in his late eighties/early nineties and is a Ford fanatic - he has most models from the T forward, most running and restored. The fellas (DH & DB) spent time with him while they crawled all over the place. Lyn (DSIL) and I took photos of everything and then settled down with a good book until the guys were ready to leave and then the darn blokes used US as an excuse to leave.
Anyway what was I saying - oh yes Christmas pressies. I think I have decided to make the neighbours (4 of them) each a set of 2 Christmas potholders this year. With everything else on my to do list this year a couple of potholders each is what I should aim for.
Last Friday I did a workshop on the Japanese woven bag. While I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, I was very disappointed with my bag. I was told to choose a small design which I did, but it was too fussy and with all the work of weaving the bag, I was disappointed to find that when you get more than 6' from it you can't see the weaving at all. So now I'm on the lookout for the 'right' material and I will try again.
DSIL Lyn and her youngest daughter Belinda are up here for the weekend, to see the baby and Lyn to also show me what she has done so far on DB's (another one) 50th birthday quilt. Lyn has even got material with an Alsatian on it. DB had a favourite who he sadly lost to cancer many years ago. So he should be thrilled with Lyn's part. Now to mine — I haven't got very far, exactly nowhere to tell the truth. It's been on the back burner while I sort out my blue hearts quilt. I pulled the borders off, I wasn't at all happy with them and while I was reverse sewing I was thinking how I should fix it and I ended up pulling off 4 rows of hearts which I will use up in the second border. I have the design in my head and finally drawn on paper and I think I can live with it. Have also changed the border material, the other was too light a blue, I'm now using a marbled navy and it looks fantastic. Tomorrow after Lyn and Belinda leave I shall put it back together again and take a photo for the next blog catchup.
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