Trial and error it seems

 I wish that every time I posted there was something wonderful to share - some achievement, completion or brilliance. But of course that is not life.

Instead the blog is receptacle for, and record of, my thinking, my working, my testing and my process, and this is a classic example.

I am trying to sew a small linen pouch.

I decided I wanted to draw some threads on the front of it; and spent quite a while happily tugging and drawing and creating random 'stripes'. So far on track.

The sewing machine played up a bit as I sewed the seams - partly because the needle occasionally landed in one or more of these gaps and got a bit caught up and messy. I also decided that I wanted these seams to be really neat; so I was doing French seams which made me feel quite flash.

And then I got to the turnover and the channel for the drawstring, and I came seriously undone.

It intrigues me how hard it is for me to see far enough ahead with sewing to know what is needed and how to achieve the outcome I want. Being a bit kinder to myself, this tricky problem solving may have just been a bit too much for this overloaded brain right now.

I had elected a bunch of possible drawstrings, and assembled a bunch of drawstring pouches to see how to get what I wanted. I watched YouTube videos about sewing drawstring pouches, and still I couldn't sort it in my brain.

I sat and stared at it a lot.

The top bag is what I was trying to do; the bottom grey bag is what I managed.  I was trying to get that gap in the vertical seam as part of the drawstring channel. What I ended up with was a gap in the horizontal turnover sewing.

I thought I could work it out when I got there, but it appears I can't, so it will be back to the drawing board for me.

It may be trickier because I was doing French seams, and maybe the seam in the turnover needs to NOT be a French seam, just a plain, ironed flat seam. But I remain a bit bewildered and will let it sit and percolate for a bit and return soon with fresh eyes.

So apart the abject failure of this project to date; there is this. Our gardenias are in full magnificent bloom and these buds found their way into our rusty nest with blue glazed ceramic eggs and all is well once more.

And we had breakfast with a friend at the cafe this morning - the mountains are still there and I love them in their soft and moody greys...

Scenes from the weekend

 Some folk may have read about our Friday in the studio 'going to custard' over at Barry's blog, but I will document some of it here for my own records.

It's been raining. We have been caught in a massive low depression that is very slow moving. On Friday I was sitting in the studio watching rain outside; watching walls leak that have never leaked; watching the creek near us rise like I've never seen it, feeling edgy and uneasy. My access to the internet via my phone was gone and I couldn't text or message anybody. It was unnerving and unsettling.

I rang and asked Barry to check the radar to see if it would pass; or if the heavy rain was setting in for a bit.  It looked like it was here for the duration so he offered to come and collect me. It was the first time I had felt unsafe at the studio. By the time he arrived I had discovered significant water seeping into the studio underneath the type cabinets and so we had to really get going.

Raincoats on and we were off to dig trenches and drains to divert the water away. Scrambling to dig with sticks and stones we worked for an hour in torrential rain. The were fewer waterfalls by the time we finished!

Back inside we were mopping up - the water was headed for the piece of carpet the big old Lightning Jobber sits on and we knew that if it got wet, we could never move the carpet given the press is so heavy. We have never been so grateful for having concrete floors! Here I am still covered in muck.

By the end of Friday we could head home - with dehumidifier on; the air conditioner on dry and things looking settled. We had had 277mm of rain that day and overnight (12 inches).

Saturday it was still raining and we checked the studio - all good.  Only a small bead of water left beneath the type cabinet so we popped some blotting paper in to draw the last of it out. We thought.

I left Barry there but about 2pm I got the call - the water's inside again - so I dashed down and we were out again in the downpour trying to keep it at bay.

It has been described as a 'rain bomb'. We had about 100mm (4 inches) of rain in half an hour - I have never witnessed rain like that.

We moved a bunch of things to 'higher ground' 

Mopped madly for abit; dried off around leakage areas; and again, we left in the late afternoon with mission accomplished; this time there had been two breaches and we had added a fan to our arsenal drying equipment.

On the way home we stopped by the bridge in town to see how it was faring - the water was right up against the top board - creating waves and backing up.

Sunday morning and we had had another 12 inches (285mm) of rain in the previous 24 hours. Seriously sick of it; but it had finally moved on and we were left with the smallest of showers and drizzle all day. Brisbane and those south us are now flooding and its awful down there. One of Barry's nephews got out by canoe.

Just to the left of our driveway as we head into the studio this tree on this van.

We know how fortunate we are; and how small our worries are in the bigger schemes of the world and others' terrible flooding (the flood level at Gympie is 23m - about 70 feet, so many people evacuated, roads washed away and homes flooded throughout south east Queensland), but it was dramatic enough for us.

Grateful to be home, and warm and safe and dry.

A lovely commission, and book ends

I was recently asked to print a small verse card to go inside a celebration of life card to mark the passing of a beautiful 100 year old mum.

It was a  special piece of work, working alongside the daughter and working out how best to bring her ideas together.

We ended up with a beautiful, simple and elegant card.

It was important to have the deckled edges.

I printed 100 cards and supplied 100 envelopes

Coming in closer.

The words are lovely - a fragment from "On the Death of the Beloved" by John O'Donohue

The typeface was Exelsior Semi Bold 18pt, a lovely script. You can see the history and age of much of it here.

They were packaged and handed over on Friday. 

They are beautiful words and such a lovely reminder the those we love are in presence.

In other news, we held a garage sale on Saturday as we begin the big move from our home of 14 years.

The day went really well and it felt good to have started the day with a rainbow...

And to finish with one as well!

Around and about

As we all adapt to the new normal, we count ourselves as very fortunate to be able to self-isolate on the mountain block we call home. The block keeps us busy at the best to times, but is now also offering us healthy activity and things to do and focus on when our minds might otherwise wander.

A magnolia bud from down below.

We are gardening most days, hauling logs, building walls, growing seedlings and sprouting seeds, gathering flowers and just enjoying basking in the beauty that surrounds us.

It calms our souls.

Despite having removed our coffee plantation because of a nasty weevil infestation a few years ago; there are still coffee bushes growing around the edges of the block and they are bursting with coffee cherries (which have the beans inside them).  We figure if things get really bad, we can start to process beans again...

The camellias on the terraces below are coming into bloom and wandering amongst them is like walking amidst pink and white snow drifts.

A bunch we picked on Sunday

I popped them in these little wee floating boat 'vases'; and set them upon window sills in the kitchen.

And here are some camellia shadows on the water tank.

The veggie garden is beginning (we hadn't planted any as we were due in Scotland on 25 March...) and we are enjoying the daily collection and sharing.

A few weeks ago I did a bit of a panic buy of seeds (only one packet each of about 6 veggies but I did feel a bit panicked) and we set them to grow and already they are bursting out.  Barry prepared another veggie patch for them and that has been good to see.  

Our climate is a very kind one - we can grow so many things. Avocados are coming on and limes have almost reached nuisance levels; but our entire orange crop has virtually just dropped which was sad.

But we have a beautiful place to occupy us and nourish us.

A skittery mind

I'm not sure if skittery is even a word but it feels as if it describes my brain at the moment fairly well. I seem to go here there and everywhere and then forget where I began or why.  Concentration is not a real strength right now!

Still. We are setting in place routines and things to do and things to keep us happy as well as busy.

I'll start with yesterday morning's sunrise.  The sweetest, gentlest baby pink and apricot drift across the sky.  A good start.

We have been going to the studio most mornings - trying to just get lost in making and it is doing a grand job of looking after us.  Some things I do there are great; some are just good therapy of a sort.

I have been cutting down old proofs of prints and duds and making them into book covers for small journals.  I had thought I might stitch them whilst sitting the EcoWomen exhibition; but like many other things, it has been closed so I didn't need to.  Now I have my stitching kit in a purse and am ready to take it and stitch anywhere.

I had also prepared some of my wee embossings to do whilst I was there if needed, and they too are now prepped and packed for doing anywhere...

These are not startlingly artistic things; but they are good things to do when focus is in short supply. I like their portability and the simplicity of the task when I might need it.

Some prints have turned into tiny note cards to pop in with a package of something. I really like this lot! They are only about 4-5cm high and about 3cm wide - teeny.

There have also been some good things made but I have some work to do to finish and prep them for release into the world!

This morning it was rainy, so no sunrise, but one of the small steps I have taken is to try and have fresh flowers or foliage in the house each day - to help remind me of simple things, simple times and beauty.

Barry collected some of our last rose buds and they are just gorgeous gifts.