Saturday

Somehow I seem to have lost a day - it may be the excitement of the rain, or maybe the boring packaging and packing - who knows? Anyway first up - the rain was absolutely glorious - I did not make mud pies but I was outside at 5.30am , naked, rescuing the cushion covers. Now that has probably put you off your cup of coffee but an emergency is an emergency. We had a wonderful day as it rained all day although miraculously it stopped for Ian's bbq.

For those of you who have been worrying that we have not been able to watch any rugby for a while, fear not. The season for the Super 14s starts next weekend but in the meantime the pre-season games have been on and on Thursday we had the gang and extras for a bbq before the Force played (and beat) the Qld Reds. It was on at our park - Perth Oval (yes the very same place where the 2 Police Concerts were held). The season games are at Subi Oval - hardly suitable for rugby so we will all be off to Chez Bruce and Kazukos. I should add with pleasure that the Hurricanes beat the Brumbies in their preseason game.

Next weekend the Hurricanes play the Waratahs in Sydney. As usual Ian is still to choose his team - he likes to wait until the final I think. Bruce and I know where our loyalties lie.

I am packaging and packing for the Quilt Convention in Melbourne. So boring and tiring but it must be done. The onahead stuff goes on Wed - I seem to have been cutting and packaging all week and have spent this morning winding big bundles and rolling scrim bundles. Nearly there with that part and then I have to get it into all the boxes.

I have been cruising through another old book - this time by Dorothy Benson - published by the Singer Sewing Machine Co - it doesn't have a date but I think it is around 1935. An incredibly good book - full of lessons which are very clear and easy to follow and loaded with drawings (in colour too). I found the chapter on granite stitch very good. I don't know what I paid for it but well worth it.

Many of my good customer Christmas goodie bags had a lolly (sweetie) wrapper inside and people have been asking me what they might do with them and where were the contents. Well Luigi ate most of the insides and in their restaurant they asked the customers for the wrappers for their friend (me) so you missed out on that score. I have a lot, of course, and I used them to make my Luigi lolly dress and for my Christmas cards and also in metal work - bond them (Linda pointed out the need to do this..) onto a backing and stitch them and cut them up. This piece is woven and stitched to panne velvet, burnt out, chiffon on top etc etc Don't throw them away. Use them under chiffon, trapped, cut into squares and reapply - just let your imagination roll - once the interiors are eaten they are a free resource!

I have as good as finished all my Shiva samples - just waiting for the last ones to set so I can send my article to Machine Embroidery (and textile art) for the June issue. Then back to the book - page 3 nearly done - lots of stitching machine for this page - and the cover just getting underway. HH stuff slowly but slowly.

Ian has put up the February specials on the website - don't forget you have to be on the mailing list for the newsletter to get the special newsletter specials....

Off to cook a curry for tomorrow and get ready for our bbq tonight. Grant has gone to Sydney for the 18ft Skiff Champs on the harbour - shame we can't go this year.