Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Gift

This morning Valda, a lovely lady who was once in one of my classes (even though she does not love computers!) gave me a piece of this amazing epiphyllum hybrid (strap cactus, orchid cactus). She grew it from a cutting three years ago, and it's been covered in flowers this year.


She generously gave me the last piece with flowers on - the rain knocked out the rest of them, and probably is responsible for the orange spots on these ones.  Thank you!

Isn't it beautiful?  I hope it grows as well for me.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Some Reason

This sign posted by the local dry-cleaner amused passers-by:

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Cold and Wet at the Convent

Wintry day for a visit to the markets at the Abbotsford Convent.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Democracy Day - State Edition

State election today, and I tried out a polling booth I haven't been to before.  It's at a training and support centre for adults with disabilities.


Between the buildings and amongst the artworks is a lovely sensory garden, with raised beds containing plants of interesting colours, textures, and tastes.  Almost as good was the fact that there was no queue, so I'll have to remember to come back here next election.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Paperbark Flower

In this area there are lots of paperbarks as street trees, which are just starting to flower. As the mass of flowers open the tree turns white, but looked at close up the flowers are very unusual.



Searching the internet leads me to think that they are Melaleuca linariifolia, the flaxleaf paperbark.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Pink and Yellow

Striking flower on a street tree.
I think it is Eucalyptus torquata, the coral gum.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Sorry Gerry!

Just as Gerry Harvey was getting worked up about people "avoiding GST" by buying things on the internet, my last overseas delivery arrived.

Does Gerry really think it is the GST that people are wanting to avoid by shopping online? The book alone costs only slightly less in Australian bookshops than I paid for the book, the thread, and the postage combined.

Added for Kaite:

If you ever want to find the cheapest place to buy books (or DVDs), go to Booko.  Put in the name of the book or the author, or the ISBN,  and it does a search for you of a whole range of online sellers in Australia and overseas.  It also adds in the postage each seller will charge, so you can see exactly where the best deal is to be had.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Fashion

Spent some time looking for patterns in old Burda magazines. Here's some clothes from what I think is the oldest one I have, February 1971 - nearly 40 years ago!


Would people wear these now?  There's a lot of retro sewers who would, I think. But perhaps they'd avoid that crimplene-like fabric in the top spread!  I also just watched all four series of Mad Men, which is set in the first half of the 60s, so I think my fashion sensibilities are very confused at the moment.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Merlion

Received a postcard from Singapore today - but is this plain white merlion as impressive as the multi-coloured one someone threw out in May?

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Weeding and Stitching

Spent some time this weekend doing both, but didn't photograph the relevant activities.
So here's a mesembryanthemum flowering in my succulent garden before I did the weeding. (At least two types of weeds visible here).

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Cordyline

Cordyline stricta flowering on the southern side of my house.
I didn't plant it here, it came up when I had some of the concrete driveway removed. I've left it alone because it covers the unattractive fence and helps to hide the neighbours.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Friday Afternoon

I posted a photo of this tree on my walk to work back in September, before it had its leaves.
Today it is green and lovely, and providing welcome shade. I walked past it on my way home for the last time.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Grey Day

With some touches of colour.
Runner bean flower.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Chalte Chalte

A beautiful morning for what may have been my last walk to work.

The company is in the middle of moving to new premises which are 7km from home - maybe a little too far to walk? But it seems I will have one more day at the old site.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Spud Beauty

Pretty flower on a potato plant.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Latest Delivery

It was nice to be home when the postie came by this morning, so that I could take this parcel of yummy fabric from his hands instead of finding them on the verandah some time later.

Even with the postage added they were less than a third of the Australian price.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Bee and Bottlebrush

The new bees are enjoying the callistemons in my garden.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

More Rain

This Philadelphus (mock-orange) flower is strong enough to carry the weight of a lot of raindrops.

And it still smells fantastic, too.

Friday, November 12, 2010

New Bees

After a 40km trip in the car the new hive is opened up, and a few bees come out to see what on earth is going on.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Remembrance Day

Red poppies (Papaver rhoeas) in bloom on a neighbour's nature strip.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Slug

Estate agents use creative language, I know. But this sign puzzled me for at least a block on my walk to work this morning.

Here's the property:


Here's a closer view of the sign:


SLUG?

I know ROW.  In fact, I've posted a picture before of the Right Of Way behind this property.  But SLUG?

Real estate agents: helping us ward of dementia by setting puzzles to keep our minds active.  I'll put the answer I came up with in the comments, so that you can think about this a little yourself.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Not Quite as Described

In January I showed a yellow grevillea "Goldfever" flowering. This is a different specimen flowering now:


It's a nice colour, but it doesn't seem quite the same as the picture on the label, does it?

Monday, November 8, 2010

Stables

While out walking today I peeked over a high fence at what appeared to be an empty block, to discover some old stables.

It's surprising to see a block like this left almost unused, and not covered in multiple townhouses.  I suppose this was once part of a dairy, but for now it's a little bit of history still standing.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Pattern Testing

Today I made this.  I can't show you the whole thing because I was testing a pattern which hasn't been released yet.


It's a Nicole Mallalieu design which will be released soon.  Nikki gave people a similar-looking sneaky peek of it on her blog recently (scroll to the bottom of that post to see it).

It was fun to sew and went together quickly.  The end result is pretty cute, but you'll have to wait to see it.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Another Quilt Show

Went with a friend to the Bluegum Quilters Exhibition, which was held in a church in Thornbury.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Preparation

After work I gathered supplies for a couple of small projects I want to complete this weekend.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Quinces in Socks

Kaite at Yarngarden recently posted a picture of one of her apple trees wearing socks. Today she showed it (or another one?) now that she has completed adding a total of 780 socks to her three apples.

That reminded me to show an update of the beautiful quince. It now has socks, too! Not quite 780 of them, though.


The apples are gradually being socked as well. I hope the socks work as well here as they do for Kaite.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Flax Lily

Smooth Flax Lily (Dianella longifolia) flowering in my native garden.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Planting

Planted a few emu bush ground-covers (Eremophila glabra) in the garden at Ocean Grove to replace a few other plants which didn't like the conditions.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Remodel Complete

Today I finished remodelling this skirt. I bought it because I loved the fabric, but it had a very strangely-shaped waistband and yoke. I took off the waistband, reshaped it and the yoke, and replaced the zip which had been put in poorly.

Now I just need the warm weather to come back again.