Monday, April 3, 2023

March

A whole month has gone by with no blog posts. Here's what I remember of it.

Inspired by Jo's post in February, I made myself a couple of project boards. Here's one of them with 2 hearts I made for the March Rainbow Scrap Challenge:

The boards are A3 size, and were very useful for the heart blocks.
 

A sad thing happened in the garden. The largest of my crepe myrtles, which was just beginning to flower, blew over one very unpleasant hot and windy day:

It snapped off at the base. It is very disappointing. My imagined row of lovely crepe myrtles along this part of the garden is just not working. Of the 5 trees, 3 haven't flowered for the last couple of years, and are struggling to look like trees. None of those three are taller than a person yet. The two that have grown taller and did flower have now been reduced to one. They also flower very late here - they are almost ready to drop their leaves before the flower buds open. So I need a re-think.

In the background of that photo you might just be able to see the very first dahlia flowers of the year: 

They have been very slow this year, too. And some from previous years seem to have given up and not grown at all.

I've finished the piece I posted about in January. If you look at that link, you might notice that there is a significant difference between the starting point and the finished piece:

There are various reasons for that, which I won't go into, but at least I have a finished piece for the show.
 

Late in the month our very good neighbour who has helped us with so many projects around the house was seriously injured in an accident. We wish him well for his recovery journey, which will probably involve many months.

One morning as I was eating my breakfast, I looked out and saw this bird looking back at me:

It is a sacred kingfisher, a bird I have never actually seen before!
 

I had a few outings in March. We had a field trip to Melton Botanic Gardens, a family get-together in Ocean Grove, and I went to Colac to see a quilt show. In Colac we also went for a walk around a wetland bird sanctuary and saw several new species.

I ventured into the city one day and met up a friend to visit the Rone exhibition, "Time":


 It was an amazing installation, and quite an overwhelming experience.

There are sounds and lighting effects in each of the 11 rooms of the show. So many details, probably more than you can take in at one viewing. Windows along the corridor were covered with newspapers from the 1930s-50s, which also made fascinating reading and triggered childhood memories for the two of us.

We booked some weeks ago, and this was the first time since the pandemic began that I have planned something weeks in advance and have had it actually happen!

So that was March in one blog post. 

9 comments:

ButterZ said...

Hi,
So glad you are using your project board. I can’t believe the difference they make. Love the quilting on your project. Isn’t that kingfisher beautiful to look at.

Ivani said...

Congratas!! Love your finished stars quilt, it is beautiful.
The project boards looks to be very practical and useful. Those 2 green mini hearts blocks are very pretty.
Glad to know you enjoyed the Time - Rone exhibition, a family get-together and a trip to to the Botanic Gardens, sounds that March was a very nice month.

Jeanette said...

Fantastic sighting of the Sacred Kingfisher. Fancy one coming to visit you!

Vivian said...

You are thoroughly excused for not blogging --- you were too busy enjoying life!! And excuse the long comment --- there was so much to enjoy here!

On the Quilt Front: Yes, design boards are sooo helpful, I took one of mine with me on our trip to my MIL's and it was a big help for laying out my scrappy blocks. Loving your heart blocks! Look forward to seeing these all together on a design wall. Wow, A beautiful piece for the show, just gorgeous! Doesn't matter how it started or where it was supposed to go, how it finished is what it was meant to be. You know the Quilt Muses love to change our direction!!

On Nature: My co-op complex planted a Crepe Myrtle in front of my townhouse unit. I feel like it never "took" --- barely gets green in the Spring and Summer and also hasn't flowered since the first year they planted it. Meanwhile we have two in my community garden that are resplendent each year. I've never looked into them -- are these known to be a temperamental plant? Great shot of the Kingfisher! Will it hang around for the season or do you think it was just passing through?

Finally the exhibit -- ok (again) Wow! I love interactive exhibits like this. A really great coda to all the month's activities!! Hope your neighbor recoups without further issues and that your April is just as enjoyable!

Pamela said...

You had a lot going on in March. I like your little hearts and your show piece is gorgeous. I’m sorry about your tree. How exciting to see the sacred kingfisher. The museum exhibit looks wonderful. I have a holiday week coming up the first week of May and I’m thinking about visiting local museums. I’m concerned about being inside close to other people inside, but everyone still wears masks all the time in Japan, so I guess it’s okay. Your museum photos look like it is pretty open.

Needled Mom said...

I've been so bad at my blog too. Sigh. I have to go back and look at photos to remember what I did. I hope your neighbor has a speedier than expected recovery. Sorry about the crepe myrtle. That is such a shame. Your quilt looks beautiful.

Coburgcraftstuff said...

Wow the sacred kingfisher photo is fabulous! They used to hold an annual “ Return of the Sacred Kingfisher” festival at CERES, but have never seen one around here.

frommycraftroom said...

You have been busy. Pity about the tree.
Love how your work is coming along

frommycraftroom said...

Wow you have been busy. Pity about the tree.

Love how your work is coming along.