Material Obsession

Hodge Podge

One of the things we have noticed in our new home is that we have a lot of fabric and with more always on the way we decided to do something about that...so...Starting tomorrow, 1 April we are having a spot the dot sale!  We've been putting color spots of fabrics throughout the shop.  Each dot means a sale price from 10-50% off.  Of course we also have our regular $10 bargains that are great for backings.  It is a great time to pick up specials for backings or to get sorted for the holidays coming up...particularly now as the weather is turning to perfect quilting weather.  To start it off we have the best savings at the moment on our "reproduction" section!  YES, we have a reproduction section but you might find some surprises in there...

Hey Tina...check out Meg learning to cut fabric!!!

In the classroom people have been very busy concentrating on new projects.  Check out what is going on in Wendy Wilson's Liberated Quilting class.  In this class we look to the marvelous Gwen Marston and use her Collaborative Quilting book series as the text.  In there you'll find wonky blocks, wobbly people and wildly fun ideas to make into quilts like these gals are doing!

 

Everytime I go into this room I want to drop my tools and join in the fun as they feed off each other and design as they go along.

See the quilters.  See them sew.  Everyone looks so serious at this particular moment but from upstairs all I could hear was laughing! 

I am starting a little collection of finished Kaffe workshop quilts.  Here we have Denise with her bundle of sunshive version.  This is a very happy looking quilt!

It would appear that Meegan is hiding behind this but it is also a glorious example of the excitement that can be created with fabric.  Careful choices in pairs have made this a stunning quilt.  It also looks great with my chair.

Robyn finely tuned her quilt.  The mixture of fabrics creates a completely different kind of look with fabrics coming in from left field a bit to excite the eye. 

These are three of many but isn't it fascinating to see the completely different effect they all have?  I know I go on about it all the time but it is a warm and fuzzy feeling to see people making choices that they are happy with in the end.  All three of these makers thought carefully about what they were seeing while they were making their combinations.  The end result in each case is a wonderfully composed individual piece.   

And last but not least in my hodge podge post...check out my new dress (and if you must read my mind I think at this stage I was thinking...concentrate...concentrate...try to remember what you are doing and think before you speak for a change!) I picked up at Sit & Sew this past weekend.  I have the card and info here somewhere!  Must have more dresses in wonderful Kaffe fabrics so I'll find that and get back to you.

That is the morning post today.  Must get moving.  If you are interested in the sale and not in Sydney email me!  k

How to Cope...SIT

Sew it Together...what a FAB concept.  Over 50 crafters in one room all day working on a myriad of different projects!  Sheridan, the organiser, managed to surpass her 6 stitches from the last Sew it Together by producing this incredible amount of work!  Thing is, what Sheridan has started is more than a single project.  Evidence of her efforts surrounded us.  There was a room full of excited, enthusiastic women thrilled to bits to be together.  Some were friends, some were meeting for the first time but all were sharing their passions.   

Most of these gals have small children.  Now we all know what that means.  Picking up a project only to find someone needs a drink, costume or bandaid.  It means that for the love of love we set aside the things we enjoy most and attend to others.  It means that often when we do get the chance to sit and enjoy our projects we are so tired we can't manage.  I don't mean just for a day but for a long, long time. I found myself lost in the memory of 10 years as a stay at home mom trying to MAKE stuff other than dinner. 

I worried that if I told them how much time my teenagers take it would send them all under the tables in denial.  I worried that if I told them the worries go from temperatures and tears to girlfriends and cars...well...what is the point as we all learn in due time.   So aside from pointing out that my kids friends were just outside the window  skateboarding around town (while my young son was actually somewhere in Newtown looking for an earing...don't read that bit mom!) I kept relatively quiet.

Yes, the days of managing kids within arms reach are gone for me.  My favorite commercial these days is the one where a mother and her teenage son are at the table.  He takes off his headphones and the music blasts, "HALLELUIAH".  They then share a chocolate bar and conversation...anyway, I digress. 

Some have children and businesses like Saffron Craig...

 There were tables of knitters and crochet... 

We had a workshop table set up for four sessions throughout the day.  We talked colour and did demonstrations with wedge rulers, 60 degree rulers and then Cath sat them down for a slow burner session with hexagons and hand sewing.  Although this process does not produce the quick result it does add a nice flavour to life.  Left or right handed, fingers or all thumbs...this is a nice thing to have going in a corner to pick up when you need a moment to find yourself.

Saturday was a very enjoyable day.  Cath and I loved meeting these industrious gals.  We both got a dress from Polly Pratt (which I will be wearing again today!) Not a moment of stress. Sheridan deserves a medal.  These events don't happen without passionate devotion. Emails, phone calls and lots of hours planning so that we can all enjoy ourselves with all details covered.  I was most grateful to be included as a participant and sponsor.

Then on Sunday, after they all hit the town Saturday night, they hit the shop.  We did some more demos, had a coffee and a chat and then madly ripped through the shop before they all lined up with arms hugging goodies and then got on the bus to the airport.  It seemed like only five minutes but they were a bit later on the bus than I promised Sheridan...hope you all made your flights and thanks for all your nice comments.  I hope you get to your purchases and I look forward to seeing what you make!

Now, onto the week that is.  Was there a weekend in there?  I didn't go home to small children but rather walked in, had a bite to eat and then a two hour nana nap.  Ugh.  It is true.  I collapsed.  Fortunately because there were four loads of laundry and three bathrooms to clean later.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Gotta love it and take the good with the bad. Learning to cope.  k

lots of news

We are all looking for inspiration...it is the name of the hunt and we are all on it.  It seems that every day brings a new source of interest at the moment and the mind boggles at all the options availabe.  A few years back when Kaffe came to town we were talking about books etc and he referred to a French magazine.  "WHAT!" he exclaimed, "you don't read Patchwork Mania!  Darling, you MUST!"  I immediately went onto the website and got a subscription.  He was right.  This magazine covers it all.
The best of the best in all areas.  If there is a show in Europe, America or Japan they are there.  Leading authorities write interesting features on quilt design, history and fabrics.  Wonderful, eye catching projects fill each issue with images of the best of talent and it seems as though one can never get enough.

And now, wait for it...the women of Quilt Mania are coming to Sydney!  Yes, ladies, the collectors of the most desirable, drool worthy quilting images and stories  are bringing their show to The Quilt and Craft Show at Darling harbor this June!!!!!   It's funny how this news prompted action and I am now very excited to announce we will be selling this magazine at the shop starting next week!  No more foraging in newsagents looking for the one or two elusive copies but right at the front counter of Material Obsession.  More news on this exciting event to come I am sure!!!

And more NEWS...The complete and utterly gorgeous NEW line of Kaffe Fasset fabrics has just arrived!!! We loved every piece so we got it all.  New colors on old fabrics are a huge feature!

Another GREAT feature are the mixed graphics that Brandon has added to the colleciton.  Hot colours in superb swirling, criss crossing, circling and popping designs!!!!!

Not that we are ever weary of the choices still available.  They just keep moving around the mixing it up and looking hotter than hot together.

Some combinations appear to sit quietly in the corner playing quite nicely with Alexander Henry prints...oh my what a palette!

Quiet or loud, the games just go on and on.  Wendy and I were tempted to shut the shop just to turn up the music and dance as we put the bolts together.

The Piece O Cake gals have delivered a perky new collection as well. 

The shop is literally BURSTING with FABULOUS new stock.  If you haven't popped in to see the new space you might want to get a wiggle on...this is afterall the best time to stock up for projects to take us through the holidays.  As I sit here in the coolness I can feel the welling up of excitement that the weather is turning to Quilting time...Feeling inspired?  k

 

 

12 x 12...more inspiring women

Twelve women, united by concept alone set out to make 12 quilts, 12" square based on a different theme each time.  The result is a book full of interesting photos, concepts and ideas.  As a reader of the book we work side by side these women getting an insight into how it all happened, into the minds of the quilters and their spaces, their techniques and their imagination.  It is hard not to imagine as we read just how we would handle the task ourselves and that is where the fun starts.  The themes connect the individuals who are really connected only by the internet...at the start anyway.

"To portray humble and ordinary things in an artful way"   What a great concept and that  is how Diane Perin Hock describes her quilt theme, Dandelions.  She was looking for something that would be specific enough to involve everyone but broad enough to produce a lot of images.  The themes that follow are of the same vein.  Specifically broad, if that is possible and I think now it is.

Now these 12 artists are connected by two years of making quilts, a traveling exhibition and now the book , Twelve by Twelve, The International Quilt Challenge.  I just got this book to review and firstly I'll say, lucky me!

I LOVE this idea and the book fully does it justice...The book itself is beautifully laid out.  It was a bit of a game for me to try to pick who did what before reading the chapter!  Then one artist is featured to talk about her quilting life, the project and her space. The common thread of quilting unites us one and all regardless of where we are or what we do and this book puts that concept out in black and white. Each of the 12 chapters takes us intimately into the process of one featured quilter.   As a result, we get to peruse what happens when individuals work individually on the same idea...we don't get 12 reflective pieces of each other but rather 12 completely different interpretations of a theme and each one fully worthy of praise and a reminder that although we are all different we are also the same

Sharing concept ideas became an integral part of the process. Poems, images, techniques were all discussed amongst the twelve women bringing new extensions to life I am sure. What I found as I read the pages is the amount of freedom this process brought along. Already art quilters, they had a variety of techniques at hand but it is interesting to note the application of the techniques.

I'd like to pick a favorite theme but there are too many that appeal. Some inspire an image immediately and some inspire thought to that end. Take passion...hmm where to start...but chairs...ok, somewhat obvious. However, whether the idea springs to mind or evolves there is a lot of thought involved and it is just fun to work the brain now full of ideas and techniques!
There are a lot of quilt books out there but this one is a must in my collection. Every time I pick it up I go into savour mode! 

I know some of you may be snickering in disbelif at the thought of me sitting and quietly with a book.  (Over the last few weeks I can't even begin to count how many people have asked me if I am tired!) In a nutshell, the answer is YES. However, I am woman, hear me ROAR! I will not give in...today.  Last Saturday I had the IMMENSE pleasure of a rain induced day off!  Instead of a rugby launch followed by a soccer launch followed by another rugby game I got to stay home. That meant I could miss seeing this happen...This shiner was actually from training but the other eye coped a poke in the actual game.  Good thing they won.  
With a day looming ahead I found myself standing in a daze surrounded by piles of "To DO!" items completely immobilised.  I burst through the haze and started to clean up my sewing room.  Ladies, that took four hours of intense sorting  and stashing.   Life has been a bit of dump and run lately but now, with everything in its place on a shelf or in a file or a basket...well I am feeling pretty pleased with myself.  I even ended the day quiltng after finishing my latest quilt top and still had time to quilt.  Challenges...they come in all shapes and sizes. Oh yeah. k

 

women of substance

It was a rainy day.  The kind where you wake up and think, ahhh...I'll just stay in bed with a book.  But NO!  That just doesn't happen any more.  However, if given a second choice it would have to be to get in the car and head up the mountains to see the quilt show staged by the Material Girls. They are a group of 10 women that have been quilting together on a Thursday for decades sharing stories and ideas.  They have the envious mix of ecclectic style and warm hearted natures which was exhibited most cleverly by the divine collection of quilts and hand made goods on display.  What was meant to be a quick pop up the slopping road to Wentworth Falls became a journey of discovery that answered many questions like:

What does one do with a collection of suffolk puffs....

 
Why a quilt challenge for the group of coarse!  This dress was the first one I saw but there were several more that camera missed...each one cleverly dreamt up and put together.

T
Then one might ask what would one do with some antique flags?  Well, if you were Bronwyn you would find an antique quilt and applique the flags onto it before getting it made up into this purely inspired wall hanging set!

And what ever would one do with left over bits of fabric, ric rac and buttons?  Oviously make over 90 cushions and sell nearly all of them!
The answer to all these questions were pretty obvious yesterday when Cath and I ventured up into the Blue Mountains to visit the best little quilt show in...ever.  I know members of my family abuse me for over use of the emphatic but we had such a marvelous time inspecting the quilts on display and chatting with the quilt makers and the rest of the absolutely delightful object d'art we found. 

Lets start with one favourite themes....originality.  There were quilts hanging in this show that eeked personality from layout and design to clever use of fabric.  They simply stated...I did this because I love it! and no other reason.  There were a few favourite themes but each one demonstrated the tastes and choices of the maker which meant the overall theme was delight.
Phoebe made an appearance as inspiration in a few of the quilts made all the more special from the very clever us of fabric!

Favourite theme number two:  Mix it up!  From spots to Japanese to Kaffe...if you like it, use it!

From the fabric to the technique to the quilting...each quilt drew us in for closer inspection and in many cases we got to talk to the maker as she modestly unfolded the story behind the quilt of choices and decisions made.
It was obvious that stashes were coming to life here as many of the quilts included vintage fabrics and blocks.  The old and the new were mixed together to create timeless treasures.

This show was just what the doctor ordered...an injection of the creative spirit straight to and from the heart.

Here is part of what we are talking about. Robyn had the quilt and decided to add the Wharatah border.  As you can see,the border isn't finished but what the heck...it is well worth seeing even if only partially done.  Cath and I nearly clapped when we saw it.  After all, if quilting is a display of the life that surrounds us doesn't this quilt tell the truth!

It struck me as we made our way down the mountain that these women might hold a well kept secret.  Just an hour away they have found a peacefulness...a focus on gentle thoughts and images...an element of life that perhaps gets lost in the only slightly more hectic lifestyle.  I am not saying that each of these women doesn't have complications in their life or worries or issues but rather that they just felt happy.  The quilts were whimsical and happy. 

See what I mean?  Happy even doing the dishes in one of the sweet aprons that match the lovely gloves!!  The quilters were all chatty, smiling and happy despite having been on their feet in preparation for the show and over the weekend.  I wanted to bottle the feeling I had as we left to savour each day and remind me that life just isn't that serious.

Maybe the days of sleeping in are evading me at the moment but there are still lots of wonderful things to fill the day. k

Weekend review

Quilters marched up the entry path with a sense of purpose all weekend to the Eastwood Quitlers show!

 

Jill Williams finished her Twisted Tradition BOM and entered it into the Eastwood show.  Congratulations to Jill for winning first place in the traditional category with this quilt!  She did a great job and the quilting does a great job to highlight the fanciful nature of the quilt and just looks fantastic!

The many rooms of Brush Farm quickly filled with people on Friday.  Happy quilters had liesurely stroll around the house looking at over 100 quilts made by the group.

We set up our stall full of goodies...

and quilts and fabric and things...

and spent three days meeting and greeting customers with Carol from Cherry Pie and Jenny Burton with her antique quilts (one of which is in my hands!!!)
There were lots of quilts with a nice traditional flair...
Then there were those that had the roots in tradition but used a bit of contemporary flair with the colours.

Quite honestly we were busy on the stall all day every day so I didn't get as many photos of the quilts as I'd like...there were lots of lovely examples of concentrated work, creative expression and dedication to quilting.  Although there were many well deserved prizes handed out,there were many more prize quilts on show.  Thank you to Eastwood Quilters for having Material Obsession at your show.  We were proud to be a part of the event and enjoyed seeing all the quilts and quilters on the weekend!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

things were certainly happening back at the new shop...Wendy's classes are full steam ahead with lots of inventive things happening on the design walls.  Carolyn Davis has been busy with the new MO assignment delivered by Kaffe...working with stripes!

Wendy is, as per usual, working on a fun project full of colour and life stories!

 That Marquee stripe is showing up everywhere and coming to kits near you!

Long ago, in a far off land I worked with a gal named Cheryl.  We're still friends and I am looking forward to seeing Cheryl in Sisters this July at the Quilters Affair!  Yesterday she sent me this painting that she has just done.  I just love it but can't figure out how someone from LA, NYC & SF can know cows so well!

Now I want to paint.  But first...just a few more quilts to get done!  My next post is about Twelve by Twelve, The International Art Quilt Challenge book.  It is worth more than a casual glance!  more later...k

 

 

Speaking of Quilt Shows....

There's one on this weekend! 
The Eastwood Quitlers Quilt show is starting tomorrow at Brush Farm and be open for visiting this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10- 4:00pm.  The historic setting of Brush Farm on Lawson Street  in Eastwood is ideal for a quilt show as you can see.  The old house and sweeping gardens are a full of the echoing footsteps of those that came before us. This is a show guaranteed to satisfy the avid quilt fan.  Its a big group and sure to provide a lot of variety in the quilts on display.  I also remember last year that they had a great craft stall full of goodies!   The raffle quilt is a beauty as well made with colorful baskets....raffle tickets are $2 and admission is free although I think any donations are happily accepted.  

Come to the event and see us as well.   I am off to the opening night and prize giving ceremony and if there isn't too much bubbly I'll report in tomorrow morning...too much is any for me these days soooo.  Eventually I get some photos up.
 

We did a smart thing this year.  We put Cath in charge of the dolly quilt Block of the Month program.   Given that we are all adults now we are changing the focus of this program from toys to big girl projects.  Although they can surely all be finished off as one block, wour intention is that you fall in love with the block and want to make more...more...more!  So for the investment of one block you have a bit of inspiration in a bag that can activate your stash of fabrics and some stimulation that expands your  quilting experience.  Each month we look at what is trendy in the shop.  We then get a block going...a starter block if you will...and that becomes our feature.  This month we looked at the Ice Cream Sundae acrylic templates and thought, yep...we are hungry.  Hungry for more of these blocks.  Using the acrylic template set means the blocks can be recreated as many times as you like.  That means you can start with this colour pallet and then progress through your stash to make more blocks.  Make them all in this colorway or make them all different.  The rest is up to you.

Last month Cath made an homage to Kaffe. You may even want to use that month's block as a medalion and make the baskets to go around it...

Big or little, you choose.    These starter blocks have been very popular so we made a few extras if you want in on the fun!

AND...hot off the press!  I just got an email informing me that my Pheasantville quilt has come out in the most recent issue of  Quilters Newsletter.  If you see it and you like it and you want to make it....well, the Cog Wheel templates are $18 and available for sale.

  This is the block as first seen in the Sue Ross Twisted Tradition Block of the month last year.  With the templates it is easy to make acurately.  I made it once and then had to do 19 more!  This is the kind of block I would  have once looked at and thought, "NO WAY" could I do that.  However, I now look at it and think, "let me at it!"  You never know if you never go!

Anyway...time to think about putting on "me frock"  and stepping out to the PARTEE! more later, k 

Deadline time!

Remember this?  The NSW Quilters Guild Show in June?  Well, all you NSW quilters out there it's time to put your quilts where your show is!   

What is a show but a representation of what people are making TODAY.  Yes, there is the lure of the prize but prizes are not the only reason.  Quilting is a diverse and fascinating craft that we do because we enjoy it.  There is something in every quilt that speaks of the life of the quilter and should be celebrated.   The exhibition becomes a reflection of where quitling is today and the many thousands of people that walk through learn something new from what they see there be it an art quilt, an applique project or a machine pieced quilt made by the young or the old, the master or the novice. 

Ok, so now you are thinking...hmmm...what have I made that I would love people to see?  Perhaps  your quilt may not be finished today but a simple photograph of where it is going is all that is needed to secure a spot to hang.  We have over two months to complete the project and some of us just need a deadline.  Maybe it's binding or maybe it isn't yet quilted but really, a little nose to the grindstone and it can be done. ( I say this as I mentally troll through all my nearly finished quilts myself wondering...wondering...wondering just which one I can finish in time!) 

Some of you may be thinking, "I don't want people to scrutinise my work!"  Poppycock!  Bulldash!  Baloney!  If it was worth making it is worth showing.  If only the perfectly pointed, perfectly quilted, perfectly appliqued quilts are on show what would happen?  Sometimes it is the imperfect that truly inspires.  Sometimes it is the spirit of the quilt that makes people look twice, stop and think, yes...I see where she is going and I like it.

Way back in the early days I used to go to the show alone because I didn't have any friends that quilted.  I'll never forget thinking every time that, "the mind boggles at the creativity of women" (and some quilty men too!).  I would walk through and marvel, wonder, appreciate and critique a bit too but inevitably walk out stunned and completely inspired.  It was part of what made me a quilter today.  Then one day, I rounded a corner and someone I knew was standing there.  I was shocked and said, "I didn't know you were a quilter!"  and she said, "Yes, I am, and this is my quilt!"  As she pointed to a beautiful quilt hanging behind her.  I was stunned!  How marvy was it that she could hang a quilt in such an impressive place!  We got to be better friends, she encouraged me to join a group and the rest is history.  You too could make that happen to an unsuspecting neophite wandering lost and awestruck through the show!

Besides...Where else can one walk around with a banner that proudly declares who you are...unless of course you are a beauty queen in a pageant and this is your normal attire....ahem...

Being a member of The NSW Quilters Guild is easy.  The guild volunteers work very hard to provide services and information to quilters.  There is the Template, full of news and info on what is happening and who is doing it...there are workshops sponsored by The guild brining national and international quilters to a space near you (Including me in April!!!) and there are meetings, committees and of course the show provided for YOU!!! The more I know about the guild the more value it has which is why I encourage you to participate!

Practically speaking, if you are a member of the guild you received The Template with the show forms in it.    If you have put that in a pile to do later, get it out.  If you can't dig that deep you can get it on the guild website.  Download it and post it today!  Do it now...there is a great joy in seeing your quilt hanging in a row in a big space with lots of people around.  

 

If you are worried about white gloving...well, is there a better way to get to see all the quilts and to meet the many admirers?  Just ask Judith...she'll tell you a thing or two!

 

Go on, get your forms ready and don't be shy! k

Finishes & Starts

 

Done.  Completely moved out.  Here it is...the empty space that was once so completely full of so much.  You have to see it to believe it!  That guy in the background is taking out the airconditioner to bring to the new shop.  I sat here in this space waiting for him to finish and seriously could hardly look up.  The corners seemed to bounce with echoes of what was just a short time ago.  I could hear the phone ring, the door open and the constant chatter that was our life in the shop.  Where did it all go? 

The doors had hardly opened with Vicki and Melissa came in bringing a lovely floral arrangement and Vicki's quilt from the Kaffe workshop.  Vicki did hers with black and white borders and finished it off.  The final project is a sophisticated, well balanced quilt that draws the eye in just the right way.  It was a fitting way to start the first day.

New space, same faces of color...well it didn't disappear but rather just moved to a new spot.  As our classes resumed we spent an afternoon with a spot of bubbly in the garden which was nice. 

 

 

I can't skip this. My birthday cake that Cath made from Kaffe's sisters book, my Nepenthe.  This cake was delicious.  I mean really good and the cook book is one to be savoured over an afternoon while swining in a hammock under a tree covered in a flowery vine. 

The flowers on the day were a refleciton of the walls...full of great color and yes, that is yellow. 

There has been much jovial teasing about my distate for yellow of late.  It's not my favorite tool on the color wheel.  I will admit that it adds zest and is an essential tool.  I will admit it but I hate to...however, I have found that upon reflecting on my use of yellow I have used it a fair bit...just on the back of my last four quilts.

 

Tomorrow it is one week in the new space.  Ok. Laugh if you will but we have already moved the furniture.  Yep.  Had to be done.  I am sure there are many more pushes and shoves of tables and chairs but...all in all we are having some fun. The phones are on and so is the internet so...all systems go.

I took a bit of time over the weekend to relax after the move.  It was time to tell Cheeky to move over or get off the sofa...

And also there was time for a bit of cheering on the sidelines for Noah's last basketball game in high school.   There are lots of "lasts" for him this year before he starts on a new path in his life. 

And to do some quilting, some cutting and some piecing balanced with some running and some laundry and some shopping...some music and some chatting with Kate in Singapore...cooking and some SLEEPING!   It was a bit of time out.  Moving took a lot of energy and in fact left me feeling a bit like the old space...empty.  However, one or two days of discovering the nice things about the new space and the batteries are recharged and raring to go! 

As fate would have it we are now on the pack it up again!!!! We are taking the show on the road to teh Eastwood Quilters Quilt Show this weekend at Brush Farm.   Brush Farm is a great venue for a quilt show with plenty of heritage charm in the space to make the quilts shine.  Always a collection of show stoppers...Come check it all out....k

Contact?

Oh the yings and yangs of life.  Moving.  A bit of lifting, pushing, shoving and voila, you are in.  All is good. We take a deep breath and open the doors with a thrill!

Then, as soon as we do we start to hear about all the people that are trying to ring us but can't because Telstra has not connected our lines despite the promise to have then done 7 days ago.  Despite hours and hours and hours on the phone with Telstra, planning carefully for our telephone service they have not got it right.  Surprise? No.  Phone service is something we might tend to take for granted as an essential tool....until we can't.  I apologize to all of you that are trying to call the shop for directions, for info on the classes or just to say hi.  We keep telling them the lines aren't working on site and they keep telling us they are...hmmmm but even our electrical technician who made an emergency off hours visit said that NO...the lines are NOT...connected.  So, Telstra, if you are out there and not in a foreign country telling us that our lines are right please ring me.  Oh, sorry, you can't.

So what do we do? You can ring me on my mobile number if you need to talk...0405237865.  If you need to follow up on an order the internet isn't up yet either but I can get my emails at night.  Hopefully they'll get this sorted but then again, it is Telstra and no matter what the happy ads say on tv...reality is what it is and it would have been such a surprise if it all went to plan.  Sorry to complain.  Hopefully, one day soon they will believe us and send someone out to fix the problem. 

 

With all bad things there are good things. 

Colour and Beauty surround us.  

I have been semi conscious of how much stuff I am carrying mentally and physically at the moment.  We moved a lot of things in a short amount of time so some things are where they should be and others are...well...where?  But as Bundle often says it is a bit of a swan act at the moment....graceful and smooth on the surface of the water but beneath the surface where the work gets done there is some MAD paddling going on! We are nearly there. 

I know there is more I must say but the cereal is falling into the bowl and I must dash!  Enjoy...remember to enjoy...moving on...k