Waste some time with me and my boy ... OK GO!

If you don't have the privilege of living with a thirteen year old boy who can educate you about OK GO and Goldberg machines, then allow me to do you a favour! Courtesy of my boy, sit back and enjoy ...

Definition: A Goldberg machine is a deliberately over-engineered machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction.

This next clip makes me laugh! These guys are so imaginative and clever, but obviously have far too much time on their hands!



And the last one is especially for our dear dog-loving friend Peg @ Happy in Quilting. Watch out for the goat!



OK GO do something productive Bloom instead of laughing at these guys!

Happy happenstance

Happenstance? 'Happenstance' you say Bloom? Hmmm, I am reading Charles Dickens at the moment, so my use of 'happenstance' is his fault.

 

Motivated by the wonderful adaptation of 'Great Expectations' on the ABC, I am trying to read ahead before next Sunday's episode. Catch up with last week's episode on iView, or read it with me by downloading a free copy on iTunes. Oh, the irony, or is it juxtaposition - Charles Dickens now on iView and iTunes! 

Sorry, I digress! Since first posting to this blog over five years ago, one happy happenstance has lead to another and I find myself designing patterns. 

Last October, I was invited by Australian Homespun to contribute a design for a new project-of-the-month (POM) initiative called 'A Trip to Remember'. The POM is a series of 10 projects, one per month until December, each with a travel theme. All projects have been constructed using Amy Butler's dramatic new line 'Lark' (below), and the the series is being launched in this month's issue.  

There is an awe-inspiring roundup of designers who will present their creations over the next 10 months, including:

 Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse

Jodie Carleton of Ric Rac

Lesley McConnell of Faeries in my Garden

Natalie Ross of Natalie Ross In Stitches

Majella Rush of Kookaburra Cottage Quilts

Monica Poole of Moonshine Designs

Nicole Mallalieu, of Nicole Mallalieu Designs

Brenda Ryan of Thimblestitch

And even the inimitable Ms Butler herself. What a treat!

I am weak at the knees and completely humbled to be in the company of these amazing women. I feel like I'm in a real-life version of Sesame Street's 'one of these things is not like the others'!

Each designer was generously supplied with fabrics of her choosing from Amy's range. I chose these:

My brief was to construct a garment bag. Concepts for my designs are usually directly inspired by the fabrics - their colours, scale and mood. Amy's 'Lark' fabrics struck me as flamboyant, extravagant and dynamic. I decided on an appliqued panel with a floral 'flourish' twining from top to bottom.

The applique background was problematic, with just the right shade of 'almost black' unrepresented in my stash. Thankfully the lovely Rita @ Red Pepper Quilts came to my rescue with some perfect Kona 'Pepper'. Thanks so much Rita - you were a godsend!

The reverse side of the bag has a central zipper ...

... and two zippered pockets for safe keeping of jewellery, stockings etc.

It is a bit hard to see, but there is a gusset all the way around to accommodate several garments, and the bag is finished on all edges with a fine bind. It is fully lined inside.

It is particularly special that all projects in the Australian Homespun's 'Trip to Remember' program will be donated to Alzheimer's Australia. This organisation is the peak support body for people with dementia and their families and carers in Australia. The projects in Homespun's program will be auctioned or raffled to raise funds for this important cause. I doubt that there are many women who are not affected, indirectly or otherwise, by the suffering caused by dementia.

This month's issue of Australian Homespun (No. 106) is just hitting newsstands now. 

Australian Homespun can also be purchased in a digital format from Zinio.

An inheritance

Last Friday was the fifth anniversary of my Dad's passing. He has been on my mind. In fact, not a day goes by when I don't think of him. Of my many passions, two are directly attributable to his influence: my love for gardening and for reading. He told me often how, as a child, his father would rouse on him for 'always having his head stuck in a book'.

As a child, two of his favourite books were 'The Good Master' by Kate Seredy and 'Reach for the Sky' by Paul Brickhill. They in turn became favourites of mine, and now my children read them.

I have just finished reading a book called 'The Language of Flowers', a debut novel by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I enjoyed it enormously. It is the story of a young woman, tormented by memories of a childhood of mistreatment at the hands of a succession of foster parents. Psychologically scarred, her preferred way to communicate with others is through flowers and their Victorian meanings. Her journey is to learn to trust the love of others.

This book is warmly written, and an easy, uncomplicated read. As a gardener, I loved the powerful role flowers played in the narrative. For me, the story's appeal is in the concept that flowers might comfort psychological distress and nurture hope. 

And so my two inherited passions, gardening and reading, came together with this book, read in February 2012, as I thought of my Dad.

Back in the saddle

Having been away from my sewing machine for too long, I needed a quick project to 'get my eye back in'. 

I found some log cabin blocks from too long ago in the cupboard. These were made with the intention of using up my fabric scraps and making a large quilt. 

I have forgone the idea of a quilt, and decided to make the blocks up as place mats - a much more realistic option!

The details if you're interested: blocks are freezer paper foundation pieced, using measurements from this tutorial from Melly & Me. Finished block size = 5 inches; finished sashing width = 1 inch; bind cut 1.5 inches; finished placemat size = 19.5 x 13.5 inches.

Daybook entry #12

Outside my window ... the lavender is flowering, the day is clear, but in the manner of late summer in Australia, the clouds will build during the day and threaten storms in the evening.

From the kitchen ... nothing much is brewing other than strong, strong coffee today. But Saturday saw Miss 16 whip up a storm. Her Jamie-30-minute-meal this week was green curry, crispy chicken, kimchee slaw, and rice noodles. Definitely not a 30-minute meal, but very much worth the wait.

At my machine ... a new design for Homespun, with a Friday deadline!

I am listening to ... my brain whir and clunk as I write the pattern for aforesaid design.


I am reading ... The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam of U-Handbag, an excellent resource for construction methods, and crucial to aforesaid pattern writing ;)

In the mail today ... after sifting through the volumes of Valentines (!), there was this little gift from my ever thoughtful friend Wendy. Knowing my partiality to vintage trims and packaging, she spotted these bells for me recently. They are the sweetest, and their tinkle is a sparkle in my day. Who needs valentines with friends like these?! 

But to be sure, a vintage valentine, just for you :) ♥ Bloom x

Perhaps Jamie is a godsend after all!

While having a 16-year-old daughter is not always plain sailing, we are reaping the benefits of her insatiable interest in learning to cook. High on her Christmas list was a copy of 'Jamie's 30-Minute Meals'.

She has decided that each Saturday she will cook us dinner from this book, as her way of relaxing and taking a break from study. She plans to do this all year - oooooh yeah!

Her debut meal for the year was 'soooo good': wonky summer pasta with herby salad (above), followed by pear drop tartlets (below). I'm not sure what I enjoyed more; the delicious food or not having to cook!

Jamie Oliver has obviously worked hard to deliver a 'cookbook with a difference' with '30-Minute Meals'. He gives instructions for for an entire meal, so that his method alternates step-wise between recipes for a main meal and a dessert. You can see what I'm talking about over at his website where he gives some sample recipes from the book. 

The jury is still out as to whether they can indeed be cooked in 30 minutes. I suspect not, but the recipes are achievable, and based on Saturday night's performance, super tasty. Mmmmmm, a whole new reason to look forward to Saturdays for me :)

An explanation of sorts

The manic gardening mother

Happy 2012 to everyone, and what better way to welcome in a new year on Bloom than to share with you a most spectacular garden!

It seems the older I get, the lengthier my bucket list is becoming. However, our recent trip to Victoria saw me tick at least one wish off the list.

I have long wanted to visit Lambley Nursery near Ballarat in Victoria. For Australian gardeners, Lambley is well known as an exceptional example of dry climate gardening.

They specialise in perennial plants, sourced carefully from all over the world by owner David Glenn, and selected and propagated from his own personal collection.

The show garden is breathtakingly beautiful, and their use of perennials has always inspired me with my own gardening. I am still trying to emulate their stunning mixed perennial borders. There is a real art to achieving an balanced and harmonious border.

The gardens were full of interest, and colour packed, even in the midst of summer.

My addiction to salvias was fed nicely, with many difficult-to-find varieties.  

The rare metallic blues of Oxford Blue Sea Holly (above) and Veitch’s Globe Flower (below), have long been on my list of 'must-have' plants.

An astonishing display of of Salvia nemorosa varieties lay beyond this gate.

This 35 metre long garden was planted for David Glenn's granddaughter Molly and features an avenue of Pyrus calleryana ‘Valiant’ underplanted with at least a dozen different Salvia nemorosa cultivars. (Note family sitting comatose with disinterest in distance).

This garden is an example of where gardening gets very clever. Evidently Molly's birthday is in August. Salvia is dormant and pruned to the ground at that time of year, so the entire garden is underplanted with thousands of Dutch crocus which flower in August just in time for Molly's birthday! Can you imagine?! I can only dream of that sort of clever consecutive planting in my garden!

As usual, I dragged my long suffering family around the gardens, boring them silly with what I knew about the plants. Here they are strolling up the agapanthus lined driveway, with Mount Fuji cherries planted as an avenue. It must be quite spectacular in the spring. In fact you can see photos of the avenue in its splendour here, and read the lovely story about how it was planted for another granddaughter, Lili.

Our garden visit took the usual turn, with the family searching out every available seat while I buzzed about manically taking photos, and ooohing and aaahing over plants and vistas!

The poor boy was particularly out of sorts as he had been hoping to get to mini golf after the garden visit. Such dejection! Yes, I felt badly about it, but came good the very next morning with 18 glorious holes of mini golf for him :) Poor precious!

Being in Victoria is horticultural heaven for me, with so many plant varieties that are unavailable in NSW. Thanks to Lambley, and my equally manic gardening friend Annie, I came home with many treasures which I'm now trying to keep alive until the intense heat of summer passes. 


If you'd like to learn more about Lambley Nursery and David Glenn's dry climate gardening, you can visit his YouTube channel here.

My blooming best to you for Christmas

In my travels, I found some blooms to share with you for Christmas. 

The Botanic Gardens at Ballarat had some stunning seasonal displays resplendent in red and white.

There was also a collection of the most lovely fuchsias which remind me of tiny, colourful ballerinas, their long legs daintily dangling below ruffled tutus!

Because we have been busily travelling and visiting family, it has been trickier for me this year to focus on Christmas as the celebration of the birth of Christ.

But in church this morning, we sang 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing', as so many will have done this day, all over the world. The words of this hymn were written over 250 years ago by Charles Wesley and struck me afresh today, as they speak so richly of Jesus' birth and significance.

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled"

Joyful, all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With the angelic host proclaim:

"Christ is born in Bethlehem"

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored

Christ the everlasting Lord!

Late in time behold Him come

Offspring of a Virgin's womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail the incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with man to dwell

Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

I hope you have a very happy Christmas with precious family and friends. With best wishes, Bloom x 

A meeting of minds

After a two week absence from the blog while we travelled about the countryside, I have so much news that I'm not sure what to post first. But the undisputed highlight of our travelling, for me, has been meeting up with some long-time favourite bloggers.

After jokes-a-plenty from my family about meeting my potentially axe-murdering cyber friends, they were relieved to find that Lenora of Lenora Jenkins Designs and Linda of Gum Vally Patchwork were, like me, both far too busy with fabric and stitching to consider serious harm to anyone!


We met at Linda's shop which has been meticulously and thoughtfully built from materials recycled from an old church.

It is a perfect setting to showcase her beautiful selection of fabrics ...

... with enticing bundles and bolts at every turn.

It was very special to see Linda's astonishing 'Dear Prudence' quilt, painstakingly constructed from teeny, tiny hexagons. It is a magnificent thing!

And Lenora's wonderful designs graced many of the walls, this aqua and red 'Ruby' one a particular favourite with my girls.

Flushed with confidence and enthusiasm for converting 'virtual' friends to 'real' ones, we then met up with Ric-Rac Jodie and Flower Garden Annie at a very hip little place called The Upholstery Gallery.

All photos are courtesy of The Upholstery Gallery website, as I was far too engaged in vital and stimulating conversation with Annie and Jodie to take photographs (or to spend money, much to my Sweetness' relief).

The Gallery was an Aladdin's cave of treasures which kept the kids  exploring while we chatted.

Without exception, Lenora, Linda, Annie and Jodie each warmly welcomed me and my family, and we could all have talked fabric, stitching and gardening for days. 

We shared coffee and stories and lots of laughs. Hours passed like minutes in their company! I left them all reluctantly, but in the firm knowledge that, even if limited by cyber connections, warm friendships can be forged and that the online loveliness of these women is only affirmed by actually meeting them!