adieu

It's been a while, it's been sporadic, and it hasn't been great for some time. It's not you (poor little blog) it's me.

I need some time, well, actually I need heaps more time, or, barring developing superpowers involving time manipulation or self clones (madrox, why can't you be real, and your powers mine!!) I need to do less things, or try to attempt less things, because I'm not really succeeding at my goals, and if I do manage to cross most things off my list on a daily basis, I'm still in runaround freak out mode. And I'm over that.

So. When I figure out my ratio of artist, business partner, dressmaker, gardener, housewife, mother, wife (in alphabetical, not priority order). I will come back to blogging. Maybe this one, maybe a new one, but not for a while.

I'm doing lots, but then I think, is it photo worthy? blog worthy, and then I try and rush things, and I should be having fun in the making, and not just trying to get a photo for a post!

I'm going to come back guns (bells?) blazing, and hopefully rock a reliably updated blog, but until then,

adieu

Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef comes to Adelaide!

I checked out the INSTITUTE FOR FIGURING a while ago, while doing a little obsessive research on unit origami (I haven't given up on that project!) and saw their work on using crochet to model mathematical principles - hence the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef. (Please click the link, it's just too cool to miss!)

This is the blurb for the institute, and if I could clone or split myself so I had more time to do anything and everything, I think I'd be here, making stuff!

The Institute’s interests are twofold: the manifestation of figures in the world around us and the figurative technologies that humans have developed through the ages. From the physics of snowflakes and the hyperbolic geometry of sea slugs, to the mathematics of paper folding, the tiling patterns of Islamic mosaics and graphical models of the human mind, the Institute takes as its purview a complex ecology of figuring.

So when I found out that RiAus (Royal Institute Of Australia, bringing science to people and people to science) was doing a satellite reef, I wanted to be part of it. I feel that it's time I actually acted on events, rather than just reading about them, thinking that'd be fun, and never actually getting there.

So I rode down to Craftsouth last Wednesday (first time riding into the city from the new house, pretty safe and easy ride), meant to stay for ONE hour only, and join in and do a piece.

It was a drop in crochet day, and was pretty fun, people were busy making corals, anemones, mathematical models, and altogether weird squiggly things.

I hadn't crocheted in a while, and sat next to a woman who's been doing it for 62 years. I kept up as best I could, needless to say, I didn't chat much, and had sore fingers by the end of it!

This is my contribution, it's actually larger than it looks, but it twists back in on itself, there's actually a whole section of plain red up to the top, then I trimmed it with the red/green weird bobble yarn I'd op-shopped. So there you go, hyperbolic's at work (I don't even know if that makes grammatical or practical sense!)

And as fun as it was, here's the predicament:

Do I have time for a massive project that can take over your life?

..........no

I already have too many projects, plans and deadlines. So, I'm happy that I did some, but I'm going to leave the making of it to others...................probably, mostly!

the top two photos are from the IFF site, hopefully Adelaide's will look similar!

It's good to be home!

Japan Part Two will come, but I'm still sorting through my feelings about being there during the earthquake event and the nuclear crisis that is ongoing......

So I thought I'd pop up a couple of nice to be home shots!

Xi was definitely pleased to be home!

The pumpkin patch did well, we've 24+ butternuts growing, so I'm hoping to get at least 15 ready and set before the vine's finished.

I did a new little succulent garden in an old crucible at the entrance to my studio, and got in a few vegie seedlings and some rhubarb into the patch.

And it was my birthday! I decided to try out a new cake, rather than my standard (and favourite) and I went straight to Nigella's Feast book, with the chocolate cake chapter.

This is the Chocolate Malt(easer) Cake, and I must say, even though I used different sized pans so the cake was not as high as the picture in the book, and was running around outside with a baby in a pram trying to rock him asleep while the cake was in the oven. It worked out pretty well. We decided that it'd be better as just one cake, with half the amount of icing, so maybe next time, or maybe I'll just try a different one! I did get lots of new cookbooks from DC!

Someone also got his first taste of cake, no icing, just a little morsel, and promptly went into a tantrum on the floor for more, so it couldn't have been all bad!

......Now I need to think of my Rosie New Year Resolutions... must make more frocks!

First two days in Japan

All I can say is - wow.

It's been full on!

First of all, it's a lot different from the last time I was in Japan, most notably because that was when I was 15, and didn't to worry about anything more than trying to decide which keroppi plastic fantastic to buy.

Nowadays I get so into thinking about what Xi needs that I forget things for myself - most recent example, today in fact - my jumper and we WENT INTO THE SNOW TODAY!!!!!! First time I've ever seen it falling (more on that later, will try and keep things in order)

So, yesterday we went wander shopping/looking, happened upon a fabric store, had to have a browse (of course). We can get beautiful Japanese cottons now in the quilting stores and speciality shops at home, so I was interested in seeing what was in a store here.

And these lovely ladies were. They thought my baby was 'kawaii desu ne!' They are of the gothic lolita persuasion, and it's a pretty hilarious fashion/life, like little bo peep crossed with .....not porn, but something close to it.

The process of buying the fabric was really interesting. I didn't understand our friend when he tried to explain it to me (I think it's maybe because he'd never bought fabric himself)

but the whole shop is just samples, so I was looking through the designs, thinking, wow, there's not much here, or this one has more, but geez these pieces have got terrible cuts on the edge (thinking where it's been cut to be sold). In actual fact, the person comes to you (like DK's) cuts off a sample, staples it to a card, tells you to wait x minutes then you go to the counter and your order is dropped down a little shute, already bagged up. ..........Tom just told me that the sample card gets sent upstairs by vacuum tube and the order drops down - I missed that bit, I was probably back to fondling fabrics. So there's basically two stores of fabric on top of one another!

Other things that happened:

We went to a toy store,

and a grocery store,

And today we discovered a wall of greenery, (DC these are for you) which was really cool and looked very successful, on our way to Kyoto Tower, which has an observatory up the top.

This is what the individual plants were living in.

This is Xi holding a can of hot coffee from the vending machine as a hand warmer, since I couldn't get mittens on him. I think he's going to be a can-a-day boy.

Then we met up with Aogu and went to find Kurataniwashi, which is a famous paper making village, which was an adventure. First we had to drive about 2 hours out of Kyoto, and we started to pass little bits of snow, and then it got 'real countryside' (Aogu) and very rural, cold and more snow, and actual flakes hitting the windscreen!! (remember, girl from NQLD, this is my 6th meeting with snow)

We went to the old centre first, not the new tourist one, and we found it pretty deserted, and kinda twin peaks weirdy, but had a peek around before going to the new one, look at the snow on the vegie patch - frozen lettuce!

The GPS to us along a very winding road, where we only passed one old man on a kinda motorcycle into some hills, we were surrounded by more and more snow on the road, and it wasn't looking like we'd end up somewhere at all, but then we hit a main (ish) road, and found the place, only to find out that they only are open on Fridays and Saturdays (but don't advertise that fact).

However we were lucky enough to run into a papermaker who stayed on for the afternoon and she gave us a personal tour, so we saw the studios, but were not able to see the process, and were sad to hear that the school (which the new centre is) will probably be closing down soon due to lack of students (and possibly funds).

It was a full on day, and I am hoping not everyday will be like that!

Tomorrow is Costume Museum and temples.......!

whatever o'clock in the morning

I don't know if it's because I feel guilty that I've let this slip so much, or that I finally have some time for it, or that it's whatever o'clock in the morning, and we're in Hong Kong, waiting to get on a plane to Osaka.

But hopefully it's the restart of this blog, exploring stuff, and pondering 'what the hell am I doing?' kind of questions....

Every Lounge Room Needs A Mural

Well, it does!

Soon it'll be raining glass rain, and populated with glass flyers!

.........FLOOR!!!

Such a lot has happened since the discovery of the floor damage and the stalling of the renovation, but now we're back on track again, because we have a floor!

We scrambled around before Christmas trying to find a builder who'd come out and take a look at the job, and hopefully say yes to starting it by mid January at the earliest. I was thinking that was my best case scenario.

And then...........builder #7 said yes. And not only yes, but when we contacted him on the 23rd, he came out and had a look on Christmas Eve morning, and then said, yep, I'll send out a crew to start on Monday (remember, it was a public holiday) and you should have your floor by New Year's Eve.

And it happened!

So these are the kind of holes we worked around to finish painting the walls. This is the Office/Spare Bedroom.

Our bedroom.

Then came the builders. First they removed all the boards from four rooms and the hallway. Our hope for a polished floor in the hallway was dashed due to damage on virtually every board, and due to the fact that it'd be faster to rip everything out in terms of levelling it, and replacing. Above is the lounge, with it's little brick wall supports.

Here is Tom and Maximo on the Tuesday, when all the rooms were dug out, and the supports levelled.

Then the joists (termite proof) went in on Wednesday.

And then the floors went in on Thursday, and were finished on the weekend!

Next step is having to track down skirting boards of the correct (very tall) height, since our originals were either too eaten, damaged or just too covered in layers of enamel to spend time (which we don't have) trying to restore them. One supplier is open again on the 6th January, but we're hoping to find another source before that.........maybe.

Originally we were going to paint them, and then instal, but now we want to just put them on, just in case the builders can't come back to us for a while.

So. We get skirts. We paint them. We lay the carpet. We move. (we pack somewhere inbetween all that)

wow, another house update!

.........since it's all I seem to be doing lately, in between various types of health surprises that is.

So we have done a bit since the last post. Three rooms and the hallway have been double undercoated and are ready for colour.

There's some of them, a more subtle and classic scheme I've yet to see!

Actually, these are just some of the sample pots we've been collecting, but will be going with all of these.

We were actually going really well in terms of time and work. The plastering's been completed, and really rocks, and the floors were going to be replaced last saturday, with the sanding and polishing of the hallway to happen the following weekend (today actually) when.. da dum.

bit more damage than we'd hoped, assumed, planned for....

White Ant damage. Old stuff, and it's been treated by the previous owners But. Not. Repaired.

So those bits of sagging floorboards in each room? Seems to be virtually eaten out boards and the joists are pretty rubbish as well.
We've got holes in each room, and we haven't pulled up the rest of the boards so we can use the floors to stand on, to finish painting the walls!

Here's Xi's ceiling, with his walls undercoated.

And here's the sampler of the office paint, chosen to go with the wallpaper feature, right in front of a lovely hole.

I will be meeting with a builder tomorrow to see if there is any chance of getting the joists replaced and the floors in by...............as soon as possible really. Unfortunately Christmas is close and well, everyone is working like crazy already.

Fingers crossed.

But my next post will show just how far we've come with the painting!

W.D.S part two

Continuing our theme of despising wallpaper, or removal of, here are some pictures from the working bee last weekend.

In the kitchen, with CC and Boris, where they took on not one vinyl wallpaper, not just the lovely picnic scene shown previously here, but TWO, the other being this beautiful wood panelling number.
This was the worst room, and the one I made the biggest mistake on. I thought it was going to be beautifully well behaved wallpaper like the shiny front room, so left it til last.

...After the working bee..

It has been the wallpaper from hell!!!!! It has ended up being a four day job, possibly more... I can't remember anymore. We just spent yesterday scrubbing of the last bits of adhesive residue, so, maybe more.
A nice shot of all the crap we've had to clean up, though not as bad as the pink room, where half the render had to come off as well.
The games room finishing getting undercoated. We've got a baby hanging out with his cousin twice removed (?) (we call her Aunty) his Nana painting away and another 'Aunty' cutting in. That room is now looking pretty good! Haven't narrowed down what colour it will be as yet.

We have almost finished the wall prep ourselves, and need some plastering work done, and then it's back into it - painting!

The cutest kids dress I've ever made

Not that I've made that many (apologies to my nieces who are now definitely out of little girls dresses, but at least they got some...!)

It's a little cotton number with ric rac and applique details. I especially like the ric rac stems going into the pockets!

It's the simplest one I've made, in terms of shape, previous dresses have been modelled on 1950's party frocks with double skirts and whatever left over shiny fabric I had in my stash (which was great fun, but they aren't really everyday wear). I've also learnt from using those old patterns to widen the necklines greatly so that the child doesn't feel strangled (apparently in the 50's children had either tiny necks, or weren't actually allowed to play or move!)

A easy pearly snap back yoke opening, and to extend it's life, it's got deep armholes for wearing over winter longs, and possibly even might make a cute top, if the chicadee still wants to wear it when she gets bigger! I made the pattern, so hopefully the proportions are right!

I also need to get some shots of Xi's new shorts. They are not complicated, but hopefully I'll be able to find some time to make a bunch amidst all the dewallpapering!

Wallpaper disappreciation society part 1

It's true. I want to join that society. We are nearly there though. Nearly kinda almost not quite nearly there.

It's been a full on week. This is the first day in nine that I haven't been at the house de-wallpapering. I can't remember what I used to do before wallpaper; either I'm pretty knackered by it all, or the wallpaper has just turned my brain to mush.

To start at the start, my fabulous MiLaw came over for a week to help in any which way she could, (unluckily for her it was the wallpaper) and we got things cranking when Xi was off having a fun time at childcare, and Tom could have some time at the house.

Front room (the wonder room with wallpaper that comes off like a dream...... wish the others were like it)

It was a different story when it was just the two of us and the baby.

This is exactly how much painting you can get done before the child realises that something more interesting than playing in a very exciting new sandpit just outside the door, is going on.

This is the mentioned sandpit. It's a hit, though we have been finding sand in unexpected places (carseats, prams, lunchboxes etc)

After that we took turns and then did a flurry when he was napping.

We also had a lot of help from some hardworking friends on the weekend -

Hallway coming along nicely.....

The pile of carpet from four rooms and the hallway, in the only main room that wasn't wallpapered (thank goodness for that!) That got taken away by D & J!

Walk Through

Okay, so here's a bit of a walk through of the house, though not in walking order!

Here's the back wall of the kitchen, with the previously displayed wallpaper, and sliding glass doors which we think are winners. (Latter, not former)

The kitchen. Note that it's got cool blue splash back tiles, warm brown food theme wallpaper on two walls, and fake wood wallpaper on the other wall. The room you can see through the way is going to be............the GAMES room!!! And drawing room!!!! But at the moment, it's an empty space with half exposed brick, and half wood panelling.

This is the back hallway entrance, with it's peeling wallpaper (I did that section to see what was underneath, with a view through to the laundry and bathroom/linen closet/toilet rooms.
This is Xi discovering he can crawl into kitchen cupboards, but not out of them!

This is the front room that will become the office/spare bedroom. Out of all the rooms with wallpaper, part of this might actually be kept as a feature (cause it's shiny :)

This room will be our bedroom.

This is our room after it met with me in my new respirator mask.

I ripped out the carpet in three rooms and the hallway yesterday. It was really good to get in and DO something.

I found out some interesting things, like how come they threw two cupboards in - they'd carpeted around them! They are sitting on older carpet! When we move them, I wonder what style it'll turn out to be?

This is the hallway carpet, with it's layer of horsehair underlay, an amazing amount of dust, and the original vinyl underneath.

This is what the front section of the hallway looks like: a mish mash of woods and thicknesses to create some really dodgy spots and a frankenstein's monster effect.

And this is what the second part of the hallway looks like - beautiful. I think we will have to figure out a way to make the first section nice, and polish it up. I was originally against polishing the floors, because I've lived in a house for five years with wood floors and with 5-7mm gaps in between the planks. It is not easy to clean, the nails pop up, and basically, I hate it.

But the opportunity to have a nice wooden floor??? hmmmmm