Quilt Prep

While watching DVDs I cut lots of fabric.
First off I cut fabric to make this quilt

from this book

to use up the 9 patches I got in a swap from last year.  I adapted it slightly - my version will have 9 patches all round with no extra strips as the border.  My 9 patches are bigger than the ones in the book so I adjusted the sizes of the pinwheel triangles accordingly.  Here is the fabric all cut and ready to sew -

Then, as I already had my repro fabrics out, I thought I may as well do the cutting for another quilt.  This is the one I decided on

and here's the fabric ready to sew

The drawer started all messy and chockers.  Now it looks nice and empty (kind of) -

Perched Cat

He's taken to lying in this precarious position - of course he's slipped off occasionally!

May DVDs

I borrowed a whole heap from the library last Tuesday.  These are the ones I've seen so far.

Harmonies of the Hemispheres
SBS Youth Orchestra
This was a peek inside the Japan International Youth Musicale.  Part travelogue, part philosophy about how music can unite the world, and part performances from orchestras and choirs from around the world.  I was buoyed by the enthusiasm of all the young people, and loved hearing the music.

Sting
..all this time
A behind the scenes look at Sting and other world class musicians getting ready for a concert and CD.  They have a week to get it all together.  Filmed in Sting's amazing Italian house, the camaraderie and musicianship is uplifting.  Talent aplenty and great to hear Sting's songs given a fresh feel.

wah-wah
A film by Richard E. Grant
The story is based on Richard's experiences as the son of the British Minister of Education in colonial Swaziland.  Really good performances and the feel of the film is true to the era.  Sad and funny and real.

Red White and Blues
Interviews about the coming of black blues to the UK, and performances of some blues standards.

Pearl Lunch

Yesterday I met up with Christine at Pearl - one block from the Gabba!   For all you cricketing fans, we spotted coach Michael Voss and some other Lions players*... apparently they eat here all the time.

What a wonderful lunch!  Great company and FABULOUS food!  We both had gnocchi (with roasted pumpkin, goats cheese, pine nuts, peas - just yummy)

 washed down with a Moscato, followed by dessert and coffee.

 No picture of the dessert - I scoffed it down too fast!  It WAS an apple tart with ice cream.

*this is my attempt at humour - I am quite aware that the Lions are the local Rugby League team....

Monday

I was working in town and took some shots of this marvellous mosaic on William Street.

In front was this interesting signal box!

Teen Sing 2010

I heard some awesome singing on Sunday from some of the elite youth choirs of Brisbane.  The event - Teen Sing 2010 - was held at the Old Museum Building.  I'd never been in the building before - it's quite beautiful.

The concert hall

had great acoustics and interesting detail in the ceiling

The program had a variety of well known pieces as well as one piece that had just been composed by a young man who only left school last year.  Very impressive.  I came away skipping with pleasure and enjoyment seeing so many young people engaged and involved and having such a good time.

Harry Brown

This movie stars Michael Caine and is billed as being similar to Gran Torino.  Don't believe it!  It is an insult to Gran Torino.  Caine plays a man in a housing estate in England.  Not surprisingly there is a gang in control of the estate and through a series of circumstances he decides to take action.  The movie depicts violence and depravity - none of which, I believe, is unrealistic - but why was I not moved?  I felt no emotional connection to any of the characters, and it's hard to know what the movie is trying to say.  Right at the end there is an unexpected (to me) twist that got me thinking.  Otherwise, wholly uninspiring.  One to avoid.

Robin Hood

Well, what can I say?  EXCELLENT!  From the credits, the design of the lettering, through to the costumes and setting story - all really good.  I think Russell Crowe did another good job of playing this part.  (Apparently he stormed out of an interview where the interviewer mentioned that there was a hint of Irish to his accent - I have to say, I thought there was at one stage!!).  Cate Blanchett is luminous and mesmerising when on screen, and the supporting actors and characters were all good too.  Highly recommended.

Movie Catchup!

I went to see Iron Man 2 on 2 May (I know - a LOOONG time ago - hence the title of the post :-) )
Prior to the movie I watch the DVD of the first Iron Man.  Really enjoyed the storyline and looved Robert Downey Jr in the role

The second one was good but not AS good.  Scarlett Johansson was wonderful in her role (and in that skin tight leather outfit), and Mickey Rourke played a suitably bad villain, and I did like the special effects, but somehow it wasn't as exciting as the first one.

43!

We all know the meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42 - but my unquilted quilt tops go one better!

 I have now photographed all of my unquilted quilt tops...check them out here.

You can also just click on the link in my sidebar....

Poinsettia

I love this tree in my front yard -

Collection

Today was a GLORIOUS day - I was in the garden, hardly touched the computer - and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to made a photo record of one of my collections - enjoy!

Cat

I could hear him moving somewhere in the laundry - oh! there you are!!

Getting Projects Done

Someone the other day posted about an online timer and it came at the perfect time for me.  I had a report to write and I was putting it off.  The idea behind mytomatoes is simple - work for 25 minutes, have 5 minutes off.

It really is simple, simple, simple.  When you go to the site you'll see a lovely big button that says "start tomato".  This gets the 25 minute timer going.  (Why tomato?  It's like a novelty kitchen timer).  At the end of the 25 minutes you'll hear a buzzing sound.  You will see a flashing background - click on it and it asks you "what did you do".  You write a couple of words, press enter and your 5 mins of break starts.  The buzzer goes off at the end of that, and it's time to get back to work.

This REALLY helped with my report writing.  25 minutes is not too long, and the 5 minute break gets you up and doing - it's amazing what you can do in 5 mins (wash up, do a load of laundry, get dressed....).  Can you tell I love the concept?

Bribie Lunch

Bribie Island is about an hour's drive north of where I live.  I rarely go there, but had a delightful few hours there yesterday (Sunday).  First of all, lunch at Blue Anchorage, overlooking the water.  Seafood pasta

 Macadamia Sundae

The view

 

Then a trip to Buckley's Hole Conservation Park.  In this small area (87.7 hectares) 270 different bird species have been noted.  On the way to the bird hide we saw a bat - sooo cute!

A little bird was nesting in the bird hide...

 

 and a bigger bird was swanning around in the water

 From Banksia Beach you can see dugongs.  None there yesterday, but spectacular views across to the Glasshouse Mountains

Apparently the dugongs love this seaweed.

My UFOs, Quilt Tops, Quilts

I have started work on cataloguing my projects - UFOs, quilt tops and completed quilts.  If you look in the sidebar just above the Blog Archive you'll see the links to the pages.  At this stage it is not complete at all - I have only just started.  I hope to have it up to date at some stage so then I can see exactly what I have on hand.  It's kind of scary really; in some ways I DON'T want to know :-)

New Button

Remember my post about the Quilt Museum?  Well, you will see there is now a button on my sidebar to make it easy to find!!

Sewing

I finally sewed a backing

for this quilt top

the patterns and colours are so full of life!

Let the Sunshine

This afternoon I went to see David Williamson's play Let the Sunshine at the Cremorne Theatre.

As usual I had my pre-show drink - as it was daytime I had a great view to the Southbank Bouganvillea...

It is a small, friendly venue and I was in the balcony so had a great view of the stage.  I particularly wanted to see the play as Jacki Weaver was in it and I've never seen her on stage.

The play was good fun - well crafted although slightly predictable, and there were some good lines.  It wasn't exactly deep but there was food for thought.

The stage was set with a very long white table and some white stools.

 This was a great concept because it could be a kitchen bench, a cafe, a restaurant, a bar.  It was so long that one scene could be playing out down one end while another was setting up at the other.  But in many of the scenes it seemed to be in the way, with the actors just leaning against it, not doing bits of business as you normally do on stage.  I was particularly disappointed with Jacki.  She has a great dramatic voice and great expression, but she didn't LIVE the role, she was just Jacki saying her lines (albeit very well).  I don't know if this was how she was directed, or the way she usually is.  Robert Coleby who played her husband Toby was excellent; Andrea Moor as Natasha was wonderful, although she did seem to mug for the audience a fair bit - as though we weren't going to get the joke.  Paul Ashcroft as Rick was very good too.  He played Jacki and Robert's son who at 30 was a bit of a loser as a musician but who came into his own by the end of the play.

I am definitely glad I went, especially as I have wanted to see Jacki on stage for a while now, so I can tick that off my "bucket list" as it were!

Airport Take 2

My friend Nola headed off to China tonight so I did another trip to the Brisbane International Airport.  This time I didn't have to go around twice before I found the car park entry. These seats reminded me of chocolate or caramel

Here's an imposing sculpture - couldn't get any closer as I was not travelling

Huge mobiles near the travelators

and big art work on the walls

The place was very quiet.  I liked the neatness and order of the chairs and tables -

and these seats are usually full of waiting friends and relatives -