Spinster Aunt

Public holidays are such an inconvenience when one is travelling. They disrupt one's schedule and nothing is open! What I had thought to take two days has now happened in one.

( Read more... )

Following on from the Bullet Point meme going around my flist:

• Happy Birthday cynthdiane! Have a fantastic day.



• My Gruen Transfer ad for Gruen Beauty.
  "Be ugly. On the inside." I could have used an editor, but it was fun to make nonetheless.



• For the Amelia Peabody fangirls (of whom I am one):
  Youtube video of a sword parasol! Or at least a parasol that makes a sound like a sword. That is so cool. Geeky cool.



• From Dylan Moran's standup routine whch I saw on 27 March last year:
  "My wife is a smart and capable woman. The kind of woman it's fun to try to win arguments with."
  Is it any wonder I'm a total fangirl?



• Video: How To Speak
  I have sat through some stultifyingly useless presentations, sermons, lectures and meetings in my time. Speaking skills are vastly underrated.



• From Boundless on DIY & the virtue thereof:
  Science-fiction author Robert A. Heinlein once wrote: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
  
  I had to look up what "conn a ship" meant, but I am somewhat comforted that I'm in the middle of attaching binding to my corset.



• Knowledge & Information
  "It is possible to know too much. It is possible to care too much. Hunger for information can become gluttony."
  
  A good reminder to myself that my time & attention is limited, so I need to be discerning in what I choose to read/listen to/watch etc. Information clutter is just as much clutter as anything else.



• And more on clutter from the SMH: "Clutter, the persistent curse of the acquiring classes"
  "The alternative to cluttering up our homes is simply to avoid acquiring unwanted or useless items in the first place. Among other things, this requires a more conscious approach to shopping: buying what we really need and will use."



• Unclutterer: Organising work files.
  “This organization was here before you were a member and will continue on after you graduate. If your files are messy, it’s fine for you now, but you’re not thinking of the people who are to serve after you.”
  
  Word. I've recently had a deadline come in late because that tiny extra bit of information that we're sure is in the office somewhere took SIX DAYS to find.



• More from Unclutterer: Confirming my decision to cull and be disciplined about acquisition
  "I used to be the type of person who held onto every object I deemed sentimental. I eventually realized that holding onto so much stuff came with a lot of stress, worry, and financial expense, and that I wanted a different way of life."
  
  That's exactly what happened to me. I'm still rather fond of my "If my house burned down, would I replace this?" evaluation strategy.



• From Dressing in the Dark: Lessons in Men's Style from the Movies by Marion Maneker
  "Do you know that scene in The Thomas Crown Affair," Frank Rostron, a British shirt maker once confided to me, "the one where Steve McQueen's wearing a beautiful Prince of Wales checked suit with a powder blue shirt and a royal blue tie?" Once I'd confirmed that I too appreciated the importance of that moment in film history, the tailor rolled his eyes back slightly, his lids hooding to help him savor the memory. "Seeing that," he went on, "made me want to become a tailor."
  
  Truly, I hear you on that one. ::swoon::



• Wicked! Costume design: A three page article in the SMH on the costume design for the show, opening in Melbourne soon.
  "I love the way clothes are constructed. Dior and Galliano were very much interested in the way clothes are constructed: they are unbelievable engineers."
  
  I'm much the same. Whether it's knitting or sewing or any other kind of textile work, I'm all about the construction.



• And to finish off, a Tip of the day:
  If you're planing on holding up a pub with machetes, you'd best make sure there's not a Bikies meeting going on next door.

Wow. So much is happening right now. Here are some edited highlights:

• First, Pimping a show: The Gruen Transfer, ABC1, Wednesday night.
  30 minute show about advertising, including tactics used by the industry, analysing different campaigns, and my favourite part: "Selling the un-sellable", where two agencies are briefed to come up with an ad for an utterly un-sellable product. (Think: Baghdad Tourism.) And because Aunty is awesome when it comes to new media, the entire thing is vodcast. Check it out.



• New Glasses! ( Pic under cut )
  
  
• Australian universities are starting to get in on iTunes U. So far they have ANU, Griffith, Uni of WA, Uni of Melbourne & UNSW. Come on, Sydney. Get your act together. I'm happy to listen to Economics or Shakespeare or History from the US. Law...not so much.



• I randomly went to a lace exhibit at a local gallery, and ended up randomly moderating a group discussion on the difference between "Art" and "Craft" and presenting the results to a group including curators at the Powerhouse Museum and presidents of the guilds. I did not embarrass myself.



• I graduated from MTC, and on the night my friend mentioned she was going to do a short course at NIDA. I was reminded of the other short courses at NIDA and...



• I enrolled in a corset making class at NIDA. Two weeks in, one to go. I have something resembling a bodice - I need to put the boning in. Pics here



• Went to the Stitches & Craft show on Saturday. Bought some beautiful green laceweight yarn...mmmmm.... Don't know what I'll use it for yet. ( Pic under cut )
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• My Feedback got read out on Filmspotting! Top 5 Best Dressed Characters. Of course that <i>would</i> be the subject upon which I am most opinionated and articulate when it comes to film...) Check it out here: I'm in for two minutes starting at 40:30)

I'm terribly envious of all my flist who have been reporting on CIII. Horribly envious. raykel has made a fairly bold statement about the EpIII footage that has - against all my better judgement - got me more excited than even the trailers have. Man. I don't want to be disappointed again. It's driving me mad. And also check out slyvermont's Star Wars Seder. Way cool.

Anyways, here are a bunch of icons I've had floating around for a while displaying my love affair with Imperator Small Caps. One knitting, one Cate Blanchett, a bunch based on Madame X by John Singer Sargent, and a really weird bunch of HP/Biblical Theology crossovers inspired by my first Old Testament 1: Exile to Eden lecture last night, the upcoming HBP release and my musings on the nature of progressive revelation.

( Et voila )

It's all a little incongruous, looking at winter knitty while I'm baking here without the air con on.  Anyways, here are the patterns I like from the most recent one.  (Not that I'm anywhere near up to date on the other stuff I want to do, but hey, a girl can dream.) 

Candy: So sweet!  I think I'd even do it in pink, but shhhhhhh.  Don't tell anyone. 
Mariah: Just looks cosy & easy to wear.  Plus I'm entirely in love with cables.  Now I just need a pair of jeans to wear it with. 
Wavy: Fun scarf, interesting design, what's not to love? (me = scarf junkie)
Bob & Weave: Not so much with the flowing ribon at the ends, but I love the idea and I'm also a bit of a wrap junkie.  Nice. 
Kureyon Kozy: 'coz a girl can never have too many tea cosies in her life.  'tis a statistical impossibility. 
Mancala Mia: Not so much for the game, which I really don't know how to play, but I love the little felted containers.... I'm seeing a few of them in my near future...
Mary Ella: I'm not really a bracelet kind of girl, but this is growing on me.  It's the sort of thing that I'd make for Andrew.  With a slight change of materials. 


Christmas preparations have started in earnest in our house.  The tree is up in the middle of our lounge room (and is leaving a trail of pine needles everywhere)  The big Andersen family do is on Sunday up at Grandad's place, which ought to be good, then Christmas lunch at our place on the 25th for...I don't know how many people.  Mum spent the morning making mince pies.  I've been practicing the carols for our Christmas Day 9am service.  (I only get to play these descants once a year - I want to get it right, damnit.)  The puddings were done a few weeks ago and are hanging up on broomsticks in their little calico support structures 'till they get reboiled.  I volunteered for the "polish the silverware" job which is long and tedious and backbreaking, but a good excuse to watch the extras discs for ROTK:EE.  (I reiterate: Ngila Dickson = supreme genius of all textiles.)  I've scrubbed my fingers eight times and I still can't get all the black suff out from under my fingernails. 

I spent a delightful day in Sydney today.  Mum & I went in with our French friend Claudia and her visiting-from-France French sister Anne.  Yay for understanding snippets of conversation! 

We made plans to split, then meet for lunch.  Upon arrival, those three went to the Powerhouse while I went and browsed in a variety of city shops. 

Well, that was the idea.  In reality I went to three bookshops...and a library.  (They had Crocodile on the Sandbank!  I'm up to page 94 now!  I still love Amelia & Emerson's first encounter in the museum, and I continue to harbour secret fantasies of playing her on stage and getting to whack people over the head with parasols :-P) 

I did manage to lay my hands on Wheelock's Latin, which is very exciting and lead to some strange looks during lunch.  "You'll never guess what I've bought!"  ::random guesses and/or blank looks::  "A 500 page Latin textbook!"  We went to Cheap Chinese, which was delicious as always.  I highly recommend the eggplant/potato/capsicum stir fry and the veggie noodles.  Yuuuuum. 

Then after lunch I went to see the Celestial Silks exhebition at the Art Gallery.  It was just a small exhebition - only two rooms - but some *breathtaking* work.  The embroidery and the gold thread and the exquisite colours and designs...  Apparently the design had to be signed off by the emperor before work commenced, then the transfer of the pattern to the silk base took about three weeks, then the completion of the robe could take another couple of years.  Wow.  Seriously impressive. 

Am now seriously exhausted, though that won't stop me staying up 'till all hours knitting/reading/watching dodgy TV.  Or the Athens opening ceremony.  But likely not. 

SMH: John Malcovich's fashion label.  Interesting stuff.  I quite like his style.

SMH: Style Notes, containing this wonderful paragraph -

Those fabulous tiaras didn't do any harm, either. And they improve one's posture no end. You can't help but hold yourself regally while carrying several kilos of diamonds and a couple of dozen emeralds or rubies the size of duck eggs on your head. They seem also to keep thoughts of Botox and blade at bay, because the expressive faces under them, especially that of the marvellous Queen Margrethe, were clearly faces earned rather than bought.

The Enough Rope archive.  Transcripts of Andrew Denton's interviews on the show - well worth browsing at your leisure.  Denton is the best interviewer I've seen since Parkinson (and the Parkinson interview is one of my all time favourites!)

A quote from the lovely Ms Gordon at college two weeks ago: "It wouldn't be the first time I've been completely oblivious to the blindingly obvious!"

A delicate craft, dressing divine beings.

Oh, wow wow wow.  I think I'll have to check this one out.  And again, I say "wow". 

Keeping track of what I've got on the needles:

1. Sebastian's Socks. These are my PRIORITY right now. I'm 102 rounds into the second one, which will eventually be 240 odd rounds, but considering the decreases behind me I'd say I'm about half way through.

2. Sebastian's jumper. Once I finish the socks (which are PRIORITY), I have to start on the shoulders, neck and sleeves before passing it back to Rosemarie to finish. I am not touching this 'till I'm finished the socks. (Which are PRIORITY.)

3. Tash's shawl. Australia/South Africa themed. Has to be a) designed and b) knitted. This is what I start on immediately after finishing Seb's stuff (...PRIORITY). It's all rather nice in my head, but I'm not sure how I'll do with designing proteas with just YOs and K2togs to keep me going.

4. Counterpane bedspread. I inherited this one part way finished. It takes 200 knitted squares sewn up into a double bedspread, then a knitted border. I have no idea how many I currently have. It's a nice project because if I completely stuff up beyond redemption, I can just frog one square and start again rather than try and figure out what on earth I've done wrong. Nice, mindless knitting.

5. Pi are square shawl. I'm not sure that I like the yarn with that one... might have to frog. We'll see.

6. My 21st quilts. Not knitting, but rather patchwork & quilting. The blue one is awaiting a border, the red centre (sic) needs to be assembled and bordered, then backed, quilted & bound. My mother is meant to be doing these. Guess who's done it all so far?

Projects not yet started but in my fantasy life where I've finished all my WIPs will be soon:

1. Folly from Knitty. I'm still in love with this design.
2. French Market Bag from Knitty. To hold my spinning stuff. I'll have to make it bigger, so some adapting will be in order.
3. Socks. For me. Any kind, any yarn. But socks. For me.
4. Red twinset, which got me into this whole mess to begin with. I have the yarn, but need to rip some and start again.
5. Red aran jumper...that'll be soooo cozy. Have the yarn for this too. Just waiting to pick patterns & swatch.

But before I dwell on them any longer, I have to finish Seb's socks. They are PRIORITY.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/10/1086749831730.html

( Lion King )

Ironing is temporary. Topstitching is forever.

Here are pics of the clothes I've made for mum so far. Most are based on a McCalls pattern - a very simple A line shift with bust darts and bias bound neck & armholes.

( Dresses )

This skirt was a result of not cutting the fabric wide enough. I had to add another panel to make it fit, then I decided to mess around with the hemline. Curves are fun :-D

( Skirt )

And here's the most recent - a shirt made from a holly print we found in the patchwork section. It was my first ever collar! Whohoo! I'm so pleased by the way it turned out. Note the vintage buttons we inherited from a friend.

( Holly Shirt )

( Cut for the already bored )

I'm doing the start suit from Simplicity 9965 (there's a picture here) for Henry & Marissa's baby. It's in a dark green polar fleece - this is the first time I've sewn with that fabric, and it wasn't too hard. And I set a zipper, which I hadn't done in years. It was surprisingly easy.

It's unbelieveably cute. Even I can admit that.

I think it would be sweet to do some with the southern cross appliqued on as well, in Blue & White like the flag. Then, of course, I got on a roll and so there are scraps of paper all over the kitchen on ways to adapt the carrot ones to a gumleaf design (can you set a zipper in a curve??) with a May Gibbs theme...which could also be fun...

( SAG & CDG awards )

Bastards!

I finally got the photos back, so pictures of Andrew's quilt are now up. Andrew's USA quilt.

Just finished an Issey Miyake winged skirt from Threads. I'll definitely be doing this one again. 3.5m of 1.15m wide fabric, sew raw edges together to make a large tube. An elastic casing in the middle for my waist, then tie the extra fabric wings on the edges around to the other sides.

It's a sheer fabric, but because of the wings there is at least 3 layers of fabric at any one point so it doesn't need lining. It hangs straight as a ruler, but has a hem circumeference of 3.5m so I have full mobility. And, the fabric being 1.15m wide, it actually reaches my ankles! ::falls over in dead faint::. My clothes never reach my ankles. I'm quite excited ;-) I'll have to duck up to Spotlight and Lincraft to pick up some more fabric.

After a day yesterday of wanting to chuck my bloody sewing machine out the window (three needles broken in as many hours), I finally invested in some denim needles. Now it runs like a dream. And while my favourite part of America used to be Washington D.C., I now have a renewed appreciation of the western Canadian border. No curves. Lovely straight stitching. Very easy. :-D