Pizzas and Paints

First things first. WMBM got the fire going. Then the guests arrived. We started to play with bark, post, paints, printing, rubbings, drawing ... all accompanied by delicious woodfired pizzas (thank you WMBM, a.k.a St Christopher)  and an assortment of salads (thanks to Sue, Suzanne, Mel, and Jane and the apostles). After lunch the barn was converted from servery to studio while the printing, pressing and rubbing continued. The apostles made amazing prints from the shapes of industrial fans, garden rakes and other shed-like implements.  A very creative day. thank you everyone - it was a real hoot!

Sue and her post

Mel, Suzanne and Jane contemplate ...

A conversion of sorts ...

2QAQ in September / Craft and Quilt Fair 2012

We had a great meeting on 29 September with our Queensland Quilters Art Quilt Group (2QAQ). Here we are looking at responses to the three challenges so far this year - portraits, bark, nine and for our November meeting - weft. I finally put the hair on my portrait piece. I do love plaits! All our challenge responses will be on display at the Craft and Quilt Fair Brisbane 2012 where you can also see the State of the Art Quilt juried entries for 2012 and watch  the 2QAQers demonstrate different art quilt and textile techniques. Would really love to see you there.

 

 

 



Printing and Dyeing

 

Question: what is the only useful thing a cat's claw vine seed pod can be used for?  Answer: fabric printing. This stuff is an absolute scourge along our local Creek (and no doubt many other areas). It is a plant indigenous to another part of the world and was probably brought into Australia as an ornamental something-or-other. It is now a declared pest with its very own Strategic Plan (which I sincerely hope is about eradication rather than territorial expansion).

 

 

Springtime in the vegetable garden

Our vegetable patch is producing many seasonal delights, including English spinach. I never tire of the voluminous basket of green that somehow reduces to three little bags for the freezer, weighing hardly half a kilo (about one pound). Doesn't take away from how delicious it is!  At the top of the patch WMBM is psyching out the satin bower birds - and managed to deter their presence by raising the height of the netting above our strawberries.  One satin bower bird is a delight, two a surprise, three is a wonder ... but twenty of the blighters don't leave many strawberries or early tomatoes for us.

First flight of the honeyeater

First flight was evidence of this little miracle. More like a sporadic blurr of fuzz and the soft crash landing in a pile of dry leaves.  A flapping frenzy ensued,  interrupted only by some strict "stay very, very still" instructions from the ever-vigilant parent. This nestling-no-more finally emerged on an upper branch. Rewarded. Rewarding. Last seen blurring in the direction of the more densely foliaged lemon tree. Never forget to grow your feathers ...

 

 



Inside the log cabin

This is the finished quilt – from hand dyed indigo and rusted cotton - a log cabin with the centre of each of the twelve blocks printed with something grown in and around WMBM’s vegie garden. The printed centres form the heart of the hearth.  So this quilt’s new home is in the heart of our place – the central room around which everything else is built –taking up residence with the fireplace, a few lounge chairs and soft lamps under which many a chilly evening has been spent.

Paddock to plate

We try to support local producers or wherever possible, have "one degree of separation" from our food. What we don't grow ourselves, we try to source locally. So when we found Amy and her family company Siwa Fresh we were back in the position of knowing the family that grows our meat. Amy runs the front end of the business in Brisbane, while her parents grow the meat. Lamb and goat -  grass fed on their Roma property. We like hogget - for the extra few kilos and retention of the beautiful flavour of lamb. Tonight's roast is crusted in a blend of  home-grown parsley, coriander, rosemary and segments of preserved lime with garlic, pepper and olive oil.