More than a hint of Spring.................

August has arrived & bought with it welcome hints of spring & summer! I found this winter really bleak with its many cold, wet & windy days, so the recent burst of glorious sunny days have been very welcome. Plants springing into flower have added to the feeling of summer just around the corner. Pansies are such happy little plants.............

 Today was another glorious sun drenched day, so I continued to explore the local area with a visit to Maitland Park, one of the oldest parks in Australia having been in use from the 1840's. Prior to its formation as a public park in the 1880's it was the site of a privately funded racecourse. A very interesting historical feature of the park is its 4 picnic copper boilers which were constructed in the early 1900's to cater for hundreds of picnickers who visited the park . On weekends and special occasions, the park caretaker fuelled the fires in the early morning ensuring there was a continuous supply of boiling water for making tea throughout the day.




Every park needs a rotunda!!





The Picnic Copper Boilers 




The Richard Alexander Young Memorial Drinking Fountain, circa early 1900's

The park is also home to number of memorials to soldiers and others, from the Maitland area, who contributed to wars, other conflicts and peace keeping activities from the Boer War to recent times. A great uncle of mine is remembered for his contributed to the Boer War. Family folk-lore has it that while Great Uncle Charlie contributed to the Boer War & World War 1 he was somewhat of a scoundrel and research indicates that he was discharged from both war services for a range of misdemeanors!! Every family needs a member with a "history" - if nothing else, its adds mystery & intrigue to family story telling......

The Boer War Memorial

Today the park has beautiful trees and gardens, thanks to the work of the local council and remains well used by local people & visitors. Its facilities include picnic areas, a well utilised children's play area and playing fields for sports such as netball, hockey and tennis.

Lets hope the early spring weather continues! Until the next patch, K.........

The Week in Review........

It has been another very cold week in the Hunter which also bought some icey winds - not much of a week for out door activities. So I've enjoyed completing a few decorative things around my new house. I've hung this quilt on the living room wall & I just love it! I called the quilt "Happy New Year 2007" as I made it during the January holiday period of that year. The fabrics are from Denyse Schmidt's "Flea Market Fancy" range & are among my all time favourites. The pattern was adapted from "Sarah's Pastel Quilt" featured in Kaffe Fassett's book, Museum Quilts.

"Happy New Year 2007" - circa 2007

Now I'm  out & about looking for a suitable fabric with which to reupholster the lounge chairs. At this stage I'm leaning towards a green linen. More to come on that front...........

I've also found some time at the sewing machine working on my latest quilt which is called "Berkeley Square". In 2009 on the last day of a trip to the UK I whiled away the time sitting in one of London's well know parks - Berkeley Square. It was early autumn & the strong fabric colours of these fabrics remind me of that warm sunny day and the emerging changes in the season from the greenery of summer to golden yellows and reds of autumn through to the browns of winter. The quilt is getting close to the finish line......

"Berkeley Square" - a sneak preview

For a bit of extra colour I've included a photo of the bespoke patchwork chair I recently purchased from Freedom. Not only is it beautiful it is also very comfortable!

Thats about it for now. Until the next patch........... K

Celebrating family & friends................

This has been a week celebrating the achievements of family & friends. I was delighted to receive a phone call from my friend Marea who with her husband Chris is enjoying a “grey gap year” adventure travelling around Australia. Marea was calling from the warmth & sunshine of Broome in WA where she was watching the sunset over the beach!! You can read more of their adventures on their blog.

On Saturday I attended my friend Robyn’s 60^th birthday party. The invitation invited guests to wear fur & riding boots! Now I don’t own riding boots but I did delve deep into my wardrobe to rediscover a fur jacket from my youth. A few hours in the sun and some minor repairs and it was ready to go partying..................

While fur may not politically correct these days, I’d forgotten how luxuriously warm a fur jacket can be on a cold evening. There were a range of fur coats, jackets & collars on show at the party. However the birthday girl left fur and riding boots to the guests - she looked fabulously glamorous in a Grace Kelly style black taffeta & lace dress. It was a great party - a wonderful celebration of family & friendships.

My rabbit fur jacket - circa 1970!

On Sunday it was off to visit my Sydney based sister, Bernadette, and hear more about the upcoming outback flying adventure she and her partner, Vasant, are planning. Recently Bernadette told their story on Radio National’s Life Matters program. It’s an inspiring story - you can hear it here.

I also enjoyed dinner with my lovely Sydney based nieces & their partners and heard all their latest news – fun, work, conferences, and of course babies.................

I’m back home in the Hunter enjoying the good crisp country air and getting on with my creative endeavours and home decorating projects. Until the next patch, K ......................

Sunshine at Long Last..............

We have enjoyed a weekend of glorious winter sunshine after weeks of heavy rain, severe winds & flooding. The Hunter & Paterson Rivers which run through the lower Hunter Valley are swollen with dirty brown water, causing some low level flooding. After attending the local Farmers Market on Saturday I did a spot of flood water sightseeing!

While out and about on Saturday we came upon Closebourne House in Morpeth. Having grown up in the area I know Closebourne House well but was unaware of its history. In 1821 Lieutenant Edward Close, founder of Morpeth, built this beautiful Georgian home & chapel out of locally quarried sandstone. He named his grand home - Closebourne House. From 1848 to 1912 the residence was home to the various Anglican Bishops of Newcastle. Still standing today the house is one of the oldest in mainland Australia.

Closebourne House, circa 1821

The Morpeth area and its surrounding town & villages are rich in history. A long time home to our indigenous people, the first Europeans in the area were a party lead by Lt Col. Paterson who undertook an exploration of the Hunter River in 1801. Paterson named the area Green Hills. In 1821 the land was granted to Lt Edward Close, a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, as a reward for service as Engineer of Public Works at Newcastle. He commenced building Closebourne House and set about establishing a private town which around 1834 took the name Morpeth, originally the name of a town near Newcastle in England. I have a long association with the area as my fathers family has lived in the area since around the mid 1850's.

Thats enough of the history lesson! I'm off to the 2011 Sydney Quilt Show on Wednesday - am looking forward to the delights this annual exhibition always offers. More of the arts & crafts in the next blog! Until then - enjoy the sunshine where ever you are, K..................

Update from the Hunter.....

Hello again – I know it’s been a while between posts but there have been a few “hick-ups” getting connected to broadband in my new location (as ever the wheels at the telecommunication companies move slowly!).

Since my last post I’ve relocated from Sydney to the NSW Hunter Valley. It has been an exciting & exhausting time – packing up (the truly exhausting part....); the big move day on May 2; unpacking and settling into my lovely new home. All boxes are now unpacked, furniture & accessories are still being moved around but are quietly finding their “place” in their new home.

The last of the boxes waiting to be unpacked!

Lemoyne Star quilt - machine pieced & hand quilted in 2005

While I spent my early life in this area I haven’t lived here for many years, so I’m enjoying exploring and getting to know the local area again. The area has a rich history dating back to the early days of white settlement which began in Australia in 1788. Last weekend I visited the Dungog Film Festival. Dungog is a small town nestled in a pretty valley in the lower Hunter and has been home to the Film Festival since its establishment 5 years ago. The Festival was established to celebrate Australian films and increase the appreciation of Australian screen culture and heritage. It is growing in popularity every year.....



Dungog's main street

Its winter here & one thing I had forgotten was how cold this area can be in winter - looks like a good excuse to go shopping for some more winter whollies!!
Until the next post, K .................

The Arts & Crafts Movement

I was interested to learn that The Arts & Crafts movement is celebrating 150 years since its beginnings when William Morris founded Morris & Co in 1861. The March issue of Country Life (British Edition) includes an inspiring article titled "The Art of Craft" which pays tribute to William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement. According to the article William Morris "set out to champion craftsmanship and quality in design, something that was waning in the wake of industrialisation".
William Morris famously said "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful". I like that sentiment.............
In our times it is wonderful to see an increasing number of artistians and craftsmen incorporating old & ancient skills with modern technology to produce a wonderful range of hand made items.

I've included some images that depict the Arts & Crafts movement................



In 2009 I visited the William Morris Gallery in the outer London suburb Walthamstowe. William Morris lived in this house in his younger day. In recent times it has been established as a gallery devoted to William Morris displaying a collection illustrating his life, achievements & influence. If you are interested in the Arts & Crafts movement and are ever in London it is worth a visit.

Of special interest is William Morris's Australian connection - the Art Gallery of South Australia has one of the biggest collections of William Morris's work outside of the UK.

Enough of my ramblings about the Arts & Crafts movement........................today is Good Friday, so I hope you all enjoy a happy, safe & renewing Easter time. K

Vintage Finds....

Recently I've been perusing the growing number of eclectic shops in the Surry Hills suburb of Sydney, selling a wonderful & diverse range of vintage goods. My major find was this vintage Australian made factory mannequin from the 1930's - 1940s. I purchased it from David Met Nicole, a wonderful shop in Cleveland St Surry Hills selling a wide range of unusual & eclectic items. http://www.davidmetnicole.com/

The mannequin has already found its place in my new home in the Hunter Valley. It's standing in my Studio wearing my grandmother's wedding dress.

The mannequin provides an ideal display piece for this beautiful dress which my grandmother Margaret Ellen Hogan wore for her marriage to George Ryan in August 1912. Overall the dress is in wonderful condition given it is nearly 100 years since it was made. I just love the lace on the bodice and sleeves. 

Planning & packing for my move to the Hunter is underway and the removalist has been booked for May 2nd!!
Stay posted........ K