Window Renovations

These are the old red cedar framed windows along the back wall. All of the frames are rotted around the rollers and consequently they do not slide. Gales blow in from the west during winter. We made the decision to replace. Cost of timber framed is approx 3 times the price of aluminium, the glass is very old with an unmatchable pattern, so clear glass was chosen. We also wanted a view of the cattle yards from the house.
I spent 2 days removing the rest of the paint from the awning frame ( that I could reach without a ladder ) so the view was not only of peeling paint.

The window men came and quickly removed the windows and the beading strip that held the back 2 in place, they marched up the stairs with a long white frame with 2 fixed panels of glass and 5 mins later it was all installed. A quick trip to town for lunch and a visit to the hardware store as they had torn the flyscreen in transit from Kingaroy ( things like that DO happen to other people and not just us) and the rest of the panels were in place.

The view from outside. It is gray glass to lessen the impact of the summer heat (I hope).

The awning support is a bit in the road but eventually I'd like a deck with a new roof so that would go. Time to save some money for that, the holes in the floor have to be fixed before that happens.

If you are feeling sad for the old windows, do not despair, they are going to an old house currently under renovation at Goomeri. The woodheater installer found out they were going and wanted them. We had met him prior to the woodheater installation and we know they will be restored by him.

Sewing wise, I am nearly finished a UFO cross stitch, went to the Textile Fair in Brisbane, and am currently organising an Australia supplier of print paste equivalent for my dye painting workshop. Can't do any dye painting until the temperature warms up. Bring on September.
When I have some more spare time, I might get to quilt one of my first efforts.

Just been TOOO BUSY!!!!

Yes I know it has been awhile since I last posted to this blog. Life has a knack of getting in the way sometime. The most exciting thing happened just before Proston showday. Phil the woodchopping builder decided he just had to come for the show and install an upstairs shower in the bathroom for us. I think his wife also enjoyed spending our money on all the fittings. She certainly does a good job for her clients. This first photo is of the existing wall in the very corner of the house. Perfect spot for a shower don't you think.


After a few hours of measuring, cutting holes in the tongue and groove, packing to make it all square , we then had a shower base on the floor and slots for some taps.

A few more hours went by and the adhesive applied , the plastic backing installed, then the figuring out of the doors and hey presto, we now have a corner unit shower. The photo is a bit distorted due to the small space. 3 days later the plumber turned up and installed some new pipes downstairs. Came back 2 days later and it was finally functional. No more showers downstairs with the toads and the breeze coming under the wall.

The door opens into the middle of the room. The next thing to purchase will probably be some sort of blind for the window. The electrician is supposed to be coming back and installing a ventilation unit sometime. I bought a small heater to take the chill off the air in winter.

Sewing wise I went to Yeppoon and spent a weekend teaching kaliedoscopes in March. The girls were busy as usual. I then spent a lot of time preparing for my venture to Coffs Harbour in NSW for 2 workshops with one of my quilting heroes Hollis Chatelain. If you google her you will see her Precious Water quilt. This was the first quilt of hers I ever saw in a magazine. I would love to see it in real life.Another quilt of hers I love is the one with Desmond Tutu with the african children in it.She dye paints then quilts. Her idea of quilting is YOU MUST SEE THE THREAD. Some of her quilts are just a dye painted background with the images constructed solely from thread.

I spent a day learning to paint with dye, I think I did well considering I have not painted pictures since Primary School. It is certainly a different medium to work with.

The second day was a huge discussion on threads, quilting and design. I would now love to join her 10 year class, where you go once a year and learn from the design up. Hope the dollar stays high so I might get there for the colour class.

Just to show it was not a dream, here is a photo of me and my teacher, standing in front of her

"The Gift " quilt. The stitching is awesome, photos do not do it justice. The quilt is about a philipino girl working on a cruise ship ( that Hollis was on ) as a masseur and she had to send all her earnings home to her family. Hollis could feel the tension in her and said she had an amazing rapport with her and ended up making a quilt from the experience.

I managed to bring home my 2 artists palettes with my leftover dye paints in and now have 3 small dye paintings to wash out in synthrapol after curing. Off to patchwork again tomorrow. I need a bit of a break from the work routine as I have been involved in too many "Massive Blood Transfusions" lately, with some not good outcomes happening.

Will try too post a bit more frequently also. The next renovation work is replacing the windows at the back and installing the second wood heater. I had to remind the tradespeople AGAIN today for the quotes.

Painting Progress

This job is certainly beginning to feel like running a marathon, does the finish line ever appear?
Here is the tall wall in the dining area of the kitchen section of the house. I have brushed one top coat of paint onto the old boards. Will attempt a second coat after I attack the kitchen side as the level of paint in the tin is dropping fast. I might need more than 15 litres for this part. At least the yellow has been covered. The dark line you can see is my appeasement to Bryan as he was complaining he needs coloured trims in the room. I have tried a sample pot of Taubman's Deep Water on the sill, actually looks ok but I thought I'd wait until the cupboards are in before deciding for a permanent solution.
Here is the view of the tall wall. I just managed to reach the top with a long handled brush. Didn't have to perch my ladder on a table either.


Now for the lovely green section.
Here is the before view , the green is definately not my favourite colour, it was probably quite a pleasant shade when new, but after years of grime and dirt and teamed with chocolate brown trimmings, it had to go. Luckily I don't have to paint the entire wall as the cupboards will cover the rest. The old sideboard and overheard cupboards are also departing.

Have not taken the after pic yet as I have only brushed one coat. Tomorrow will be the next coat with the roller.

I'm quite certain I enjoy sewing more than this but one has to take care of their environment also. Will be glad when I can move onto the downstairs rooms. They only have 7 foot ceilings.

Some progress

Back again with some photos of my progress on my triad. This is 4 strata units. I have since pulled off the yellow/red strips attached to the purple set. My adviser said he quite liked the yellow orange but I felt it had to go. I wish the unsewing would happen as easily as the sewing. Would help if I could find the quick un pick.


Here it is with the 5th strata set added. In this photo I still have not replaced the yellow/orange strips. I think I have also moved the blue line over one row to draw the eye in a different direction since this pic was taken. Might make one more set yet and have put it aside until next week for patchwork day. I have also decided I don't really like the watermelon strip set so it might only be used as a fill in on the edges yet.


Here's where I've got to. Back to the veranda. This is the first panel on the right hand side of the front steps. I finished sanding it ready for painting. I will now start on the longer posts and cross beams at the top. Used the angle grinder dics, the heat gun and the sander to shift some of the stubborn stuff.

This is the last panel on the RHS of the steps. Look closesly at the top rail and you can see how much of the rail was rotted. This one will eventually be replaced as it is far too whoopy to keep.
Hopefully after the beginning of December all this side will be painted. Have not decided on a colour for the top rail yet. In the background you can see where Craig has thinned the tree line a bit.

Off to wash a few more walls inside as it has to be finished painting before a cabinet maker revisits us in December also. Then I may finally be able to store some stuff that currently is homeless and a sewing area may happen.

Sewing Again BUT still painting

Doesn't this look different. One coat of undercoat that took 2 hrs to paint after a few DAYS of sanding. Good news today before the rain was supposed to start I managed to get these 2 panels topcoated with one coat. I even got the top half of the stairs done before I decided not to push my luck with the rain too far.

The other good news is I am off to Coolwaters to teach kaleidoscopes and hollow boxes in January. So out of necessity I have sewed something. I went to patchwork in Mt Perry yesterday and caught up with the girls and actually sewed these three boxes. I have even finished the draft of the requirements list for the convenor and sent it off to her. The wonders of modern technology , I feel sorry for the generation who missed out on learning to use these things. Mind you my dad is giving it a very good go, but it certainly raises his frustration levels at times and involves some long phone conversations to me to try to make his computer work.

Think I might make a collection of these in blue to make a table topper for our dining table in its new blue/white abode. Am off to Sunshine Coast next week to be a cook and washer upper for the Uni student. Maybe when she is busy studying I can hit the shops. Hopefully her knowledge of anatomy and physiology will surpass mine by the end of the week. She starts prac at the end of November so please don't require an ambulance near Buderim as I certainly don't want her to see you there.