Winter Down Under

Winter hibernation! I'm always looking forward to winter at the end of a hot and dry Australian Summer. Though after a couple of months into winter hibernation I'm starting to wish it to goes away again! If you remembered I got vertigo last winter. Thanks goodness I didn't get it again this year, but what I got was a bad flu virus and it knocked me down for a couple of weeks. 

After I got over my flu I made a quick trip to Sydney to visit Myra and Georgina my dear quilter friends. We had planned to visit the famous Sydney harbour and all the touristy spots, but the train schedules had changed on that day and if we went we would have had to take 3 trains and couple of busses before reaching the harbour. In the end, we didn't make it. Instead we spent the afternoon quilting! 

I also saw two major International Exhibitions here in Melbourne. The first one was the Winter Master Exhibition of Vincent Van Gogh and the second one was the Hokusai Exhibition. How lucky am I to get a chance to view both of these exhibitions right here in Melbourne. I also was lucky to have visited Van Gogh's Museum in Amsterdam in 2015. I got to learn of Hokusai early on in my life when we came across his work featured in a beautifully printed calendar. Unfortunately, I do not remember the calendar year, but it was a pretty old calendar when we found it. We got all the prints framed and they hung in our homes for years.  I was thrilled to see Hokusai's original prints up-close and personal. 

Working, preserving and baking has been keeping me busy throughout Winter, but I wouldn't mind seeing Spring soon! I try to fit in eco-dyeing when I can, but only managed to do one batch in the last couple months. Anyway, below are some photos from the various activities I have been doing. Thanks for visiting. 

Van Gogh Self-portrait autumn 1887
Paris oil on canvas

There was no The Sunflowers painting in the
exhibition! But this clever dude sitting on
the curve painting in plain view
for everyone to appreciate!

A Wheatfield with Cypresses, Van Gogh. 

The Great Wave - Hokusai's most famous print.

Fine Wind, Clear Morning, Red Fuji Hokusai print

I'm always into baking and trying new recipes. Of course I love preserving/canning as you call it in North America. I was given some black and green olives recently. They came with instructions on how to preserve them. I also preserved garlic and honey. 

Portuguese tarts 

Gluten free orange cake

Jars of preserves

Dyeing bundles: There are many eucalyptus leaves around my neighbourhood. I wait until the leaves fall on the ground or when the city council prunes the trees. Winter seems to be the pruning time. Winter is also the season for privet berries which I collect and make into bundles. The berries give striking marks on fabric.  

Bundles freshly from the dye pot

Vintage silk with eucalyptus leaves
and privet berries

Eucalyptus Cinerea leaves on vintage silk

Eucalyptus Nicholii leaves on silk

In Sydney with Georgina and Myra

The quilt Myra and I made for each of us

Union Jack quilt Georgina made
for her beach house. 

Good to know that some people are missing my blog update. There is no excuse not updating my blog except I feel I don't make anything worthwhile sharing. Of course you can always look me up on Instagram 

Hope everyone is keeping well, healthy and fit! I'm still doing my daily exercises. I have got into a routine of hitting the gym for 6am sessions. The session lasts 45 minutes. I am home again by 7:00 and leave for work by 8:00. I try to do this 4-5 times a week, and if for some reason I miss a day, I make it up on Saturday.  I think I have become one of those gym junkies! 

Until next time

Nat