Ming the Merciless adjusted her new red felt landskin scarf

found along with velvet offerings in red and brown

and also several in chiffon silk

at Aspects Gallery, Kings Park, Perth

"are you sure about this?" she mused

and then ducked off

to mend her spectacles

using the trusty guide from the Reader's Digest of 1970something

all of which translates as a gibbering sigh of relief

because

my mother has again eluded the undertaker

i've finally delivered an order for the West [see first image]

and

i've nearly finished that manuscript

and just for the record, the tag with the question

came from a tea-bag

orange 2011

the embargo has been lifted

and i can now spread the word

the April Forum in Orange NSW is now open for enrolment

some 17 classes are on offer

including one by yours truly

email

tafta[at]iinet.net.au

unless you are a subscriber to

Textile Fibre Forum

in which case you will already have received an enrolment form

tucked in with your lovely magazine

i may have mentioned this before

i wish i had said that myself

but it was actually Nicolette Fraillon

Music Director and Chief Conductor of the

Australian Ballet

kawandi and another kat

it's been another extraordinary week here in Central Bumble

various treasures arrived

some by post

others along the interhighway

the image above is of a Kawandi quilt, specific to the Siddi of India

i found it in Art Found Out

and through those pages followed the bread crumbs

to here

go on, be brave, click the mystery link

the traditional post brought

quite unexpectedly but at intervals

Other Things

a parcel with a John Wolseley catalogue [Patagonia to Tasmania]

and a delightful collection of buttons

an egg brooch [it's in the picture above], a pair of earrings

a wee folded envelope [just like those here]

from my very nice friend at Soewnearth

and then Imbi

she who shines way up North

sent me an exquisite hand bound book

made by Michael O'Brien of Oamaru

[that pink flower peeping near the top of the pic is part of it]

and if you're wondering what the horse-y shape is

lower down in the image

i piled my treasures on to another book

[only momentarily for the happy snap]

entitled Shoes for the Moscow Circus

sent me in a care package

by my kindly editor at Murdoch Books

don't they know i'm supposed to be writing?

not losing myself in other people's magic?

[steam riseth from the keyboard]

shall have to be disciplined and save it

such abundance!

Willow [also known as Mrs Poo]

and pictured below

is not at all impressed

but

very satisfied at having booted Sam out of his bowl

cold Very cold

you may wonder

what a cat is doing in a bowl

it's cold

the bowl keeps the draft out

when you're sitting in front of the fire

when not full of cat

it is also useful for

dyeing scraps of velvet

so enough with the black already

yep, those of you who have visited these pages before

may like to reach for the sunglasses

i have decided to abandon the funereal black

and whitewash the walls a bit

the images above are of eucalyptus ecoprint

on delicious silk velvet

the objects have felt-induced wrinkles

the scarlet manuka

dark times call for desperate measures

tonight we had to invent a new margharita

it comprises

a cup full of fresh raspberries

sourced from the Barossa Farmers' Market

ice

juice of a couple of Tahitian Limes

Cointreau

Tequila

more ice

a little Manuka honey

and

a handful of frozen strawberries

plus

a chili like the one in the picture above

all

pulverized in a blender

and then

served in glasses

dampened with lime

and dipped in salt

not just any salt

but Pacific Ocean salt from New Zealand

we christened it

the Scarlet Manuka

in honour of an other dog

care to share your favourite take on a Margharita?

revise your life

whenever i'm stuck somewhwere with potentially idle hands

i bless Nalda Searles

who taught me how to twine string

this piece is obviously luridly dyed with some synthetic colorant

and

when dampened the cloth smelt like petrol

but

at least it kept me occupied

whilst waiting in the raindropped dark

thinking about life

and what's important

compared to what isn't

string holds it all together

thanks

thanks to all of you who have sent kind thoughts

and supportive messages

they are much appreciated

and

i'm also very grateful

that Kip the Wonder Dog

is determined to hang in there

and

is still being my comfort and companion