The Show

This year I was more involved in the Royal Bathurst Show than I have before.  It is known as “The Country Royal”.

Mum’s family have always been involved in shows, with my Grandfather entering fruit and being involved in huge displays at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in the 1920s and the Lithgow Show from the same time. My uncle then continued the tradition, being Chief Pavilion Steward at Lithgow until the early 2000s.  Mum used to judge Needlework at various shows while she was a dressmaking teacher.

I used to enter items in the Needlework section at Bathurst as a kid and Mum always entered.  Then, I seemed to get slack for many years, as I wasn’t doing much craft.  About six years ago I started to enter things again. 

Last year I offered to help in the Needlework section and was able to do so for the first two days of preparation, before we headed off to Baradine for Scrub Stitchin’.

This year, the timing allowed me to help for the full two weeks before the show started.  Yes, it takes two weeks to get it all ready.  When you wander around, looking at the exhibits, you have no idea of the work that goes on behind the scenes.  I know I certainly didn’t.  

So what happens?

As it turned out, the lady that has previously been the Head Steward of Needlework was unable to assist this year.  So Muggins me was Head Steward for Needlework. Remembering, all I had helped with last year was receiving entries and putting them in their sections.  There’s nothing like a steep learning curve.

Day 1 - Easter Tuesday - Most days start at about 8.30am.  Clean the pavilion display areas, set up tables to start to receive entries in Art, Junior Art, Craft, Photography and Needlework.  It looks rather drab to start with.  Our pavilions are listed on the State Heritage Register, but that doesn’t mean they are flash.  They are rather rustic inside.  Others were busy bringing in display cabinets for Cooking, Lego, Lapidary, Apiary, etc.  Shelves were brought in to display Horticulture and Produce.  Hessian was attached to those shelves to screen below them. Screens are set up for Photography.

Day 2 - Wednesday - Receive the majority of the entries.  Lots of entries, and covered up for the night. Nearly ready for judging on Saturday.  Tick off all the entries to the Judging Sheets, making any adjustments as required.

Day 3 - Thursday - helped as a Steward with the judging of the Craft and Junior Art.  This gave me an insight it what was involved, as I had no idea.  Junior Art has so many entries from all the schools.  I’d hate to try and judge them. In other sections, Open Art was judged.

Day 4 - Anzac Day - Show Free Day.

Day 5 - Saturday - Needlework Judging Day.  It was really interesting seeing how this is done and listening to the Judge’s comments.  She is very experienced and we are lucky to have her.  I learnt so much about the process, and also about stitching in general.  She commented that the standard of work this year was very good.  What was disappointing was the miniscule number of entries in the Junior Textiles section.  Hopefully, next time some schools can be contacted to encourage more entries.  After the judging we started to attach prize cards and get ready to prepare the display, by laying cloths over the display stand area.  We hung the quilts on the top rail.

Day 6 - Sunday - Started to set up the display.  We hung items on the catwalk rail and worked our way down.  I admit to initially being stumped as to how we would display things on the sloped section, but with guidance from the Chief Steward, we made good progress.  There really are some lovely item that were entered.  Particularly in the knitting and crochet.  All done and covered up, ready for the Friday start to the show.  In other sections, Photography was judged.

Day 7 - Monday - Helped set up the Photography section, attaching prize cards and starting to attach to screens.  A huge job, and not completed in the day.

Day 8 - Tuesday - Show free day for me, as I had other commitments.  In other sections, Lapidary and Apiary was judged.

Day 9 - Wednesday - Receiving entries for the cooking, which was judged that afternoon.  I was not needed in the afternoon.  I had thought of watching the judging, but it was cold and I had plenty to do at home.

Day 10 - Thursday - Show free day for me, as we had things to do in the morning and were going to Katoomba in the afternoon.  At the show, the Preserves, more Baking, Horticulture and Produce were being judged, with entries brought in during the morning.  Mesh screens were put in place to keep the public from touching the exhibits.

SHOW DAY 1 - Friday - in at 7.30 am to uncover all the Art, Craft and Needlework exhibits in the pavilion.  Had everything ready to go at 9.00 am.  Now for the public to come in and admire all the entries and have no idea as to what had taken place to get it all ready. How it should be.

I did enter some items this year.  Yes, stewards are allowed to enter.

I entered two Wall Hangings, receiving a 1st and 2nd place, due to there being no other entries.  I also received a 1st with my patchwork basket in Any Other Patchwork Article.

My Natures Journey quilt received a 2nd in Multi Technique, commercially quilted.  My Doiley Quilt received a 3rd in that section.  I forgot to take a photo.  You can see the winner of this section, which also won Champion Patchwork, in the photo further up, hanging next to my Natures Journey.  It had excellent piecing and lots of needle turn appliqué.

My Twister Quilt received a 2nd in Machine Pieced, all own work.  You can see the winner behind.  It was all HST, with perfect points, and huge.

My Knitted Beanie received a Highly Commended against some really beautiful ones.

I also entered my little Bag from our Scrub Stitchin’ kit a couple of years ago, in Tote Bag, but it was outclassed.

Mick and I had a good look around on Friday.

SHOW DAY 2 - Saturday - we had other commitments, so weren’t able to attend.

SHOW DAY 3 - Sunday - The show finishes at 4 pm and then we get stuck into pulling everything down.  Tables are set out and entries are laid out by entrant, ready for them to be collected on Monday.

FINAL DAY - Monday - An early start at 7.30am, continuing to get entries organised for their owners to collect.  For Needlework, it wasn’t too difficult, but for some sections, such as Junior Art, there are so many entries to collect.  In the cookery section, sadly most of the entries are disposed of, as they are well and truly stale by then.  Entrants come in in dribs and drabs, so cabinets are emptied, all the covers for the display areas are put away, and the place generally put to bed.  Finally, any entries not collected are delivered to the show office to be collected at a later date.  All done and dusted by 5.30pm.  A huge day.

So, as you can see, it is a lot of work, with only a small band of volunteers, generally of retirement age.  I was the second youngest.  They are really trying hard to recruit more helpers for next year, as one of the stalwarts is retiring, along with her knowledge accumulated over many years.  I do hope some others step up, as it is really rewarding.

Grandma's Bed

When I was a little girl we would go and stay at Grandma's for a week in the school holidays.  One of the best things for me was being allowed to sleep with Grandma in her big bed, which got me thinking of the John Denver song......

It was nine feet high and six feet wide

And soft as a downy chick
It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese
Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick.

(You can see John performing a rather different version of the song here.)

Now my Grandma's bed didn't quite have the dimensions of those in the song, but it was high and old fashioned, albeit with a lumpy kapok mattress.  However it did have a nice white Marcella quilt and green eiderdown.  The best thing though was that it had Grandma and she sometimes let me brush her long white hair.

Her Singer treadle sewing machine sat to one side and an old turned leg side table on the other side, under which there was a Big Old Tin Treasure Chest. There was also a big blue chair and blue chest of drawers.

This all took place over a rather short time frame, as she died when I was nine.  I was always rather sentimental and for quite some years loved going into her bedroom, sitting on the big bed and looking at the treasures from the trunk - old photo albums and a huge fat book called "Medicology", which was fascinating.

Many years passed and the room was to be repurposed.  The sewing machine came to me and currently has our TV sitting on it.  The chair and side table are with Mum.  What to do with the bed?  At the time we had own bed and our spare bedroom was set up with lovely old antique beds.  Sadly, I had no room for the bed I loved so much.  In the end my brother took it, used it for a while and then it went into storage, firstly in his garage and them in Mum's.  When Mum moved to the retirement village last year we ended up with the bed, once again in storage.

Finally, now that we have got rid of all the boxes of books we have a room in which to house Grandma's bed.

It is a simple bed, dating form 1927. The timber was rather dry, but other than that is in surprisingly good condition.  After lots of furniture polish and a new mattress it has come up a treat.  

The main design elements are the sweet decals on the head and foot, which is what I loved so much.  However, what I have really noticed is that it isn't really all that big - how perceptions change as we grow older. 

This room is still very much a work in progress.   No one can sleep here as yet, as there is no bedding under the quilt.  I still have to go shopping to make it nice and snug. It is the perfect size for my Nature's Journey quilt.  The Marcella quilt is probably the original one off the bed.

Yes, there is a sewing machine beside the bed, where there always was one, even if it isn't Grandma's. This White was one of our first auction purchases and lived in our bedroom for many years. Apparently, my other grandmother had a White.  We have also had the bedside cupboard on the other side of the bed for many years.  The quilt on the rack is an Anni Downs design I made from a kit not long after she opened her first shop here in town. 

We still have to hang some pictures and add a few bits and bobs to make it welcoming, but it sure looks better than a room full of boxes of books.

Out and About in April - One Very Busy Weekend

The last weekend in April was crazy busy.

QUILTS IN THE SHEARING SHED

Firstly, we headed out to O'Connell to attend "Quilts in the Shearing Shed".  This was an exhibition of over 100 quilts made by Bridget Giblin and her students in a local shearing shed.

We were greeted by members of the local Rural Fire Service, who supervised parking and ferried everyone across to the shearing shed.

First stop was morning tea.  Very civilised, with beautiful china cups.

After visiting the pop up shops, we were taken over the road to the rustic shearing shed.

Inside, it was transformed to display the quilts.  Some amazing work was on display.

BATHURST SHOW

After lunch we then went to the Bathurst Show.  The Show is one of those events you go to every year, for the social side of catching up with friends and acquaintances as much as anything.

The local wholefood co-op always have a great autumn display.

One of the local nursing homes did a great yarn bombed bike for their winning entry.

And of course, sideshow alley comes into its own once it gets dark.

We discovered last year that our front verandah is a great spot to watch the fireworks, so once again we came home to enjoy the spectacle.

SPRINGWOOD QUILT SHOW

On the Sunday, we headed back down the mountains.  This time to visit the Springwood Quilt Show,  Rachaeldaisy had talked me into entering two quilts.  As always, there was a great variety of quilts on display.

I had to take a photo of a Lucy Boston.  This version by Mary de Bruyn.

There is always a great variety of stalls.  So much cuteness.

This quilt by Kyeen McPherson was one of the three viewer's choice winners.  Just gorgeous work.

Rachaeldaisy's quilt was one of the other viewer's choice winners.

The third viewer's choice winner was Ann Langley's Farmers Wife.

No, mine was not a winner, but it was rather exciting having it on display.

My other entry was my little Windmill Mini from some years ago.  Mick designed this one.

If you exhibited a quilt you were expected to make a contribution of  your time.  As we live a couple of hours away, I decided that the easiest way to join in was to help with the pack up on Sunday.  It was great how everyone pitched in to take the quilts down, get them folded ready to collect and then dismantle and pack up all the stands.  We worked solid for an hour and then it was all done. A great team effort.

So. by the time we got home on Sunday night we were somewhat pooped. I think we did well to fit in so much over the weekend.

PS. I just read the roundup blog post for the Springwood Quilt Show here and was surprised to see a picture of me with my quilt.  

Nundle - Girls Day in the Country

THURSDAY

Once all the girls started to arrive this was a common sight.

Yep.  Tears of laughter.  So much laughter.

FRIDAY

Friday saw quite a few of us venture out to The Cottage on the Hill for a little retail therapy.  Notice how the nice sunny blue day of Thursday has vanished.  This was more like the weather we had for the rest of the weekend.

A kit for this quilt, plus a bit extra for borders to make it larger may have just come home with me.

There is always so much inspiration here.

Friday evening saw us all gathering in the camp kitchen for nibblies and  a little show and tell.

Deb's.  

Dzintra, Jo Jo and Kerri's.

Jenny & Chooky's.

Dawnie's.

Sandy's

Susan's

And mine.  (I'm sure Chooky won't mind that I borrowed her photo).

There is so much talent among this group of ladies.  I know I certainly wouldn't have the patience to do so much of the work they do.

SATURDAY

As usual we gathered at the Town Hall.

This is what we received on our table.

And just some of the lovely ladies on our table.

We were introduced to the lovely Bonnie Sullivan who then revealed our project for the day.

Wow!  Rather lovely.

Inside is a pincushion made from upcycled bedspread.

We received pre printed fabric with a lovely saying.  It was so easy to just stitch straight over the printed text.  Here is mine ready to applique to my circle of antique quilt.  How much use must this quilt have had?  The colours so soft and faded.  Yet, it has been beautifully created, with lovely, even, small hand quilting.  I wish I had taken a photo of the back before I stitched through it.  This is a great way to add life to something that would otherwise have been just put at the back of a cupboard.

This is as far as I got on the day - although the bird was stitched down before I left.  I also completed my pincushion.  I love that each sewing box will be different due to the unique scraps of quilt. I opted to have my steamer painted a French blue which should go nicely with the quilt piece.  It won't take long to finish the project.  That can be my Easter project.

There was a trading table of Bonnie's projects.  They really are lovely. 

As always there is a swap on the day.  We were given a design of Bonnie's and could make whatever we liked with it.  I came up with a little sewing holder.  

I received a lovely pin cushion made by Deb to add to my collection.

At the end of the day there was the usual group photo of all the bloggers.  

This one is rather special, as it is the last.  Yes, at the end of the day, rather than announce next year's tutor, Kerry announced that this, the 10th Girls Day in the Country, would be the last.  To say we were sad is an understatement, but we can understand that it is time for Kerry to move on to other things. To achieve what she has over those years is something she should be so proud of.

However, this will not be the end of our get togethers, as plans are afoot for something for next year.  I can't wait.

SUNDAY

So, while most of the girls were tucking into a yummy breakfast, Mick and I were packing up our campsite, ready to drive back home.  We'd enjoyed our stay in Nundle very much.

We travelled home the same way we had come.  I was hoping to see the other big cliff, as you drive out of the Bylong Valley, all lit up with sunshine, but alas, it wasn't to be this time either.

One thing we did notice coming home is just how dry it was on the tablelands, compared to where we had visited.  We had been missing out on all the rain.  Fortunately, that has now changed.

Hopefully, we will get to visit Nundle again in the future, despite the fact that there is no more GDITC.