Canberra days

 Sunday was a Canberra day and Wednesday was another one - they seem to roll round regularly, which is actually nice. Gives us a change and we enjoy the quiet days at home more. Sunday I went to urban sketchers, which had over thirty attendees! There had been a news item on the local radio about it, because we are tying in with a museum exhibition about a local architect. And on Sunday we sketched the Dickson Public Library, which is one of the architect's triumphs. In a very 1960s way ... flat roofs, concrete, and little courtyards that were probably a good idea but are now very neglected.

Someone who used to work there said it leaked like a sieve and they had terrible mould problems. Surprised? No. Different levels of flat roof and ornamental downpipes into a water feature? Recipe for disaster.

Although at least the architect did put the downpipes flowing into the water feature (which has a drain) in contrast to my drawing of it, which has them just gushing anywhere they want. I tried to get the vibe without worrying about being too accurate because it was fiendish to draw. A lot of the others did the autumn trees and people having coffee, which was probably a better idea. 

Wednesday I went in on my own to a work morning tea for a colleague who's off to NZ to get married next week! It's in a particularly dull piece of the countryside less than an hour from where I grew up but I didn't say that out loud ... I'm sure it will be very lovely.  It was wonderful to catch up with everyone and get all the goss - they are gearing up for the start of the new parliament which is an exciting time and I miss it a little bit but not a lot. Lots of the same old bullshit really, and I am not pining for any of it.

The Canberra days involved two trips to Ikea, so I could frankenstein this excellent ironing station. It's a $45 metal trolley with a $12 tabletop ironing board zip-tied to the top and it is AMAZING. I was getting annoyed at having to get up from the sewing machine to iron things - instead of just turning around - and this has solved that problem. It is very solid and has smooth wheels - the things you see on tiktok! I love tiktok, and I have found myself on quilt-tok finally, with lots of ideas and inspiration. The ladies at quilters on Tuesday were bemoaning the lack of young people taking up craft hobbies ... which is simply not true at all, lots of crafts are thriving ... but 30 somethings aren't going to show to the scout hall at 10 am on a Tuesday morning in rural NSW. I did not say that out loud.