Christmas present and images in the Gardens

Here is the bag I have made for my 7 year old step grandaughter to be in Canberra. I started with my favourite panne velvet disperse dyed, then covered with painted vleisofix and with threads and yarns laid on top. I covered it all with a chiffon scarf, fused it all together and did some sewing. I am quite pleased with the result, now I need to make one for my grandaughter here in Mackay - that can wait for a few days though as she will be staying here, I need to get everything finished which needs to be posted first.

This strange contraption iss supporting our very old cycad - estimated to be about 700 years old, to make sure it can't blow over in strong winds. It came from a cattle property about 150kms south of Mackay. The owners were doing some clearing just as the Gardens were being opened so they asked if we would like it - of course we said yes.

This fascinating structure is a wonderful sculpture done by a Brisbane artist Chris Trotter. He visited a national park near Mackay which is a rainforest area with lots of interesting fungi and other plants, so he tried to reconstruct the shapes in recycled metal agricultural and industrial implements. Hidden in amongst the other things are 10 frogs and it is a favourite occupation of young children trying to find them all. The pieces are rusting to some glorious colours as they age, and I never tire of looking at it.

We are still having very hot humid weather but with no rain - Brisbane is still copping all the storms with some very severe weather there tonight, not good for the fans hoping to see Andre Rieuer (can't spell it) with his show. Quite a few friends of ours from Mackay have flown down to see it and we heard the show start had been delayed by an hour because of the fierce electrical storms. That will make a lot of Brisbanites very nervous as there were about 4000 homes wrecked in a storm a couple of weeks ago. We don't want that sort of weather, especially after the flood here early in the year, but we would like a little bit of rain. There will still be about 200 homes not repaired up here by Christmas after the all the promises that they would all be finished by Christmas. I am so glad we were safe and only a couple of inches of water through the laundry.

I'm going back to my sewing machine to finish a couple more things before I head off to bed.