She Dwelt Upon the Untrodden Ways

She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways

William Wordsworth 1798

She dwelt upon the untrodden ways

Beside the springs of Dove,

A Maid whom there were none to praise

And very few to love:

***

A violet by a mossy stone

Half hidden from the eye!

-Fair as a star, when only one

Is shining in the sky.

***

She lived unknown, and few could know

When Lucy ceased to be:

But she is in her grave, and oh,

The difference to me!

*

I wrote this, below, 20 years ago tomorrow. 

But as I speak tonight, it’s 40 years ago not far from here, that my own little Lucy ceased to be and it struck me as I walked outside in the middle of the night that now was about the time.

I was wrong about the song, apparently.

***

it was twenty years ago today...

...my baby died in her sleep. which is what we all say is how we want to go isn't it?

she's a blur, a dream.

i pinch myself and know her to be a fact.

i broke my finger yesterday. now i feel sickly and ouch and annoyed and it's fitting to feel a bit low today.

didn't do it on purpose of course and it's a bloody nuisance but sometimes one looks for a reason to emphasise the pain you want to feel.

just so you don't think you're forgetting, or something.

she's not my handy topic, my maudlin common thread that we might have, my deep reason for you to empathise.

i've never put it public like this and i'm healthy about it and so on but she truly did exist and i forget that a bit

and usually it's ok, but 

they played 'the first time ever i saw your face' which is about her baby being born, they played it on the radio on the way home from 5 hours at the hospital last night.

how do they know to play it every year on her birthday or this her death day?

my brain gets it. some people die young and some don't. but today i feel sad and sick a bit and the mid-day movie's crap and my finger is throbbing to the rhythm.

lucille gladys melia . january 4th 1982 - september 4th 1982

My One True’s Gift

https://youtu.be/fLlttedKNlo

I would do anything for you

I would climb mountains 

I would swim all the oceans blue

I would walk a thousand miles

Reveal my secrets

More than enough for me to share

I would put roses round our door

Sit in the garden

Growing potatoes by the score…

Happy Fathers’ Day To All Of My Dad's (Or Those I Have Picture's Of)

 Dad, Bob Armstrong 

Gramps, Keith ArmstrongDah, Ronald West 

g. grandfather, George Armstrong 

g.grandfather William Phillips

g. grandfather Harry West

g. grandfather George Dickinson

g.g. grandfather John Armstrong

g.g. grandfather Alexander McKenzie

g.g. grandfather William Phillips

g.g. grandfather Cornelius Harold West

g.g. grandfather Joseph Hatchard

g.g. grandfather John Dickinson

g.g. grandfather Thomas Wakeham

g.g.g. grandfather John Smith

g.g.g. grandfather John Arnott

g.g.g.grandfather Francis Hatchard

g.g.g. grandfather Thomas Wakeham (might be son)

g.g.g. grandfather Bob Mallett

The Middles’ Christmas Jackets

Thank goodness they both fit, with ease to get through winter time, since I'd promised to make a replacement if they didn't. Jet (left) endured scathing temperatures to wear his for some time so I take that as a hit. When I decided to make them these denim-style jackets, the rest presented itself. The boys have such distinct styles and personalities it was fun to explore with that.

Jet's jacket is made from cotton duck in his mode-of-the-moment, cammo. He's completely (utterly) car mad so I glammed it up (in a manly way) with reflector tape, cut and folded to make piping. Also, for my interests sake and why not, I added a grey soft vinyl panel in the arms. Both the leather-look and the reflector tape don't stand out, then flash in the light. Noice! Subtle.

Leif's is pin-whale cord, very soft and a bit stretchy so won't have that stiffness cord can have. He's a softie-lover-extraordinaire (and a softie himself) and so fur fabric was a must for the collar. I hunted far and wide. I might make a bag with the leftovers, 70's style (shh, no promises, don't tell him yet). The cord and fur made piping a no-go. Too much. So I blinged it out on the lining. I also added a zip instead of studs for the front opening, avaitor style. This entailed adding a placket like you would for a fly opening. No small amount of thinking to do that as it's been a while since I made dacks!

You can't see the linings absolute fabulousness here at all. It's like a tarnished silver (as in, has a gold cast) wild satin, bought from an African dressmaking and fabric shop in Footscray. When I saw it I immediately thought it must be mine and would be brilliant. It's mixed with the (almost) last of an orange satin I made my own children clothes with (Leif's aunty Ruby). The inside back yoke is brown velvet. There's a blue stripe in the sleeve and a sliver at the bottom of the left front too. That fabric came from a swap I did with some people in Powelltown, when Rob (Leif's Dad) was a baby.

Jet's jackets lining is from an old 80's dress I found at the op shop. It was one of those awful strapless numbers with rucching at the bust. Ew! Really, really the worst of the 80's (I know, there were a lot of contenders). Way to glam it up, understated style though. It's a quality taffeta.

Both linings are backed with cotton wadding so they are very soft and will be really warm and cosy. Confirmed by Jet without prompting.

How gorgeous are these boys! Cousins. It was nice to immerse myself into their personalities all the while I was making their jackets. I can cuddle them from afar.
Kids clothes are great to make. You can be really playful, although you can anyway, for grown-ups I guess. I loved making these and think I might try and imagine something for myself.

Op Shop Denim Overalls & Jacket

Jackson reminds me of my Mum

Jaden's Wagga

Jaden's Wagga (not finished, no back yet) made using dyed blankets and some of my old favourite kilts (one I wore to death when he was a little boy and I was a little Grandma).
Happy Birthday for last week boyo! My first-born grandson with my last-born grandson (his baby brother) and my beautiful Ruby.

Overalls In Situ

Too cute and a sweetie as well. Here's the link to the other post and the source of the overalls kit.

Jackson in Grandpa's garden, aged 14 months.

Smith Family Get Together, 7th July 2018 at Brighton

John Smith's great grandson Graeme and his sister Betty and other cousins have arranged a gathering 170 years after John, Frances, Amelia and Lucy's arival in Australia on the Andromache, July 1848. So it will be Saturday the 7th of July this year.

It will be in Brighton at a local watering hole or suchlike (to be nearer to Betty's house and to be advised). They would dearly love to meet as many of John's descendants as can come along. Last time we got together I was able to take Dad and Ruby along and we had a lovely time sharing both the history of the family and just getting to know each other.

Hopefully we can find and invite some of the other descendants of Amelia and John Armstrong too?

John Smith, born 18th of December in Appleton, Berkshire England, and died 6th of January in Ballarat.

He married Ann Lambourn in Berkshire and they had two daughters, one of whom was Amelia Smith, my great-great grandmother.

Anne died in England and John's second wife Frances, along with Amelia and Lucy, came to Australia and had eight more children.

Amelia in turn married John Armstrong and amongst their children was my great-grandfather George Armstrong (who married Bessie McKenzie).

My Gramps, Keith Armstrong (or George Keith as was on his birth certificate) is Dad's (Bob's) father.

John was said to be one of the three who first discovered gold in Ballarat, though they hid their findings to go and retrieve their wives and children from Geelong. When they returned to their selection with the families, gold had been officially declared found.

Frances's obituary claimed these wives and children were the first on the goldfields, contrary to other claims.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

It's my own Grandma's birthday today. Phyllis Lucy West, nee Dickinson, Born 1909. 
The best sewer, crocheter, fixer... I remember watching her fixing some dropped knitting stitches, with fascination (and managed to remember because it was interesting). 
She was always trying a new technique, finding hit or miss excellent/terrible stuff at the op shop. Talking back to the grumpy old men at Job Warehouse. Helping Mum or us. Being mean to my Dad, who still cried at her funeral. 
She was generous, bigoted, easy going. She let me live with her when I studied patternmaking, a 15-16 year old hippie full of fancy, smoking pipes and bringing home all sorts of friends. We had a great year of sewing and whilst we drove each other crazy, we were cut from the same cloth and had a ball.
She was generous, bigoted, easy going. Could cover a chair or lay a brick path.
She let me live with her when I studied patternmaking, a 15-16 year old hippie full of fancy, smoking pipes and bringing home all sorts of friends. We had a great year of sewing and whilst drove each other crazy, we were cut from the same cloth and had a fantastic time. 
I still miss you! You would love so many things we've been up to. Like my parents, she was always ready to be so pruod of us all. xxxxxxxx Happy would be 109th birthday!

Latest Knitting

This is the cutest pattern! Easy to follow too. Check them all out over at my Ravelry page.

It's a bit cute that Jon wanted a bunny too. 

For baby Jackson, so he'll match his lamb.