A smooth 2 hour 20 minute flight in the afternoon included a wee snooze - it had been a busy
morning! Launceston didn't seem too hideously cold, and I caught a shuttle to
the Olde Tudor Hotel. What a set-up! It kind of feels like a holiday camp - there's a supermarket, cafe and shops right next door, and best of all, the
entrance is a bottle shop!! I didn't even unpack before I set out for supplies,
as I was unsure of trading hours. Unfortunately, although I was given two sets
of wi-fi passwords, neither worked, so I went to get some replacements. Still
no good, so it was an early night with the tv - no arguments here though!
(Turns out, that as I am one of the furthest away units, it's busy, there are
double brick walls, and something to do with the weather, I don't have much
hope of ever getting it. Sigh.)
After the usual reasonably restless first night, I
cautiously opened the door to find... that it wasn't too bad out there!! Misty,
and definitely cold for a Queenslander, but do-able. After a cup of brown water (International Roast) it was time to find a cafe - stat! Luckily, the Lime
Korner was in the nearby set of shops, and despite my reservations, turned out
a totally nommy coffee for $3.50! You've won me!! Only trouble is, they either
don't open till 10 or not at all on the weekend! Now awake, I was able to enjoy
my walk, which took me around a corner to a misty view of Launceston. I took a
few side streets, enjoying the architectural and botanical differences between
Tasmania and Queensland, and of course, found a super crop of lichen upon
lichen! I may have even had too many layers on, as I got quite warm, but even
then, could still feel the chill trying to bite it's way through. After a
leisurely 
breakfast at my digs, I packed my duffel bag full of all my new
stock, and a half mannequin! This was not even a replacement for one of my poor
inflatable girls who lost the battle with a slow leak after Sydney's show, but
one for me to use as I sew the special piece I am working on. I set off up the
road, finding Silverdome only a short trudge away, and made an entrance walking
down the steep loading dock in my big boots! And then the transformation of
empty space began.
Five or six hours later, it was done. It's the most
different one so far - I only had a back wall, but then I ended up with two
tables! As the Silverdome is a sports venue, I also ended up with a white
circle on the floor, which became my starting point by telling me where Isolda
should be positioned! Less wall space than usual, two broken dress stands (I'll
sort that in Melbourne) and one mannequin down found me struggling a bit to
sort myself out, but in the end,
I am happy with the new set-up. Around 3pm I
was freezing cold, tired and hungry, so set off home, via the op-shop I had
walked past this morning. It turned out to be a little further away than I
remembered, but it was a nice afternoon, and I enjoyed the smell of wood-smoke
in the air, reminding me of my time living on Tambourine Mountain. I found some nice bridal and formal gown patterns there, and topped up my reading supplies. Back to base to cook up a roast to be my lunch for the next few days! It was then that I realised the six new nuno felted lace scarves I had made and had packed into my duffel bag this morning had not been unpacked today - so where were they?!! Slight panic as I tried to come up with a reasonable answer, and thought about trudging back to check, but with a 10am start tomorrow, there'll be plenty of time then. And they're not here, so they MUST be there!
(Sadly, as I suspected, they were not, and there not many
options for what happened to them on set up day. However, I will not dwell on
that.)
Today was slightly tough, after an evening at the hotel bar
watching the local karaoke. The trudge was a bit more of a struggle. Apart from
that, it was a lovely day, and I have to say I think the Taswegians are my
favourite crowd so far! They were very responsive to my work, and I enjoyed
talking to them as I practiced my tambour beading and stitched my special
waistcoat. It was nice to get out into the fresh air this afternoon on the way home, and I was
set to bunk in when the phone in my abode rang - I took a while to figure out
what and where it was! Miss Chrissy of The Lindy Charm School was in the bar - would I like to join her
for a drink?! There were a few others from the show there, and we enjoyed a
catch up before everyone departed. For me, it was a detour to the IGA for some
cheese which I couldn't initially pay for because I messed up my pin number three times
- aaaaghhhh!!
It was an interesting night as I dreamt I lost my mind -
quite an amazing feeling (I know, the cheese)! I set off early to the show to have a look around
before we opened - I was also keen to get back to work on my waistcoat. I again got many compliments, really heartfelt ones. I got a fun one from Trevor the Scissorman - he said I looked like some kind of fashion superhero in my fur cape and big boots - this inspired me to grab Kerrie to take a photo of me in action! (Scissorman was also kind enough to lend me a fab rechargeable LED light for my needlework activities - thanks for helping me not go blind!!) 
Sunday - the last day already!! Didn't we just set up? I
went for a walk, cooked myself a delicious breakfast, and made it into the
Silverdome with perhaps a minute to spare! Here is what the beginning of the day looks like as the crowds make their in after the 'Let's Get Ready to Rumble' introduction! It was a slower than normal start for the poor visitors as they had to negotiate the steep and uneven stairs, but nothing was going to stop them!
It was straight into the Tambour
Beading practice, which certainly gets some interest, and it wasn't long until
I met the delightful Willie, a TAFE teacher who was so enthralled that she had
to come around and try it! And mastered it straight away!! There I was still
struggling, continually getting snagged, and she could do it like a pro despite
never having done it before! Sigh. However, this wasn't merely annoying, it was
very beneficial, as she was able to put into words what it was that I needed to
do to pull the hook through smoothly and behold - now I can do it!!
I also met a talented young lady who was keen to dive into
the world of textile creations, and was able to give her a helpful hints, like
subscribing to TEXTILE Fibre Forum to get all the textile news, and joining
ATASDA. She was so excited, she had to come around and give me a hug, and we
got a great photo - Josie if you're reading this, post it up on my facebook
page! The day passed very quickly with lots of chatting and lots of sewing, and
then it was pack-up time. I felt like an island facing an encroaching tide as
the fair melted away around me.... I had still held a faint hope that the bag of scarves would miraculously turn up, but had to face the fact that they are indeed gone. Now I know I said I wouldn't dwell on it, but I am absolutely devastated that someone would do this. Why? They wouldn't have even known what was in the bag?!! I spent days making those scarves and they were quite beautiful. I hadn't even sewn my label into them yet, but can I just say to all in the textile world to keep an eye out for them and let me know if they are spotted. Here they are again - they all have lace felted into them.
Now it's a day of catching up on emails and all the other
internet tasks I have been unable to do all week, as I don't fly out until 4pm.
See you Tassie - it's been cold but fun! Oh my goodness, a week today it is off to Melbz - totez!! And tomorrow, the email stating whether I have made it through to the next round of WOW - eeek!
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