A typical Melbourne spring day - one moment rain,  hail and the next sunshine.  Never mind the weather Max must move!  Her lengthy and varied stay at Montsalvat is over and she is on the move to agistment in Hurstbridge.  

She takes a little more help than the average horse

And of course she is being transported in the correct horsey manner!

Even the geese are impressed

A final check of the protective wrapping......

Past the Gatehouse, our lovely studio for two months....

Down the drive and off away from Montsalvat.......

Some very expert backing up Margaret's very steep drive.......

Back to manual transport

Many hands make light work.......

Through the back gate............and on to a nice dry corner of  the deck.  At this point sudden hail prevented  getting Max into her designated spot or any chance of a  decent photograph! 

Heartfelt thanks to our helpers, Peter and Michelle with the horsefloat and all that went with it, John, Helge,Tony, Sim and Jeanette for their muscles!

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Well Max is now counting sleeps - she'll be travelling from an empty studio

to a cosy new home in Hurstbridge in  just a couple of days. She'll be travelling in comfort in the most appropriate of transport.  Just wait and see!

An extra special post tonight.  We'd like to thank everyone at Montsalvat- all the artists in residence who made us so welcome, members of the Board and the administration,  the restaurant (ate there four times) .  Jo and her band of volunteer gardeners  who  laughed at and with us no matter what we did to the garden and Dean who helped us with the horse and ladders.  We'll never forget how  Sigmund  kept his sense of humour no matter what we wrapped in knitting (including himself!).

Sim, Jeanette & THAT tree again!

We are indebted to Jeanette Davison whose invitation to yarnbomb Montsalvat created a never to be forgotten opportunity.   Thanks Jeanette, you looked after us beautifully! Not only did we have  heaps of fun but the experience enabled us to grow as artists in the most unexpected ways   developing  new skills and ideas as we went.



  

Open Day is over and we have yarnbombed Montsalvat.  So now we pack up.......

First the palm tree

Just about everybody has been photographed under the palm tree except Margaret - until now 

This time its Tony who helps with the dismantling 

And all that was done without disturbing the geese sitting on eggs at the back of the studio

And now ...with much sadness,  the last load into the car

Yep We'll be back!

Meanwhile there'll be less frequent blogs with more details  on our knitty Montsalvat creations over the next few weeks!.

Well a glorious sunny day for Montsalvat's Open Day on Sunday.  

We put on our "Montsalvat Artists" aprons and celebrated with a photograph to prove that we did actually get everything finished in time!  Note the clean floor and everything is TIDY!!

Outside the door , 9am and people are arriving - Sue, Sue. Amy and Joe looking very festive with bright red umbrellas.

Children start queueing to collect their maps for a treasure hunt to count our yarn bombings , return to the studio and collect a chocolate frog.  

Between looking at exhibitions, studios, eating, listening concerts people rest on the daisy covered lawns  entertained by buskers.

Others enjoy our bright and cheery  yarnbombings 

Resting in the Gatehouse Retreat at the end of a busy day

Whilst in the studio we should have been charging  "posing rights"  - the horse and peacock were kept very busy standing still and smiling sweetly for very many of the nearly 1300 visitors to Montsalvat. 

What a day - and in the words of some very wise person - "we all went home tired but happy".

Tomorrow is our last day in the Gatehouse Studio at Montsalvat.  Tomorrow is also Montsalvat's Open Day so come and see us before we disappear!

So we decided between frantic working moments to have some fun.  These visitors wanted to be photographed under the palm tree.

and then their friends appeared...

and then  they found Margaret on a ladder fixing her birds

  And then they  found the wire heart we'd decorated for the gardeners.......

This yarnbomb piece has been great fun  - its tailor made for "selfies".  In fact if you come along tomorrow you can join the many who are using lots of our  yarnbomb pieces for "selfies".

Tomorrow children can follow a yarnbomb trail - count them - and  come to the Gatehouse, tell us how many you find and you might just win a chocolate frog.

Not satisfied with tourists we decided we had to yarnbomb a person.  So off on the hunt.........

Dont sit down for a second when we're around!

We can now declare that Sigmund Jorgenson is an ARTIFACT!

Well so many pictures today  it could remind some of a family slide night!!!!(That dates people huh!)

So here's a pretty picture just because it is!!!!!!!

 Montsalvat has a custom of weekly  shared lunching dating back many years. Today we joined the gardeners and volunteers for lunch in Matcham's   kitchen.(this Sunday there will be Rick Nelson's  film screenings in the kitchen)  Very sad for us as its our last Thursday.

I could hardly eat for the view out the window

These wonderful people do so very much to keep Montsalvat looking good, they are great fun to be around and have added such a lot to our time there.  So a week ago we purloined a wire frame from the back of the greenhouse with a view to a little yarnbombing......

So come afternoon tea we decided to return it

The amazing and wonderful  gardener Jo just had to check the woolly flowers for perfume.

  Then back to the studio for a little more work ,  but on the way had to pass Sue Thomas"s conservatory studio to be tempted inside by her sister  Jo to see the luscious fabrics.

And I kind of liked her pins

and then I made the mistake of looking out the window into the next greenhouse

And then I turned around and wow - you've  just got to come on Sunday and see these luscious things for yourselves

The evening light was just too good to be true so I checked out some blossom and.......

our Wedding Tree

We so love what we've done on this tree, but there are one or two little details we'd like to add - time permitting.......  What I most love is the  way the fine lace of the doylies echoes the finely etched lines in the tree bark.

And just  to finish  - another pretty picture!!!!!

So you see you have just got to come to Montsalvat's Open Day on Sunday

Forget about the election foks. Its gone!  The next big event is MONTSALVAT'S OPEN DAY !!!!.(Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, Vic)  this Sunday, 9-5 , gold coin donation and lots of yummy foods available at reasonable prices, heaps of open studios, buskers, film, music, gorgeous grounds (bring a picnic blanket)  and more.....

Even better, you can come and see what we've been up to.  Its our last day, and your last chance to visit us!

Todays preparation included :"The Birds"

Test flight for Korea

China and India alighting near destination

What does all this mean?  Well, if you cant guess what this has to do with a red, white, and blue horse then you'll just have to wait until Sunday and the artists's statement.  Its obvious of course!

Which  leads us to tonight's stealth, by daylight again.......but definitely after 5!

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