Yesterday afternoon we attended the races, for the first time here, actually, first time in years anywhere.
These shoes were drawn to my attention by friend V we were with. What can I say – sorry the pic wasn’t better, but it was on the run. I suggested to V perhaps I should ask her to pose for a better one: her reply “Well, with a face like that I’m not sure she’d agree” put me off, maybe for the best. Whether the woman had been having a run of bad luck – whatever, she looked grim. Anyway I won’t show the expression on her face – just the shoes.

Now, this design had something for everyone: black canvas laceups, like Converse Hitops, glittery silver laces, lots of sequin glitter appliques, bling I think it’s called – and very high white heels with very pointed toes, covered with glitter of course. You can see they were worn with jeans, and the jacket I recall was a very nice camel coloured suede. I wonder where she got them… they might be quite comfortable actually… Meouw. 

One of my uruguayan friends who has travelled extensively, says people in Montevideo just don’t realise the beauty all round them, they never look up while walking along – well, the uneven state of the pavements with sudden changes of level, sloped paving stones and missing tiles, to say nothing of actual holes, and occasional deposits of dog poo, are all fair deterrents to much looking up…

However, sitting under the magnificent sweeping grandstand roof out at the restored and now fully functioning Maroñas hippodrome /racecourse yesterday, I looked up and marvelled at the pressed or embossed copper sheeting lining the roof. Each sheet is about a metre sq. with 16 divisions in the pattern that look like individual tiles with roses, I think – the pic shows parts of 6 with the join line crossing the middle of the pic. The verdegris patina has been brushed here and there to show the copper underneath. About 4 years ago we visited the place a couple of times marvelling at what a magnificent place it must have been in the glory days before and just after the WWII. Although people still trained horses on the track, the course was not used for official races, and it was sad to see it all abandoned and just left to decay. Tiles had gone allowing water in, windows were broken and vines growing through, small self-seeded saplings growing unattended in the huge ornamental urns on the ballustraded terraces, squatters living it rough but relatively protected in under the grandstands, dirty littered marble stairs sweeping up from floor to floor…. Now, what a difference from that decaying faded glory – in DH’s opinion it was almost too late to save it the deterioration was so bad.
DH had a couple of wins, but my usual choice of either the name I like the sound of or “#4”, drew no luck at all! but we all had a lovely afternoon, and will go back some time.

I am pretty sure, and DH, agrees that we have not come across rana on a menu anywhere, but will keep an eye out, and I will ask some of my friends, one of whom is in contact with some very poor fishing people. Otherwise I guess the bodies go the way of other animal wastes – farm fertilizer or animal feeds….

And that reminds me of the most appalling but very funny experience we had on one of the main highways here one night around 1992. It was lovely clear night for driving, and we were on a beautiful new modern highway, heading towards Montevideo. Suddenly on the road in front of the car was a splat of something that looked pinkish, lumpy and yet liquid – quilte like a huge pile of vomit really, then another splat, and another, and then it became a trail down the middle of our side of the road. DH did a good job of carefully straddling it and not sliding in it. It was just amazing – eventually we stopped the car to see what it was – fish guts, absolutely no doubt about it. We passed a group of houses with people standing outside, very puzzled, no doubt pondering the difficulty of getting rid of it, and worrying what it would pong like over the next days whether they swept it off the road or left it there …. and still the trail went on. A police car ‘raced’ past us… and another…. and finally, after about 20 MILES/ 30KM, I kid you not, there in the middle of the road were police and other people, no doubt including the hapless driver, standing around a huge tanker truck. Clearly the trapdoor had come loose, and the whole load had gradually emptied out onto the road. Back in Montevideo we drove through some very deep puddles to wash the underside of the rental car. But, pheeeeew! by the end of the next day we simply had to turn that car in for another – of course splatters got up into the engine and all kinds of places, didn’t they? and I doubt that vehicle was ever the same again no matter what they tried to do with it, because every time the engine warmed the stink would come back.

I met a quiltmaker, Graciela, last weekend, and in true quilter tradition we began sharing information. I have met a few makers in parts of the country – so has she, and some of them we both have met. She confirmed my impression that there are very few of us and there is no kind of organisation, but it would be good for all of us to get together every now and then. I agree and look forward to that.

I lent her a book, she brought me information on a fabric outlet store in Buenos Aires, and a promise to take me to man who works with fish leather….. and funnily enough just yesterday another totally non-quilting friend promised to take me to a leather manufacturer friend of hers who might pass on some bits. Who knows?
I might find more of that metallicised pewter colour yet…..

But today, best of all, as promised, Graciela sent along several pieces of frog leather through her son who attends a nearby highschool. Do we talk of ‘frog hides’? anyway the one pictured is typical of them all – approx 6inches by 4 inches, and the leather is beautiful, very fine, light coloured, soft, smooth with very faint little markings on the centre/back part, and quite different from what I expected when she mentioned them on the weekend.
Somehow with frogs being watery creatures I expected something rather see-through. The flares and frilly bits where the limbs join the body are just fascinating. When I use these it will have to be something quite inspired… so for the moment I will just fondle the leather and think about how to use it effectively. In spanish the word for frog sounds a lot more elegant – rana , so this is cuero de rana, frog leather.

Continuing the leather and lace thing, this mottled suede with brown bloblets and spatters ( accidental, I think) is very inspiring in combination with cut-outs and stitch. Showing is one 5cm sq piece, with large stitches in #8 perle are 2cm approx; other stitches are tiny seed and french knots. I am very pleased with this small work and am, bravely or madly, seriously contemplating a very large piece of about the 1.2 to 2m kind of dimension …. at least 10 recorded books worth, imho.
The whole work should be showing soon since it is likely to be in a local fine craft gallery within the month.