Saturday, July 17, 2010

Sewing and Planting.

My hand sewing ( the balls ) is finished so I needed to return to an on going hand sewing project - a trellis pattern table runner for the lounge coffee table. I have made this exact same one before in the same 2 colours but it has faded really badly over the years and had the odd thing spilt on it - generally needs replacing. I must have hand sewing for the evenings, as others of you have said in your posts.This is really easy small inch and a half squares. I use backstitch as I have a thing about secure hand stitching so can make the stitches really close together.( yes, I know it would be far quicker machine string pieced but that defeats my purpose )
*******
We have been planting.
We had on order a double grafted ( 2 varieties on one tree ) Nashi and a Plum tree. Palmers Garden Centre rang during the week to say they couldn't supply what we had ordered but there was a different single graft Nashi there if we would take it. This morning we went  there in the truck and came back with a Nashi Hosui ( which is only partially self fertile ); a Plum -  Hawera which sounds yummy ( red flesh and free stone ) and is self fertile and for me a Royal Gala Apple - cause I love apples. It was the best eating apple on offer. We have never grown any of these in this area so it will be interesting to see how they do.
The new plum tree. You can see in the photo how close the bush is so the possum trap will have to spend time here if and when we get any fruit. Already planted in this little orchard patch are the 3 feijoas, a lime; 3 blueberries and a persimmon.  It is near one kiwifruit block and the patch of orange trees. So very tempting for possums. We are allowed to kill them in NZ as  they are a REAL pest to our native bush. We already run a poison bait station up in the avocado block. We wouldn't get any undamaged fruit if we didn't have that there.
*********
The last 2 books I have read ( see list on side bar ) have been depressing and not pleasant reading so I am starting Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
 It has had good press and I hope will have me laughing.

7 comments:

Meggie said...

As usual, I am reading about 7 books! Our son has brought so many interesting books it is tempting to dip into each new offering.
Love the look of that bush! Homesick alert!
Good luck & blessings upon your new trees.XX

Jennifer said...

Love the blue and yellow runner - it's always such a fresh combination. You will have a terrific orchard if all your fruit trees take and the possums leave them alone.

Joyce said...

Love the table runner. I have read that book. It's not meant to be hilarious but it is funny and touching and gives an insight into the autistic mind. I really enjoyed it.

Diana said...

I love the colors in the table runner. I know what you mean about having a hand sewing project there to work on.

I hope you enjoy the "Curious Incident" book. I read it a few years ago and still think about it.

Leanne said...

Love the blue & yellow
ahh more fruit trees can never have too many.

Love Leanne

YankeeQuilter said...

Love the blue and yellow table runner. We back up on a bird preserve (I guess you could call it Southern US bush) and have problems with possums too. MacBeth is fairly good about patrolling the fenceline but I lost almost all my blueberries one night...Mac must have been sleeping on the job!

molly said...

"The Dog In The Night time" book is just weird....Want a riveting read? Read The Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson.