Very Long Strips.

Glad to have you call by Kirsty. Take care.
Hello everyone else.
It's really windy here in NZ these last few days, not good for our avocados or kiwifruit vines but it always seems to blow at some stage.( pollination is all over really except for a few late flowers )( wow, there are so many little fruit! ) I took advantage of the breeze and washed the quilt( my 1st ever quilt /duvet cover I made by hand) off our bed and now it looks brighter and smells lovely.
The long, long narrow photo is of one strip of my Hexagons. After a bit of experimenting I decided it was by far the most straight forward way to proceed with the sewing together. Sew each row ( diagonal strip ) together then sew that strip to the next. The row on the photo is strip 5 out of 20 to be done ; but it's looking good.
I'm mainly sewing at night or the weekend as the days seem filled with orchard work - doing exciting things ( blah! ) like the GST ( goods and services tax return) and garden work. I must remember Quilting is my hobby....not my reason for being! ( or have I got that wrong?)
I wish to tell you other bloggers how much I enjoy your day to day happenings; your quilting and creating; your joys and your sorrows and especially your photos!

Liquid Pollen.

On Monday and again today we had 20 young folk ( from about 5 countries )spraying liquid male pollen onto the female kiwifruit flowers. The pollen was collected earlier and milled and mixed in a slurry with red food colouring added so they can see where they have already sprayed. This is a very expensive exercise, for the pollen and all that labour but we hope it will ensure a really excellent fruit set. The bees are also still working away. Many fruit are already set...The petals darken and then fall leaving a tiny new fruit about the size of a marble.
I haven't got much more sewing done( too busy ) but am working on attaching the 3rd row of hexagons to the 2nd row. The count for the individual hexagons is now 261....so only 9 more needed.

Pollination

The kiwifruit are in full bloom. One photo shows white female flowers on the left and more apricot coloured male flowers on the right. Another shot shows a line of 6 beehives against the hedge in a sheltered, sunny spot. The next photo shows a bee in a male flower collecting pollen and the last shot shows some flowers already pollinated and the flower petals have dropped. You can see the basic shape of the little kiwifruit already there.
The weather has been mixed; some rain, some wind and some sun. Bees work best in warm calm weather and before about 1pm. We have 15 beehives spread around the orchard blocks but are still going to have artificial pollen sprayed on tomorrow ( as insurance of a really good fruit set).

The Next Step.

Although I haven't completely finished sewing all the hexagons I had time at the weekend to spread them all out on the floor and decide on their sewing order. I did the back first to make sure the star fabrics were evenly spread through the spot fabric, then flipped them over and made sure the colour spread darks and lights were okay and that there wasn't 2 tractors together or 2 cats or 2 anythings. I then labeled each row and picked them up in order in little stacks. I have started to handsew them together using a type of blanket stitch with a knot ( I use the same one when making felt balls....It is really strong and tensions each stitch ). The 1st row has 14 hex then 13 fit in the gaps on the 2nd row then 14 again and so on. One pic shows the back, and there are some close up ones for you to see Joyce. If you look closely at the fronts you can see where I have overlapped the machine quilting stitch to secure it...I don't like knots.
I am now on the 2nd row. I will finish making the rest of the hexagons when I need portable work to take with me. As the quilt growsI won't want to lug it with me. Thanks to those who have offered to post me fabric for this, but you don't know what I already have so it makes it difficult..... I think I will get there as I have only a very few left to source now, to make up my 270.

On the orchard the male kiwifruit flowers are out and being collected for extra pollen and the females should be in full flower during the next week. Our bee hives will come into the orchard then. I will show you that when it happens. Let's hope for some calm, fine weather now to make life easy for the little bees and to ensure we don't have to pay for too much extra sprayed on pollen. I am still thinning flower buds and tying in growth in the afternoons. Yesterday was 25 degrees centigrade under the vines. Phew!

Getting Sorted

It's very windy, then this afternoon it started to rain, so I was able to abandon any idea of working under the vines. Instead I crawled around on the floor sorting my Hexagons. You see the number I need is getting close now and I hadn't sorted by colour groups before. I put them out in colour families and discovered that I actually have less red, orange and purple than other colours. I have shown the photo from both ends of the room and one photo shows a group that I called multi coloured and one predominantly black. I think all up I need 270 or maybe 250 would work. I actually did all this so I could get out my fabric and actually check if indeed I did have certain motifs already sewn. I thought I could remember but just needed to check a few. By doing this I managed to cut out a further 20 picture hexies. One photo also shows cut, but as yet unsewn ones. They all look yummy set out and I love playing with them! (Now I have to go and bag them up again.) So if I decide to find 20 more I hope to get some more red, orange and purple ones , but when they are all mixed as they will be in the quilt it looks a great mix of lights and darks. ( for anyone reading this who doesn't already know I am making a boys' I Spy Quilt ( single bed size ) using quilt as you go Hexagons.)
Totals: 216 sewn
250 cut
Not sure how many are machine quilted about 3/4 I think. I am happy with that!

That Magazine.

Gosh what an exhausting week it seems to have been. Since the weather was fine it's been all on with orchard work, so it was just as well I had a hair appointment prebooked from last time or I probably wouldn't have made it into the city at all. But I did ( on Wednesday ) and while there had quite a list of things to do including buying a couple of gifts. One involved me going to Mag Addiction for some beading mags as part of a gift. While there I did a quick scan of the Quilting mags and decided to treat myself to something different from those I have on order.( I have "Quilting Down Under," on order at that shop and get my lovely "NZ Quilter," by post...but it's only quarterly, so I really look forward to it ) I got a September copy of ( takes a while to get to NZ ) "Popular Patchwork," a UK mag and am so enjoying it! Why?

I thought about this for awhile and realized that all the adverts were new and worth reading as well as the articles - I didn't recognize them and know them. Some of the photos were repeats of Australian quilts but that always seems to happen. The other seemingly small but significant difference was the UK mag like the NZ one are stapled down the spine and so lie open easily and stay flat. Now that's an advantage if you are reading it while having a coffee or eating lunch. ( as I so often am ) It is also lighter but seems to have just as much content. ( less storage space? ) I wonder what you all like ....in your quilting magazines....or don't you bother with them?

Potpourri.

Yesterday I spent some time reading other's Blogs that I enjoy; my list has got very long now, so it takes a while. Over at Pieces from My Scrapbag Finn showed a photo of her family treasure the Chamber pot. That got me thinking maybe others would like to see our old family treasures too.

Isn't the po a beauty. I have it in the Lounge with a yellow Begonia in It. ( I am careful not damage it). (The colour scheme there is yellow blue and white.) On the bass it says Aubrey made in England. It belonged to my Husband's Maternal Grandmother ( and may be older than that) and came to NZ with her family from Scotland in 1884.( she was only 4 ). In the other photo is the school bell that same lady used as a young teacher here in NZ.

The is a soup ladle belonged to the other side of the family.( no markings on it ) The Coffee Pot is a complete set; Pot; 6 little cups and saucers; a sugar bowl and jug, all in perfect condition - Copeland Spode Made in England - Spode's Bryon. I look after them all , so I may then pass them down the generations.

Healing Hearts.

Thought you might like to see a photo of lots of orchardists standing around in our orchard........ Thursday by some fluke was a reasonably warm and sunny day and about 49 people crowded under the Kiwifruit vines to listen learn and discuss.( what they should be doing right now in their own properties. The pros and cons of different methods etc. )

Yesterday I sat and made a healing heart block for a friend in my on line group ( Picking Up Threads ) in Australia, who has just had an op. Hope it helps and that she gets enough to make something worthwhile from us all. ) ( in her favourite colours )
Today is dull and overcast but we went across to the Mt. ( Mt. Maunganui ) and did a walk along the beach boardwalk and other parts for an hour or more and DH was delighted to see overhead 3 Yak planes doing aerobatic / formation practise. We then called by the Classic Flyers Club on the way back for some lunch and a closer look at those and other planes ( that's one of DH's passions and hobbies ) ; it began to rain on the way home and has drizzled ever since so I am sitting quilting some of my hexagons.
The Hexagon total is now 187 sewn and about 120 quilted.

Birds that Frequent.

Thanks for your comments ladies. Yes it can be busy around here. This morning while we ate breakfast I enlisted DH help and we compiled a list of all the birds we could think of that we see on our property. Our property 11.9365 hectares in total has orchard obviously and native bush, gullies and garden. This current interest in birds was sparked by the sudden and recent appearance of a Peacock strolling around our orchard. He has appeared on the lawn beside the house twice now just at dusk, but is camera shy and can run quite fast!
The list of birds has 31 different in all; some are here always, others from time to time:-Peacock; Pheasants; Pukeko; Harrier Hawk(Kahu); Paradise Ducks; Mallard Ducks; Native Pigeon ( Kereru); Kaka; Eastern Rosella; Morepork (Ruru); Tui; Thrush; Blackbirds; Californian Quail; House Sparrows; Indian Myna; Starlings; Magpies; Shining Cuckoo (Pupiwharauroa); Kingfisher (Kotare ); Welcome Swallow; Fantail (Piwakawaka ); Bellbird (Makomako or Korimako ); Yellow Hammer; Grey Warbler ( Riroriro); Silver Eye ( Tauhou ); Chaffinch; Greenfinch; Goldfinch; Black Shag and White Faced Heron. ( in brackets are the Maori names )
I wonder if we forgot any?
( the green feathered bird on the hand is a Shining Cuckoo that flew into a window.)
I love them all, well almost; some like the Rosella are a pest and peck off the kiwifruit buds cause they are parrots and like to play.
The Quails arrive in family groups of about 15 and walk around the lawn. Mrs. Thrush baths daily in my birdbath - very clean lady; sometimes the Tui do too.
If I have to pick a favourite I think it would be Ruru the Morepork.

Labour Weekend.

Although I have written myself a list, my 3 day weekend is consisting of a little of what I fancy mixed with things I must do. I did some baking; I sat for an hour and edited a section of DH life story; I weeded a little till it drizzled; I watched the rugby....aha Waikato beat Wellington in the final of the Air NZ Cup! ( sorry Dale it was a great game but we were just a little better ). I sewed some hexies. I did some housework as I work better in tidy / clean .....Once it's done I can relax ...Till it needs doing again! I picked some flowers from the garden. I read some blogs and other things. DH cooked dinner....I love that !
Unfortunately we were told late on Friday that our kiwifruit packhouse wants to hold a Growers' Field Day here next Thursday so that has added items to my list....... garden weeding that could have waited has now been stepped up in priority as we like to have our property looking neat and tidy. It's neatly mown already but some of the kiwifruit blocks are near garden areas so I don't want any obvious weeds showing! When I finish writing this I am on with some gumboots, off with the watch and down into the front creek ( stream ) to do a little tidying. The water level is quite low with no recent heavy rain so I should be able to stay reasonably dry ( watch my step ).

I have been wandering with the camera taking pics of lovely blooms. Sally Holmes rose has such a simple delicate face...I love to be able to see the stamens in a flower. Arylies rose is tiny and frilly but also beautiful. Both have different quite subtle rose perfumes. Ahhh...

The other photo is of a rarer plant Xeronema. [xeronema callistemon or Poor Knights Lily or raupo-taranga ] It has rigid sword like leaves and is hard to get to flower. Best kept with restricted roots and frost free ...but mine is now a big clump in the garden. Last year it had 2 flowers; this time 4 so far.( They are like red bristled tooth brushes or bottle brushes or dish brushes. )
















Next time I might tell you about the huge variety of birds we have around here....The latest is a peacock...Now where did he come from? I'll try and get some photos too. Those others having a long weekend, enjoy a little of what you fancy, it's probably best to stay off the roads.

Being organized.

Being organized is essential to my way of working.( I don't have a sewing room, just a big double doored cupboard ) I like everything sorted and stored so I know where it is. For my Hexagon I Spy Quilt I have all the completed hex bagged in lots of 40 ( cause that was a good fit ) in zip lock bags and the latest bag I am filling has a notelet with the running total written on it.
As there are 3 parts to each hex there is a pile of batting 4.5 " hex ; a pile of fussy cut 4.5" feature fabric hex and a pile of 6.5" backing fabric hex.
Today I had to go into the city for boring things like printer ink and stamps and a new farm diary, so didn't miss the opportunity to hunt down a few more Fat Quarters to fussy cut for my quilt. Good ones that produced 4 or 5 motifs per fabric. I also happened to come home with 2 new summer tops...But I won't be wearing them if the weather keeps like today. ( if you wait they won't be there when you go shopping again later )....I was restrained as about 7 in all fitted so I picked the 2 I really liked. Roll on warm weather. Only about 17 degrees C here today.
I also picked up my on order copy of Down Under Quilts ( # 101 ) from the mag shop. Storage is starting to be a problem with them, so I may cut back just to the NZ Quilter which is quarterly and gets mailed to me ( much more convenient ).

Hexagon Running total 158.

Current Orchard Work.

Here's what is happening in the kiwifruit orchard AT THE MOMENT. The vines have new growth that is very tender and vulnerable to wind damage. We have just had a week of strong relentless wind. Our damage could have been worse. One photo shows a broken withered shoot that is now lost. Another photo shows a long opening shoot that needs tipping to stop it growing more....... it gets pinched at the end between the thumb and forefinger ( squashed )

If you look carefully you can see the flower buds along the stem. My job during the next fine weather is to thin those buds to just one at each growing point. ( look carefully and you can spot some triples and mis- shapen ones.) You can see from the photos that the camera was pointing up towards the sky....That's cause the vines are all on overhead pergola structures...so you see I get quite tired arms, neck and shoulders by the end of the day. I have to limit how long I spend doing it or suffer.( good excuse ) ( here endeth the lesson ! )

So far, so Good!

Yesterday after we went to DH's eye appointment we went shopping for the new computer. ( isn't it amazing how long it all takes. ) Anyway we decided on an HP - the best for our requirements and DH wanted extra grunt so we got extra put in on the spot ( so we don't have to take it back later to get it done! ) We spent more than I thought we were going to, but that often happens if DH goes shopping! You've all been there done that so I won't tell the whole saga - briefly we got it all together and it is up and running, but I have spent hours getting it all going as we are used to.( very proud of my efforts ) So far there has only been one ooops with the digital camera...it didn't like me using the new computer and after I had, I had to reformat the card. Hope I have sorted it all.The good news is I can still access and use the important places like Blogger....so I can still visit with you all.
While we were in the city I got my Bernina checked and Yes I was right....it did need adjusting. It's purring along now. Haven't had any sewing time though.
We nearly got blown away in the kiwifruit orchard this afternoon...It's blowing a damaging howling gale.
I have P & Q Group tomorrow...Good....Better get some work ready to take. Happy sewing everyone!
( this is the 1st blog from the new puter! )

Simple Machine Quilting

Today I sat and machine quilted a simple border around 40 of my hexagons. That is all they will need. I used variegated thread ( red and green )and don't want the stitching to obscure the object in the hexagons. It is there mainly to hold the batting so it doesn't creep if washed.

Thanks to those who sent computer advice; Anne W of Grains in the Wind; hedgehog and sue. I realize everybody has had differing experiences and probably like cars there are good and bad examples of all models. No further progress has been made, deciding what to get; we need another wet day, but as you can see by the photo DH has put together the new desk ready for the new computer when we do decide.

Score with the hexagons is 130 plus. I'm starting to struggle finding different fabrics now but am not in a hurry. Any motifs that are suitable for a 2nd quilt ( for a girl ) are being cut at the same time as the ones for my boy's quilt. I did some measuring today ( just spread them out on the carpet ) and have some way to go to make a single bed size. I'm still enjoying making them - so that's great.

What To Buy?

These purple Sparaxias have been putting on the usual magnificent show, but a thunder storm and very heavy rain last night have made them look a bit sad now. ( we needed the rain! )

I need some help and advice please. We have decided the time is right to buy a new computer. The one I am using now has some problems and is getting old and slow. It also has some really good features. We have decided it can become the off line computer as there are times when we both want to be using at the same time . It is good to be in a situation where we are not buying cause this one has died...and therefore in a hurry..we can look around ...and ask around. What I would like to know from you dear friends out there is....do you have any recommendations and why...or do you have any "beware stories," about poor service or real dog computers. Should we go for XP Home ; XP Professional or XP Media ? (none have a good photo programme like this one....(Microsoft Photo Editor) (I will have to get photo shop and install that on the new one...ooh!)
Any advice would be much appreciated.

From My Window.

What a sight to wake up to!
In the garden outside my bedroom window this beautiful 11 year old Viburnum ( plicatum tomentosa) is at its glorious best.

I have several different varieties but this one is always the first to flower. The bees are in Heaven. The yellow ranunculas in another garden bed are also a delight. The kiwifruit vines are now getting little green leaves so another season begins.

Score for the I Spy Hexagons is 118 so far.

What Do You Want for Dinner?

"What do you want / fancy for dinner?" is often the cry around here. I enjoy cooking but often find deciding what to have the most difficult part. " Go and look in the freezer is usually the next thing said. After getting the reply, lamb chops, last night, I thought I know just the thing to go with those. I went into the garden and tickled ( felt around in the dirt without digging )those potatoes that might be ready. Too my surprise they were huge! So DH dug the first couple of roots. In another part of the garden ( a big tub actually ) there was a head of broccoli just ready to pick.
So a simple meal was made with steamed new potatoes with mint of course (from the herb garden) some steamed carrots, the broccoli and little lamb chops fried in a smear of olive oil surrounded by onion rings.
Individually we can't do a lot to save the planet but growing some of our own veges and nurturing the soil ( with compost )is a small way to try. We certainly know that the veges couldn't have been fresher or more natural; as it is Spring the bugs that come with Summer have not yet arrived so veges are pest free.
The photo shows Heather variety potatoes and broccoli.

So Much to See and Do.

Oh gosh, I'm getting all behind with what I want to say.
Last Friday a carload of 5 crafty, quilty ladies from around here went across to Hamilton the Claudelands Events Centre to the National Craft and Quilt Fair. The youngest one drove her husband's big car and we did the usual stop in Cambridge to have a coffee so we could hit the ground running on arrival at the fair.
There were 3 exhibitions of quilts. NZ ones, Australian ones and Japanese ones.
The photos are of Best in Show of the NZ ones.( Quilts Aotearoa had 120 quilts) Each circle had swirled handpainting on the fabric with hand work embellishments. Old coins were tied to it. I don't think the photos do it justice.
Also on display were the Best of Australia Quilts- the best in each state during 2005.(many of you in Oz will have seen these works on display or in magazines.)
The Japanese quilts ( 50 ) which were not allowed to be photographed , were amazingly varied. It was the first time they had been shown outside Japan, so we were priviledged to see them. There were a few traditional hand dyed and woven cloth ; lots of dark blue. There were also every other type of quilt imaginable - some with influence from the US, others with modern and abstract features which I really liked. Even a Japanese version of Crazy Patch. I looked at the quilts twice during the day; first and last. ( still didn't take them all in)

In between of course was some retail therapy. I arrived with a list of 4 things and went home with 3 of them....so it kept me focused. Several other bloggers had recommended the book "Collaborative Quilting," by Freddy Moran and Gwen Marsden which I purchased after seeing it and have read half of it already. I found plastic hexagons ( had to get 2 size packs) to use on my I Spy Hexagons....I now have 15 different sizes, starting at 1" going up in 1/2 inch sizes. I'll never wear those out! I found more fat quarters of fabric for that quilt too....I tried to select colours I needed and ones that had several objects to fussy cut on the one fabric. The thing I couldn't find was more of my backing fabric ( cause I want to make it bigger )....but selected 2 other star on black background that I will intersperse ....it may even prove to be a good look.

The count is now over 100 finished hexagons and still going strong!

Still More Quilts.

Here are some more of the quilts exhibited at our recent Show.

The colours in the Grandmothers Garden quilt didn't do it for.me but Yoshie's quilting is beautiful.

The quilt with the scalloped edge is by my friend Denise and was the first quilt she had ever entered in a show. She had wanted to join a Patchwork and Quilting group but it wasn't till after I had been going for a while she was brave enough to join. Even now she only goes if she knows for sure I will be there. I must be a different personality type cause I wanted to go especially to meet some new quilters and extend the number of interesting people I know. I guess we are all as different as our quilts!!! That's fairly diverse.



( Please note these quilts were not made by me.) That will be all I am showing and telling about Our Exhibition as I have been to another once since then. Busy Busy.

Wall Hangings.

The top pic shows the articles made from the fabric challenge. Some were extremely innovative. Only 9 entries - that was disappointing.
The wall hanging of the flowers was done by reverse applique using just one fabric. Very effective .

Beethoven used a selection of music fabrics ( pre printing), and would be useful for displaying in a music room or similar.

The other 2 funny wall hangings were very cleverly done with the addition of loads of embellishments...real fishing line , sinkers and hooks. The 2 dear friends had real jewels and feathers and buttons.( note their stockings ) These 2 had great appeal especially to the children that viewed them.
The person who made these 2 works plus one other large quilt caused much discussion and controversy. She comes to our group once a year and pays a sub just to be able to exhibit her work at the Annual Show. This has got some members in a lather. I think there will be some new rules a the next AGM. Does this happen in other groups ??? and what do you think / do about it? Does it matter? ( there was only viewers' choice by way of judging but this also carried a monetary prize. ) Most of us entered quilts to make up the show and were happy to do so. Many of us would not enter a judged show.

The other laughable thing that happened apparently........one of the members who also runs a Quilting Business, was coming and going, over the 3 days of the show, putting votes in on her own quilt that she wanted to win. That's getting a bit desperate! I'm a bit new to all this sort of thing so just quietly laughed and thought I would wait and see what happened about it all. Maybe all groups ( 120 members in ours ) have their little moments!

Please note all the work photographed here today, is by other people ; ( members of the group I belong to ) not me! ( I'm just sharing it with you) Enjoy!