Using What You have.

Thanks for your unanimous advice ladies. I like it left as it is too, so have taken the next step and basted and started quilting my top.

 Using thread I had available I decided on variegated Gutermann for both top and bottom.The backing as you can see is a pale green butterfly( not NZ ones ) print. I had in my cupboard. I use my large kitchen bench for putting in all those pins, so much kinder on the knees than the floor.

 I use masking tape to secure the backing to the bench. So far I am shadow quilting along one side of each zigzag line. I  may do both sides I think. What in the other direction? Will see when I get there.

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 I am still trying to get an up close clear photo of this young fellow( Kereru or NZ native pigeon ), who is spending time daily eating the red berries in the Miro tree I can see from the kitchen window. 

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 During the week I have had 2 instances of pest invasion. Firstly in the lovely bunch of carnations I was sent. First I noticed the caterpillar dropping under the vase. Then the petals fell out of first 1 then 2 then 6 of the flowers. I took the flowers apart in each instance to find a fattening green / grey caterpillar in the bottom.

 There had been no sign of them when the flowers arrived and it took them a week to grow there. Thinking this was not good I emailed the growers to warn them of the problem. I was really pleased when they acknowledged my letter saying it was a recurring problem for them from time to time. The adult pest must puncture the calyx of the flower and insert an egg. Almost unable to be detected by the grower. Quite a problem for them I guess.

 The second instance of pests occurred in my pantry cupboard. It wasted several hours for me the other morning when I found tiny crawling black things in the flour, then on the shelves, then under the shelves etc, etc. The problem had started in the Harraway's Rolled Oats -  that as yet unopened packet was literally alive with them. I had to clean out several shelves, check all the jars and throw stuff away. In some cases they ( whatever they are ) had crawled up under screw top lids and fell in as I opened the jars. By the time I got back to making scones, which I had set out to do, 2 hours had elapsed  I was feeling fairly annoyed by this time. I checked on the manufacturers website and under, frequently asked questions, others had obviously had this same problem. From now on we will keep any rolled oats in the freezer which should kill any present livestock.( Extra protein? ) 

 If you live in NZ and have this or similar product in your cupboard check it out. Strangely I had a previous batch of this same thing in a glass screw top jar and they had hatched out inside that lot and not been able to get out. Not liking to waste stuff I had been feeding that jar full to my worms.

 Could quite put you  off your oats! ( or me any way! )

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Still only a sprinkling of rain.

 Yesterday I collected the second pick up of my walnuts. 331.

 Walnut total from "My tree," this year so far = 411.

 ( R is collecting some from another tree. )

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