The Winds ( of Time ) Blow Strongly.

Always at this time of the year we get winds. Sometimes strong destructive winds. Yesterday was like that. At times it was hard to stand upright, especially if you had a big head and not much support.... like these cerise ixias. 

 It was difficult to walk as my friend D (from P & Q )and her friend J who came to visit found out. Every Saturday afternoon D goes and collects J from the home she lives at and takes her on an outing. J can't remember D's name or that it is Saturday. J likes gardens and colour( so do I ). I had invited D to bring J out to visit again and we would walk down the orchard and pick oranges for her to take back and share with the other residents where she lives. It was an appalling day weather wise but we did it anyway. Several times we went backwards instead of forwards as gust of wind raced around corners and through gaps in the hedges. J says she likes to walk ....but is oh so slow.  ( and she stops and forgets to get going  again) She held the bag open while D picked oranges into it. On the way back I carried a big bag around my neck for support and D and J carried the other bag. I suggested they thread the handles of their bag through  the umbrella  and each hold an end. This proved a great idea cause then J had to walk at the same ( slower than usual ) pace we walked. Usually if you want her to walk with you you need to thread your arm through hers.

 We came back and washed and bagged the oranges then had afternoon tea. That's the sort of thing J can't remember - did she have it already? J knows she had 2 brothers ( still has ) and 2 sons but gets their names mixed up. She knows she was a teacher once.

 She always says I think I have been here before, which is now true cause she has, but was not so on her first visit.

 I said to her," I think you enjoyed coming to our quilt exhibition last Saturday ?"  D went and got her for a couple of hours and she sat on a chair by the sales table and just watched.

" Yes, I did, " she replied. " I like the colours  in the quilts. So I went home and made a couple. " ( not true )

 J remembers to say please and thank you and appears to be happy with her lot. I hope she is. The last 3 times I have been with her she has worn exactly the same clothes. I hope someone washes them for her or reminds her to change. She may be younger than D and myself. I must find out from someone else. It serves as a lesson in humility for me and makes be very thankful for being fully mobile and having all my senses ( well, I think I do )

 Unlike my little pea plants which are self supporting and withstanding the strong winds ...

... Some more vulnerable need help.

 *****

 Other garden photos I took this morning. 

 Nasturtiums keeping low to the ground under the leaves are surviving.

 Arctotis have new flowers every few days and always look cheerful.

 The NZ Rata bushes are out and looking lovely as there is little in their needle like flowers for the wind to catch hold of.

 All the orchids have fairly strong stems and seem untroubled by the winds that blow.

Exhibition Photos - Wall hangings.

 The hanging on the left was closely quilted over raw edge appliqué. The pattern was purchased in Taupo.
 On the right D made this hanging called Sudoku when she managed to get her first puzzle out.
 At the bottom these tiles were made at Taupo Symposium in a class with Michelle Hill.

 J made this lovely hanging from doilies and cloves from op shops.

 L made this attractive picture ( sorry about the reflection ) at a class at Symposium in Taupo. It is made with organza and cut away using a heat iron. A steady hand needed and the ability to know when to stop.

 The lilies were bright and appealing.

 You know who made this Patterned Landscape.

 Finally a very appealing small quilt made by P.

 The colours were fabulous( especially the pink ) and the curve was repeated in the quilting.

Exhibition Photos 2

 S's quilt was amazing and very well made and as she has a computerised quilting machine the quilting was faultless

 One of these was by the same lady the other by her Mum - they both have fabulous quilting machines and do quilting for other patchworkers.

 My photo may not be doing justice to the soft yummy colours of R's quilt.

I loved the colours in M's 30 Blue Moons.

 The pink squares certainly popped in this on .( I think it would have benefited from another row longways. )

 D's string quilt looked good finished. She has some of my strings in there. We all share when someone needs extra to finish something.

 My Lightning Strike looked a bit lost as it was small and hung too high.

 This jelly roll quilt was just that, diagonal placing of the jelly roll strips.

                             The fabrics were nice so she didn't cut them up.

 I haven't met the maker of  this beautiful quilt depicting her Dutch Ancestry. She  is a new member to our group, and attends on a Tuesday night when I don't.  . The workmanship and colours were very, very nice. The quilting had been done using the quilt as you go method, on each block. She didn't come to the show so I wasn't able to tell her How much I liked her quillt.

.

Exhibition Photos 1.

I'm off shortly for the final day of our Exhibition. It has been going well with favourable comments. Lots of viewers.

 Yes quite a few blokes there too!

 The sales tables have been very slow, except for a young new dad who came along alone and  bought a clutch ball, bag, and a small quilt.

 Cheap things like my lavender bags and D's beads have sold well. No one wants aprons or purses etc it seems.

 I will show you a selection of the quilts on display over the next few days.

This is the raffle quilt which is selling well.

 R's huge quilt was stunning.

 M got this pattern when holidaying in the Netherlands

 C's Celtic Knots were eye catching.

J used Kaffe Fasset fabrics for wow of colour.

What Sort of a Blog....

What sort of a blog is this anyway when I have been making lavender bags

 and you can't smell them from where  you are?

 Baking orange muffins

 and you can't taste them from where you are?

 Picking avocados and oranges

 and you can't share them from where you are...

Distance is a bit limiting, isn't it?

Exhibition this Week.

This week most of our P and Q Group members will be making final preparations for our Exhibition. ...which will be hung ( set up ) this Thursday. ( filling out forms, tying on price tags, baking...last minute sewing.

 Yesterday I finished this apron which is slightly different being totally reversible.

 Pear fabric one side; blue berries ( that look like raspberries or boysenberries ) on the other.

 I also finished this apron on Friday.

 In order for these aprons to be easily laundered I top stitch very close to the edge all the way round, as the final finishing touch.

 Once the apron is turned right side out ( bagged out )through the gap left for this purpose I use a large pin ( seen here with a yellow ball head ) which I insert into the row of stitching then draw it up flat against the stitching. It pulls both layers of fabric back from the seam. I then firmly pinch the fabrics with my left hand and insert an ordinary  metal pin parallel to the seam to hold it with maximum spread. Once I have been right around I iron the seam right over the top of the pins ( so use metal only ) . Be careful as they stay hot for 30 seconds...

*****

 We would love to see you visit out quilt show if you live anywhere close by.

+++++

 Americas Cup 7 -  0 to NZ ...can we win?

Apron Day.

I didn't realise when I got up today it was going to be apron making day. It is wet. The Chorus men who work on the telephone lines have dug a hole down the road from us and consequently we have had no phone or internet access all day, till 4 pm. So many things I might have done at the computer didn't happen. Instead I finished this apron and am almost done with the next one.

 This pattern is called the fat quarter apron but that is not strictly true.

 The fat quarter is not the largest piece of fabric required. A piece 25 inches square is needed for the back. in this case it is the mauve fabric which makes up the back and is folded outwards at the top and sewn down with a button. 3 fabrics were used here. 4 are used in the original pattern but I varied it to suit what I had.

3 or 4 years ago at our exhibition we had only aprons on our Sales table - they sold out on the 2nd day.

 This time we are having 2 sales tables,  a kitchen themed one for funds for running the show and another general one where members may sell their own articles or quilts.

 Tomorrow at club some ladies are making 2 different types of casserole carriers.

 I will have 3 aprons and the set of coaster and what ever else I get finished between now and next Thursday - hanging day.

++++

 Further South in NZ things are pretty stormy. So far we have just had the rain and not the horrendous winds.

 I hope you are all okay down there!

Camellia.

                                          Camellia Hybrid Les Jury.

Quilt Project Finish!

My Patterned Landscape.

I decided today was the day I just had to finish my projects that I want ready for our Exhibition. This is the project I started in my 2 day class with Gloria Loughman at Taupo Symposium.

Part of the back.

Some closer detail.

 It has a label and an aluminium hanging rod, so is now hangable.

 My quilt is also ready; here is the label on the back and Velcro pinned to the top. That is how we hang our quilts. The other part of the Velcro is on the sheeted frames.

 For any friends who live nearby our Exhibition is coming soon.

Tauranga Patchwork and Quilters, "Quilts 'A Plenty " is at QE2 in Tauranga ( Memorial Park )

 from 10am till 4 pm, on Friday 20th; Saturday 21st  and  Sunday 22nd of September 2013.

Garden & Gallery.

In the garden some of these now are yellow or orange.

 I love fragile Iceland poppies. Several flower beds in Tauranga city have them by the 100s.. I only have a small clump.

 This morning I picked 2 cauliflower and almost the last of the capsicum as well as side shoots from the broccoli plants I left in the garden.My celery is progressing nicely for a crop I have never grown before.

 *****

 We have had the 2 young ones down from the big smoke for 3 nights. Yesterday they took us out to lunch( Father's day ) which was very pleasant. Afterwards R and I went into the art gallery in the city to  see 3 exhibitions that were on.

 This is a long view of part of Corrugations by sculptor Jeff Thompson.

 All made from corrugated iron ( roofing iron )

 There was also an exhibition called Painted Mauao - painted images of Mount Maunganui since the 19th century.

 The most modern by Arthur Dagley of the new harbour bridge.( across to the Mt. in the left hand corner) 

On the piles of the bridge were names of people involved in it's building.