Autumn.

 Autumn crocus flowering now. After so, so, so  much rain anything that survived is doing well. A few late bright zinnias for the bees and butterflies.

 Apricot coloured ones are a bit more unusual.

 All the walnuts fell at once this year during the heavy rain and wind.

 We were without power for 19 hours at the beginning of Easter. I have collected 5 of these green bins full ; that's about 2500 walnuts.

We did our usual successful trip to the Rotary Used Book Fair.

 Laid out on sheets on the cobblestones to dry when the sun shines.

(also shallots drying on the trolley )

 This is the best tree they fall from.....lots roll down the slope beneath the tree. A lot land on the grass up behind the tree which stay clean in the grass.

 The young ones were with us over Easter. Here Grandson is wearing his new vest I got finished for him.

 Here he is defying gravity while building a tower with blocks. He loves the ""Crash, "  part naturally.

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 Yesterday 14 ladies sewed and pressed blocks to make this quilt top which will be our Raffle quilt at our Exhibition in September.

 Dorothy D whose back you can see here pre - cut and packaged all the fabric , so that took her hours before hand.

 It made for a large ,very accurately pieced  group quilt.

Cushion Cover.

Earlier this week when it was SOOOOO wet. I had time to make my Millefiori Block into a 20 x 20" cushion cover.

 It is paper foundation pieced and was started last year when Chris Kenna taught a class with our Patchwork and Quilting Group. Some members are still working to try and make a quilt from their blocks. I knew I didn't have the time for that so opted for something I could achieve in the form of cushion cover. It is only lightly quilted in the ditch diagonally across the web and a few other lines. It might be a spider web or a target.

 The pattern and instructions for this Millefiori or cobweb block are on page 54 in Issue # 79 of the NZ Quilter magazine. ( do note thought that there is an error in the size of one of the pattern pieces given there - not Chris's fault but the printer who changed one part so it would fit in....he/she obviously did not understand the need for accuracy! )

 For anyone from our group reading this, I now have a top 5 item to tick off! Yipee!

 I have started another vest for Grandson using my favourite pattern again. It is easy to dress a little person in and has no right or wrong side, back or front. It is  4 ply pure NZ wool of course.

 I took the photo below last weekend in Auckland at the gardens around the summit of Bastion Point. Mass planting always looks good.

Fun With Grandson.

Recently Grandson has been to visit us and we have been to visit him ( and his Mum and Dad of course ). We played and read books and went on outings. 
     We also planted some daffodil bulbs.

 I had purchased the bag of 50 of these yellow daffodils. I have already planted some here and have more to put in still. Where  best to put them at their place? 

 We decided a large planter near the front door would be a good place for them. I showed grandson what was in the bag and asked him to help me plant them.

 He looked in the bag then disappeared inside and came back with an onion from the pantry cupboard and dropped it in the bag.

 ( he will be 18 months old tomorrow.........now that really amazed me. I know grandparents are easily impressed but I thought that was REALLY smart. )

 Any way we carried on, me digging the holes and Grandson selecting a bulb from the bag and popping it in the hole. His Dad then got some blood and bone from the shed and an extra top up of potting mix across the top.

 Grandson then got his favourite blue watering can ( used to be mine ) and gave them a drink.

 I wonder if the bulbs will remain undisturbed to grow or if they will get inspected at any stage???

 I suggested adding some blue bedding lobelia for over the top till the bulbs come through.

 As I was busy doing this I didn't get a photo.   Here is another one. His Mum has since found a better solution using an exercise hanger on the door jam to hang the swing, not to high off the ground.