Hand work Project.

 

 This is my latest project. It is a needle packet roll. My friend Helen had made one with tiny fabric hexagons across the middle. I am over hexagons at the moment and wanted to try one of the current ideas of combining felt with cotton fabric. I have 3 file boxes of felt left from my felt embroidered ball making, so some of that needs using.

 As I love Iceland poppies and have been studying their form closely I am using them as the theme for this work. 

The photo below shows where I am heading to cover the entire width of the pale green fabric.  I need to make lots and lots more stems and buds and maybe some half open flowers.

 I am not following a pattern just making up my own design which is the way I prefer to work.

 The felt forms are being hand sewn onto the cotton which has a layer of batting behind it. ( needs a press as it has been rolled up in my bag after sewing group yesterday.)

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 My little science project started on the kitchen bench when I sliced the end off a kumara that was sprouting/ I sliced a few centimetres off the end  and sat it in a saucer of water. Roots quickly grew. The shoots just took off. Now I have planted it in a bucket of rich soil mix and given it bamboo sticks to start it's climb. I hope eventually to get Kumara under my plant.

Something New.

 

 For some weeks now our old stove had only the top grill element working. ( it was  in the house when we moved here and it was a crappy stove anyway with it's light near the bottom so one could never see if the top of something was browned without shining a torch in or opening the door )

 Yesterday our now Electrolux oven was delivered and installed. It is self cleaning and has 3 lights. They took all the packaging and the old stove away. We both like cooking  and would have liked a double oven but it wouldn't fit in the space  so this is the one we decided on as we didn't want the bother of altering the bench etc. Once we had  heated it for 20 minutes + with nothing in it and aired the house ( very smelly )  we last night had a lovely roast meal. So far we are really pleased with it.

 Now I can get back to making  foccacia bread, scones, muffins etc.

 I finished making the wee blanket and little grandson now has it for his little bed.

We  have had some relations  from Palmerston North visit which was a good catch up and I have been buying plants and gardening. Some lovely sunny days allowed me time outside to edge and weed and plant.

 This garden called Cherry # 1 is looking bright with white  Iceland poppies and in your face bright cinereias. ( love the deep purple one ) 

 The netting covers are to stop rabbits and birds scratching. The roots of the cherry make some spots unable to be dug. If the roots are small I chop through them but I don't want the tree toppling over.