Grandson's Hats.

 Last time I showed this navy blues hat. It was then followed by the next size in aubergine colour.

 It was delivered to Grandson last weekend when we visited.

 Here he is in his front pack wearing his sun hat as it was a lovely hot day. But colder days are coming so the warm wool beanies will be needed.

 He is growing fast and is as adorable as ever . Here he is at bath time.

 At the moment I have stopped knitting for him and  have made some charity hats. A young friend is going to Nepal in a couple of weeks and needs beanies for children at an Orphanage she is going to volunteer at. Any size or colour is acceptable - so I am using up those scraps.

******

 Just before Easter we had quite a storm which started the feijoas falling - some before they were ready or big enough. They are okay but not as sweet yet as they can be. I have found a recipe for a feijoa and ginger cake which I am off to make now. I will tell you if it's any good.

Hat and Fruit.

 I finished this beanie for grandson today and have the next size up started.He is growing out of the smaller sizes I knitted.

 R has been doing things in the kitchen today and yesterday. He picked then cut this 

 We were both holding our breath as the first one we cut a few weeks ago wasn't ready. BUT 

 Phew it'a a beauty!

Our grapes are ready and the wasps know it so R juiced this lot.

Not for wine just to drink or freeze.

****

I have also secretly been working on Felt  embroidered ball # 26 which is to be for Grandson. I am not showing those photos yet but soon.

 We watched a good game of rugby this morning . In the morning cause it was evening in South America where it was being played. The Chiefs  ( Waikato / BOP team ) narrowly beat the Jaguares in Buenos Aries 30 - 26.

It's Better in the Garden.

This morning it was better in the garden than in the house because 2 blokes came to install  an HRV System and they had ladders and tools and bits and pieces everywhere. They also turned the power off so that was limiting.

 It's a bit like plumbing but for air.

 Making holes through the wall.

 It took them less than 3 hours to put vents to 4 rooms and vents to and from the lounge which will be the heat source. They also changed the bathroom fan which vented into the ceiling cavity to a new quieter one that vents to outside.

 I will report back on how it works. Mostly it is for Winter heating, not Summer cooling.

 So while I was outside I took photos.

 This dahlia has  velvet petals and Black foliage.

 The first Autumn Crocus are out ( or are they colchicums ? )

 I am still trying for the perfect shot of Monarch Butterflies on the zinnias. Why do they like them so much?

Apple Anyone?

Today we picked any apples left on the tree as a possum was getting altogether too greedy and eating about 4 per night. Some were just nibbled and so the wasps had found them. 

 They are Royal Gala  and the tree was planted in 2010.  It is the first really good crop we have got. Some I have cooked - no sugar needed . The last lot I cooked  I bought a punnet of blackberries to go with them.

 The little black marks on some of them was caused by hail damage at the end of last year.

 The heaviest one weighed 403 grams.

 The White Niagara Grapes are also ready. We cam smell them when we walk out the lounge door. They are sweet and we have a good crop.

 We also did our final for this season Avocado pick for the local NZ market. Avos are quite scare  apparently so the price is up.

 Just a little sewing has happened. I decided to try and make a Taggie for Grandson.

 Here it is partly done.

 6 squares 3.5", some short lengths of tape or binding firmly sewn into the seam first then the seam sewn below the first stitching. The trickiest part is getting the final square sewn in.

 I then stuffed it with wool batting scraps I had and hand sewed the final seam.

 Stuffing something cubed is more difficult than something round or ball shaped.The stuffing has to be encouraged into the corners.

 If you haven't seen one before the tags are to make the object easy to grasp for baby hands.  ( and to chew I imagine ) I have seen tags on little blankets and balls and other random shapes.

Quilt Finished.

I ventured out between the rain showers and  shook the clothes line vigorously so I could hang up this little Jewel Box Quilt.  It is Complete! The colours are quite yummy . It is made entirely from left overs.

Great Day Out.

On Tuesday We ( R and P and R from Somerset UK, and Myself ) 4 Seniors, went for a day out. R drove. We picked up the other 2 and headed to 157  Domain Road at Papamoa for a coffee or tea at The Farm Shop.

 Lots of places sell free range eggs but not displayed like this.

 This hen really caught my imagination.

 ( there was a duck with similar marking on the window sill. )

 Outside there were brightly painted containers made into little shops with various crafts displayed and garden plants and garden furniture for sale. The furniture being used for outdoor seating while on display. The shop sell fresh farm produce and other organic products. there is art displayed everywhere and a hire-able meeting/ function room.

 From there we drove down the newish Eastern Link - toll road ( $2 ) ( 1st time for me ) then all the way to Rotorua.

 We went up the Skyline gondolas and had lunch .

 It was a cloudy day so the view of Rotorua wasn't as bright as some days but still impressive.

 I admired the hanging baskets of begonias.

 I was outside taking photos and took this fun shot of the other 3 still inside . My shadow is on the right and P is waving but behind us is the view of Rotorua. R is just visible in the middle.

 It wasn't too busy being midweek but would be at the weekends. As well as going back down in the gondolas we could have gone down the luge. In the gondolas it takes 4.48 minutes to travel the 908 metres. 

Our next stop was at Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre 1164 Paradise Valley Road.

 At the centre one can have a close view of NZ falcons, hawks and owls. At 2 pm we watched the Flying Display.

Here "Oz," the male NZ falcon sits on the hand of a Tauranga Boy's College student.  A bus load of very polite students were there watching too, along with a few overseas visitors.

 This Female falcon has caught the lure that is used in her training. It has feathers and meat attached.

 Many of the visitors got turns at giving the falcon some chicken leg bits.

 The flying display was very difficult to photograph well, so if you click on the link there are some U tube clips there to watch. Injured birds are helped and rehabilitated to the wild where they came from where possible. Some have stayed and breed. NZ Falcons are an endangered species. ( we have recently seen a young female at our place. ) The pine forests in NZ are becoming home to some falcons as well.( which may well save them from extinction ) 

 We returned home via the Tauranga direct road which branches off after Ngongotaha and comes out at the top of Pyes Pa Road. There are pockets of lovely NZ native trees along this route.

 4 seniors  had a great day out!

 Back to work for us yesterday and today.

Lovely Visit.

A very special little person, has just been for his second visit for 4 nights . His Mum and Dad came too. One day was very wet so we were glad when the sunshine came back and the washing line could look like this.

 Today's nappies are much more colourful on the line than in my day when I had 2 little boys...... Big white squares which were fastened with safety pins.

 Of course I took lots and lots of photos. One can never have too many photos  or little videos of ones Grandson!( I can play the videos on my phone when he has gone home! )

 At 4.5 Months he now likes to see the world so we put on his sun hat and his Dad took him for a walk in the garden.

 I happen to think he is rather cute and he already has the good grace to laugh his head off when I am playing games with him. So clever too probably.

Quilts Flapping in the Breeze.

After lots of rain recently the weather cooperated for the Garden Party at Katipatch yesterday. The day was breezy and the quilts flapped out and touched the viewers which was amusing as the signs said "Don't touch the quilts."

 I will show you the quilts that most appealed to me. None were named so I can't tell you who made them.

 Loved the colours!

 Rocky Tims Idea? 

 Again very pleasing colours. It really made the focal point stand out.

 The varying tones of blue in denim.

 Click to enlarge to see the detail here.

 A view through the  Trellis and surrounding garden.

An advent calendar with little pockets.

Some of Eddie's potted fruit trees.

 As expected I met up with lots of ladies who quilt. A small group of us sat in the shade of the big copper beech tree and ate a pleasant lunch we purchased from local church ladies who were catering there. I perused the sales tables and made some purchases.  ( things I could make myself but I enjoy buying from others and the items were very well made  ) 

.At Carol's shop I bought a lovely pack of blue Bali pops batiks pre cut strips with a new project in mind, and some threads and pieces of felt in colours I am short of.

  I made my way home  early afternoon and  R was just finishing cooking up a large pot of tomato paste. We have lovely tomatoes ready and they may split with all the rain so needed using. 

 We later had friends from Matamata call in to return loaned books and stay for a catch up. They came over the hill to go to the movies in Tauranga.

 A very pleasant day off for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Bench Basting my Quilt.

When we did major kitchen alterations 11 years ago I made sure I got one very long bench with no sink  or appliances in it. I did this with quilting in mind.

 I am now quilting my small Jewel Box quilt . Here is how I went about bench basting it.

 I lay it on the carpet to cut out my batting. from a larger piece.

 Using masking tape I smoothed out my backing fabric wrong side up. ( in this case it is a batik so made little difference ) and stuck it to the bench.

 I then smoothed the batting over the top and then the (flimsy ) quilt top over that . 3 layers. ( like a sandwich, hence the term sandwiching a quilt.)

 Using curved safety pins I then secured the 3 layers every 10 or so centimetres. At this stage I leave the pins undone.  I try and place the pins away from the seam lines as my first quilting stitches will be in the ditch.When it is pinned all over I rip off the masking tape and turn all 3 layers now firmly adhering to each other over.

 I check the back and adjust any pins by pining from the wrong  or backing side and feel underneath with my hand and take the pin I am moving away.

 I do this all over till the backing fabric is lying totally smooth with no tiny wrinkles. I then flip the whole thing back to the front and repeat the inspection for wrinkles.

 When happy it is as I want it I close all the safety pins.

 The sandwiched and pin basted quilt can now be moved around freely for quilting.

 So far I have done one half hour session quilting it.  I firstly stitch in the ditch ( seam line ) in one direction, then the opposite way width wise and lengthwise. This secures the quilt and some pins can be removed.

No wrinkles. No sore knees from basting on the floor.