A Quilt Top Was Made.

Over the last weekend some of the members of our P and Q group spent 2 days sewing charity quilts. Some of the fabric was donated. My namesake and I decided to work together on a simple design for a quilt to later donate to Women's Refuge.

 We used a table in the back room to lay it out as we went so we could see the pattern emerging.

By the time we packed up on Sunday all the rows bar one were sewn together. One needed a little unpicking .

 The other A took it home and spent 1 more hour perfecting it and tidying the back.

 On Friday we will baste and back it and decide how we want to quilt it.

 It ended up 19 rows by 15 blocks  ( 4" blocks )  or 60 inches by 76 inches.

 We decided against a border and will use a dark blue binding.

 The other A took this photo on a bed but I can't get the pic to rotate so you might have to turn your head.

 The colours in the top photo are it's true colours. A pale lemony straw colour.

 Ill show a photo when it is totally finished.

 Some of the other members worked on boy 's quilts featuring appliqué clown blocks.

More Rain Than We Need.

Since last Tuesday night we have had 276 mls of Rain. That's almost the length of an old school ruler. ( 12 inches  - I don't visualise mls as easily as inches ) That is way more than we needed. 

 When we have heavy rain we have drains and creeks that need constant monitoring. If they get blocked then flooding happens. Behind  and above our property is the Te Puna Quarry Park.( a large catchment area )  It has a large gravel carpark  which drains down into and through our property.

 This shows the water entering our place yesterday afternoon. The top photo shows the  large vertical pipe that redirects the water underground through our place. There is a metal grill ( top rail just visible ) to stop debris going into the pipe  If debris blocks this grill, as it frequently does, flooding then starts across our orchard. The debris which is usually long strips of gum tree bark, big rocks, rubbish, old footwear etc. has to be manually picked out of the top side of this grill which then can be lifted up to let small stuff wash through.To do this one must stand legs apart on the concrete side  facing the big pipe and bend forward to pluck stuff out meanwhile the water rushes by sometimes filling ones gumboots. Or if it is already flooded one has to plunge ones hand down into the unknown to get stuff out.( not good if there is glass hidden in the rubbish ) 

 Normally this is not a huge job and we are both adept at clearing it . When the velocity of water increases as it has these last few days it becomes quite a scary task. ( don't slip and don't have anything loose in your pockets- phone or glasses etc that could fall out; you'll never see it again ) 

 The other night it blocked and overflowed towards this kiwifruit block leaving a trail of rocks ,grit and bark ( mainly wrapped around the posts here )  This grass gets mowed so before that can happen all the rocks have to be cleared or the mower would be blunt or broken very quickly.

 The water runs underground for about 50 metres and reemerges at our front creek, runs under the driveway and exits our property here.

 If we are way over night we always need to nominate someone to check for us if there is heavy rain to do the unblocking .

 We are now hoping for some sun, to dry everything up and let us get back to orchard work.

Other folk in Auckland and Coromandel had lasting flood damage so we feel for them.

 ( Up side ....I got some  more sewing time )

A Finished Block.

Torrential rain yesterday allowed me time to stay inside and do amongst other things sew awhile.
 I have now completed all I am doing of my cobweb block project. It was started back in September last year when Chris Kenna was our tutor. Mine is stopping at this stage and will become a very bright cushion cover. I could not make a whole quilt in this design as some have done. It is just too busy for my liking. (Too time consuming as well. )

 Below is a photos I showed before of Chris Kenna's quilt.

 The white paper shows the area I have done.

 So my next stint at the machine better be to make an envelope cushion back and also quilt this block.

May Contain Vegetables.

Whatever size of tomato you prefer we probably have grown this year.
 We really, really love growing our own fruit and veges and nuts but it involves lots of work.
 Having grown them we hate to waste any so spend hours eating them, freezing them, processing them or giving them away.
 For those of you who also grew  vege plants from the New World free seeds  last year the wee tomatoes at the top came from those seeds ( planted back at the end of October ).
 R's  large tomato in the pic weighed 608 grams . Beefsteak or Bigbeef. It is a very fleshy tom and not too many seeds. We do have medium sized ( normal ) ones as well.

Last evening's dinner plate. Every veg on it we grew.

 Beans ; corncob; egg plant; potato; courgettes green and yellow and tomatoes.

 R BBQ-ed steaks and sausages but I didn't really have space on my plate or in my stomach.

 Tomatoes are easy to make into various sauces, pastes, soupsand  juice which then freeze well... Cucumbers and courgettes less so. For them it has to be soup or pickle or loaves.

 Apparently cucumbers cook okay in curries?? Must try it.

 Elsewhere in the flower garden I am having an ongoing  battle with rabbits eating my young plants. Some newly planted seedlings totally disappeared as did my young cress seedlings. We have seen various sizes of rabbits but shooting them is proving difficult. But I am on the War path.( and covering small things with netting.)

A Very Talented Artist.

At Tauranga Patchwork and Quilter's Group on Friday one of our newer members Lois Parish-Evans showed and told us of her," ART QUILT JOURNEY."

 We have these talks from time to time; it is like a one person Show and Tell.
 We do not have a very suitable display space and had 49 ladies crammed into our room so my photos are not wonderful.
 If you have the time go to Lois's Website and look at the photos there. Look under Portfolio - Art Quilts to see her 2010 commission of 4 very large wall hangings she made for the Newcastle Calvary Mater Hospital Chapel. ( Australia ) You can also access Lois's Blog from the site.

 Here M is helping her show us the cloak that went over the Wedding dress she entered in the Wedding section of the World of Wearable Arts.(WOW )

 This Kangaroo paw inspired piece has just returned home to her after travelling the world.( see her blog ) 

 On a wall hanging of Australian flowers this orchid is a thread painting.

 This sea wall hanging has raw edge quilted applique; painting; coloured pencil work and thread painting. 

 Personally I was very impressed with her art work- the sketches and designs that happened before any fabric came into play.

Please go to her website and read her story and see her lifetime of creative work.

  As a group we are very lucky to have such a talented person in our midst. Australia has not lost her completely she has an exhibition happening there later this year - see her site.

 Thanks Lois!

********

 Yesterday we ate the first corncobs for the season. Delicious. As Grandson was not here to help me I had to pick and eat the few ripe strawberries. They are just finishing for the Summer . Tomatoes ( large and small ) , courgettes, beans and  aubergine  are all producing well.The corn and capsicum are just starting. My chillies are beginning to turn from green to red.

 All the glorious rain gave growing things a boost .

Plenty of Much Needed Rain.

 When the bird bath in the garden fills and overflows with rain it saves us a job.

 Over the last 3 days and nights we have had 5.5" of much needed rain. Now as the sun is back out it is a bit sauna like as it evaporates off again.

 Son and DIL and Grandson have been to visit for 2 nights. His Dad pulled him around the garden on the old red trolley and they see all sorts.

 Luckily son pulled his phone out for this next shot when a Monarch butterfly landed on the bent over by the rain, head of the tiger lily.

 Grandson takes a keen interest in birds, butterflies and bees. Bee now being one of his first words.along with ball so "B" must be an easy sound to make. 

 The only sewing I have done in the last few days was adding a lower case "e" to my quilted letter collection.

 I happen to think ( as a ex teacher ) that a little person should learn to recognise his name ( when a bit older ) and write his name using a capital at the beginning and lower case letters for the rest.  I will continue to make more indestructible 6" fabric letter for play at a later stage.

 I have quite a bag full already which spell Happy Christmas and several other words.

Now I'm off for a walk in the sunshine.

Summer is Here.

Finally hotter days have arrived. Over our long weekend I spent hours tending young plants in the garden keeping the water up to them and delighting in the growth.

This is the first of 4 little tomato plants  I grew from the New World give away last year. I first showed photos of "my little garden , "pots back on a blog on September 14th.

 Usually we grow our tomatoes from bought plants - and R has done that again this year in the fenced garden but has encountered rot problems. These wee plants of mine ( now 5' tall )  are in the vege garden beside the house and are looking bonny. This is the first truss ( of many ) to start to ripen. I do hope they taste good. - I'll let you know. Many of the other little plants/ pots are long since consumed . Every single one performed - that is amazing.

 In other parts of the flower garden there are some bright spots. Look at the face of this dahlia called Arabian Nights - it's close to black and velvety.

 A group of yellow gerbras are feeling the heat.and the hosta which prefers shade has sunburn but it still grows happily.

 On Monday which was a holiday here ,I was determined to have some time out so I spent all afternoon sitting outside in the shade of the gazebo and the mighty oak tree. 

A cooling breeze wafted through from time to time. I wasn't just sitting there sewing hexagons I was watering the garden at the same time. I devised a timing  system. Each time I got to a mitred corner I hopped up and moved the hose along. 4 hexagons with 6 corners each meant I covered quite a bit of ground literally! 

 On Saturday evening I went to the 80th Birthday dinner of one of my older quilting Buddies. Her family ( from Whangerei ) had got this cake made and iced with a quilting theme. A bit bright but quite clever. Very nice chocolate mud cake inside.

 While on food . Chooky Blue here is the recipe  as I 1st received it.

( I couldn't make your email work ) 

 You should be able to Rt. click on it and send it to your device. Use it as a starting point. I did it frying the spice and curry at the beginning which is how I normally would do it. and didn't bother with the milk.

 *******

 Now a bit of a rave.

 I had to get myself a new indoor watering can as I gave my old blue plastic one to grandson because he loved it so..

 I couldn't get one the same as they had sold out ( but I will when they get some more ) as this one IS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE!

It is called A gardener's Delight ( not this gardener ). made for Bell and Curfew in UK but manufactured in China.

 Care instructions say keep out of sunlight - done that. Empty when not in use - well I tried but the stupid design means the lip of the long spout  which sticks out inside the can prevents the last of the water from being able to get out of the can. Even when it is tipped upside down and shaken it is quite difficult. It is supposed to be kept dry inside to prevent rusting! 

 Already after 1 month 's use the green powder coating is cracking.

 What a BAD design. NOT fit for purpose in my opinion. I would warn anyone else against purchasing one. I shall also be passing on my concern to the local Palmers where I bought it. It wasn't cheap! 

 

Eating Our vegetables.

 I have just been into the garden and come back with all these.

 I will be making more of this. Courgette soup. Before you screw up your nose; it was delicious - not insipid as you might imagine.

 It has curry and spices in it .

****

 In the kiwifruit orchard we are busy tying up bunches of fruit and taking off the rejects. In the  top left is one to come off . It is too narrow - not round enough.

 Plenty of work to fill my afternoons.

 This morning 4 people from the pack house have been here collecting leaves to put under the microscope to check for minute scale. As they were leaving a sprayer arrived to spray foliar fish fert onto the vines.

 Last week when I didn't blog at all our second avocado was happening....with good results.

****** 

My vase of weeds. All these plants are considered weeds on this property. ( either they spread and seed down too much or like the agapanthus  harbour pests and have invasive roots.)

 I know in some countries they are hard to grow but not in NZ.

There are plenty of bees and bumble bees  around finding all the summer flowers.

 At the weekend I quilted some of my hexagons. I have a pile that need ends trimming off but will save that job for Friday. We have our P and Q group picnic that day

A Good Read.

Yesterday I finished reading "Scarlet and Magenta," by Lindsey Dawson. A thoroughly good read.
 Part of it's fascination for me was the setting for the first part of the story. Tauranga in 1886.
 I won't be able to walk along Willow Street or up the rise in Wharf Street or along the Strand without thinking about what it might have been like in the late 1800s.
 I don't think I would have made a very seemly Victorian Lady........too many strong opinions of my own! If you google Lindsey's name you can see the other books she has written. Her name will be familiar to NZ  TV viewers  and magazine readers .
                                                                       ********

 I have spent some time cutting and pinning pebble fabric hexagons for the bottom of my quilt in progress.

 I want to form a garden path along the bottom edge.

******

 This morning I have been making strawberry conserve . I like strawberries raw but R won't eat them like that, so as I have picked lots in the last couple of days, I cooked some with minimal addition of sugar and he will eat them that way.

 I never did get the bird protective frame I asked for over the blueberries. Instead I draped and pegged flexible netting over most plants. The size is poor compared with bought blueberries but I know they needed more water ( which I have to cart in ) . Still there are lots more colouring up and I will not waste them. A possum has been avoiding the trap and has eaten every single apple;  6 ripening plums and lots of nashi. The crops were light to start with so it is very disappointing. It's a long way from the house so I wouldn't hear a possum. I'll ask for the trap to be reset  The only alternative is to pick fruit before it is properly ripe.

8 Days of January Gone.

If I haven't already greeted You, " I hope 2017 is a Good Year for You All."

 These lovely fresh green peas missed Christmas but are ready this last week. R is doing all the picking as I have strained my back ( lifting Grandson).

 We both worked together on the podding

 and blanching and freezing.

 This lot are now in small meal sized bags in the freezer.

******

 Over the last few weeks 2 Blackbirds built a very untidy nest in the grape vine, right outside the lounge window. 

We have been able to observe the comings and goings of the parents feeding just one greedy fledgling.

( It wasn't really that way up )

 Yesterday the young bird was sitting on a wire just above the nest so must be almost ready to take it's first flight.

********

Back in the vege garden we are now getting the first ripe tomatoes, cucumbers and lots of courgettes .

 For lunch yesterday I made Courgette fritters. ( I love all sorts of  fritters )

 The oil needs to be quite hot and the mixture is best with lots of rough poking out bits that crisp up.

 I adapted another recipe. The quantities don't have to be exact.

 In a large bowl grate 4 medium sized courgettes. 

3/4 cup of tasty cheese grated

 1/2 cup of instant polenta.

 1 teaspoon of cumin seed.

 1 tsp of ground cumin.

 1 tsp of smokey paprika.

 2     large eggs.

 Salt and pepper to taste.

 Fry till golden and crisp on the outside.

 ( spices may be altered to taste - more is best )

The Last Day of the Year.

 I ( We ) was kindly given some flowers that I was able to select myself. I really love flowers so that was a treat. I chose frilly Lisianthus and 3 types of Carnations - my favourites.

 Big apricot ones,lime green ones and pink and white.ones

 The lisianthus buds are lime green and turn apricot and pink when they open.

 Yesterday was very warm. Warm enough for little Grandson to play in a few inches of sun warmed water in the paddling pool. He loved it.

 He really likes water play of any sort. Cans and hoses in particular. 

 Quilters do you notice the resemblance to Sun Bonnet Sue?

I hope all is well with my blog friends. I have not been spending much time catching up on your activities.