Some Shopping Too!

Part of the fun of our Big Day Out is of course shopping in the Merchants Mall, which in this case was in the middle of the quilt display. Many of the stalls have completed examples of quilts, bags etc to tempt the buyer. When we were all back on the bus others have found things some didn't even see but that's cause it was busy and time was short. No body had made the same purchases as anyone else - amazing but good.

Mine:

Starting at back left: " Landscape in Contemporary Quilts, " by Ineke Berlyn;  a new roll of Appli-Kay Wonder ( fusible Webbing ); "Glimpses of New Zealand," by Gail Lawther ( UK visitor ); a whole pile of die-cut iron on shapes from Susan Claire ( these are great for adding to labels ) and the shape for a fabric gift box which folds up ; a little kit for a coffeee heat mat ( I've already made that up on Sunday for in a gift; my free gift from Minerva books( some lovely cards featuring NZ quits ); a FQ with Avocados  - new( as a grower I had to have that! ); a bundle of 8 Blue Christmas FQs;  and 5 other FQs. (  to make cushions for on our 2 new black leather couches.)                                                  --------------------------------------------------

This photo is for Pam and Deb and Sally and Meg and anyone else who knows Tauranga. This is the new ( and second ) harbour bridge now open but being used for traffic both ways till Christmas time. The older bridge is being upgraded and then in the New Year one bridge will be for each way. This new one has a neat wave pattern in the concrete edges, a cycle and walking lane.( it is right beside the other bridge )As well as the bridge there is a long fly over off the bridge,  ending down on route P which will make traffic flow so much easier. It has changed the whole appearance of this area of the city.

More C C Quilts.

More beautiful quilts on display at Calico Christmas.

The use of colour here was stunning. With the black setting the colour just jumped off this quilt and took Grandmothers garden type blocks to a whole new level. Note the quilting in straight lines right through the blocks. This quilt I would have happily taken home.

Scenic New Zealand by Gloria Scanlan captured some NZ beauty.

Quite unusual colours and just a little different this was made of wool.

Donna and Ashleigh Ward's,  Pacifica. Donna's  style is easily recognised and the colous subtle and beautiful.

Stitcheries in the form of well known quilt blocks were a feature on this quilt.

Setting sampler type blocks on point, interspaced with blank blocks  and diagonal sashing gave this crisp looking quilt a whole different look.

This is a very familiar quilt design and I'm not sure which of the 2 exhibitions I saw it at but the colour use was so vibrant I had to include it in my photos of quilts that attracted my attention.

Tomorrow I will show what I purchased.

The Girls' Big day Out.

41 ladies travelled by bus to "Calico Christmas - 2009 - A Garden Party." It is the Annual Exhibition of members' work of the Auckland Patchworkers & Quilters Guild Inc. That left only a few spare seats for our chilly bins and on board refreshments.( Thanks Denise) Nobody complained about the early start as we all wanted as much time to see and shop as posssible. Along the way we had prizes - my job, then a stop of half an hour at Ngatea. ( for coffee and toilets and there was that areas quilt exhibition on in the hall. ) The look at their exhibition was rapid but we thought there was some lovely work.  

Standing on an artist easel in the foyer were these lovely pieced irises.

This quilt had some good ideas, as some of the flowers were fussy cut squares, some appliqued, but certainly gave the bright overall garden feel; but I would have loved to see some of the flowers overlapping at the edges.

This wall hanging used the theme of the NZ native Clematis and had thread and bead embellishments that are hard to see in the photo.

This quilt appealed because of the angles created and accentuated by the quilting stitches. It was bright and fresh.

Back on the bus and reaching the North shore in Auckland before 11 am. There was so much to see and much shopping so I'll show a few of the quilts that took my eye and tell you why.The space was crowded so trying to get far enough back for good pics was tricky.( the lighting also created shadows )

Flowers Love Company by Chris Bailey was in the Challenge section. I liked the colours shape and texture.

The workmanship and quilting were amazing and I think the very reduced pallette drew your attention to the detail. By Ansa Breytenbach.( sorry couldn't fit it all in ).

Wendy Johnson's Christmas  wall hanging was bright and the Noel hanging part added something.

Usually the little ( school ) house block is one I dislike.This is just one block on a large quilt - each block had used a different block set in as one wall in the house - certainly a different way to display a sampler.The quilt was browns and fawn and cream and only the blocks had colour.

I'll have more quilts from Calico Christmas to show you tomorrow.

Promising Signs.

Promising signs of good things to come are all around me. In the mail a letter from NZ Quilter with this booklist and a voucher to get free cards   IF  I purchase from their stall at Calico Christmas in Auckland this weekend. Thanks! It's in my purse already, because I know I will be buying book ( s ) from them. ( we are going up by bus again this year - this Saturday -Yipee! ) 

A promising sign in the garden; a cauliflower almost ready to eat.

Strawberries starting to ripen.

A promising sign at last of sweet smelling delights - my sweetpeas suddenly went crazy and climbed like mad and now just at the top of their frame are breaking into flower. ( the whole flower garden at the moment is just a delight with wonderful smells and colour . All the roses are out. I counted 13 Iceland poppies out at once.( yellow and cream and orange ) Colour, colour everywhere.)

My favourite iris is out- what a colour!

( the bees -  yeah, my house guest -  or their rellies are in heaven ) I guess all the rain over the last few months is making things thrive.

There is also the promise that one day I will have a completed table runner - but that is some way off. hand work takes a while. I found that my little clover iron bought for bias tape is good for pressing the very close together seams. The squares were cut 1.5 inches so on the back the quarter inch seams are close together.

 

I have now added the next row to this, so 5 rows done.

Outside their is also the promise of work - yes, yes. I'm just going to work with the promising flower buds on the Kiwifruit vines. It actually does have the promise to be a great crop this year!

It's All in the Timing!

Yesterday we had one of those it could have been so much worse situations.

At this time of the year there are lots of bees around here naturally ( wild ) and in hives stockpiled around the district in open paddocks and near bush, ready and waiting to be  taken into Gold Kiwifruit orchards and Avocado orchards at night ( when they are all inside  the hives ).( in a couple more weeks into Green Kiwifruit orchards as well ) So we are used to bees. BUT...
We were sitting eating lunch when we heard a lot of buzzzzzzing. Bees had decided to swarm and that our chimney might be a good sheltered place to make a home! They started entering one after the other down a crack in the chimney surround. The room was rapidly filling with flying bees. While I rushed and shut all doors to contain them,  R grabbed the only spray we now keep - natural Pyrethrum and climbed up and started spraying where they were coming in. After a few worrying minutes it did slow, then stop their entry. Meanwhile out the windows we could see bees everywhere circling the house. It wasn't safe to go outside for some time till they came to their senses and swarmed into a Magnolia tee in the garden.

This isn't a clear photo for obvious reasons and it is just a small swarm. Our beekeeper came and collected them by dropping them into a box about 10 pm last night. Today a few lost ones are still looking for the rest of the family.

Now comes the what if part.   If we had not been inside the house at the time the whole swarm would eventually have been inside our lounge!( or somewhere else inside the house, cause the internal doors would have been open. )This morning I vacuumed up lots of dead bodies  - we feel awful for killing our workers but on the spur of the moment felt we had to protect ourselves. The remarkable thing is not one sting! ( apparently they are less likely to sting when swarming ).... yeah right I'm not taking any chances..... I will continue to love bees for the work they do for us and take their photos when they forage in my flowers............ but lets not live together!

Orange.

These freshly picked and washed ( still wet ) oranges drying on a purple towel made me think...I've not used that colour combination in a quilt ( yet ).

Our oranges get eaten as is; juiced; cut into cubes and set in orange jelly; made into date and orange muffins; put in salads and shared with friends.

Our long weekend ( Labour Day ) ended up staying fine..despite what the forecast said....and I slaved in the garden digging out the agapanthus started weeks ago.( 4 tractor bucket loads full! ) That's as far as I am going with that for now. Right where I started this Hosta is looking so good with no tatty aggies beside it now. I will still need to sift through the soil for missed roots - less strenuous, before replanting anything new.

I finished reading "Remarkable Creatures, " by Tracy Chevalier and really enjoyed it. Based on the lives of 2 real people in the early 1800s, and set in Lyme Regis, UK. You might have been there Anne B ?

( also wrote " The Girl With the Pearl Earing," and "The Virgin Blue.")

Because I can't decide exactly what my next quilt should be ( or how to use the fabrics  - I haven't cut anything ) I have been continuing on with the blue and yellow trellis pattern table runner I am making by hand.

Still continuing the same Kiwifruit work with lots of bud thinning now.

Some Success.

Thimbleanna your right; it's because I love blogging and talking with all you like minded ladies!
Some successful date scones were made here this morning .  A huge improvement, so again thanks for the helpful tips.  ( R said they were light and tasty! )

Yesterday at Tga P and Q group we had the Papamoa Patchers ( a newish group ) join us for lunch and Show and Tell. It was a very successful day, with  much talk and laughter and sharing of ideas. Our room was really full and certainly lacking in good places to display all the lovely work ladies shared with us.

A while ago I told you about a project and  showed you a little block I had made for a group quilt ( s ) that was being put together from Marie's ( deceased ) fabric's  to be given to her family for the grandchildren to use. The first quilt is finished and displayed yesterday. This is the pastels quilt. There may be enough blocks still coming in to make 3 quilts.

 Another Marie in the group had tied it for us, which suited it . This  was made from a huge variety of fabrics and sewers so a good group effort.

We have got back to better weather which is encouraging things to grow.  Here are R's first potatoes( Marris Anchor )( first time we have tried this varriety ) hoed up and the second lot just through (Agria ). The Pukeko have been scratching a bit but this patch is down beside a kiwifruit block so not fenced. Last year this patch grew all the pumpkins. My herb and salad garden is producing in abundance!

For the rest of the day while the sun is out there are lawns for me to mow, and gardening jobs galore.

I hope your weekend is enjoyable !