Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day.  We had a very quick trip out to Urban Green Living in Havelock North.  An amazing urban garden.   Do go have a look at the website it explains more than I can.

Every bit of space is put to good use, including a bee hive on the balcony, where tomato plants grow out of the bottom of hanging buckets.

Grass powered lawn mowing device.  Just have to be careful its only the lawn gets mowed.

One day we will have one of these, maybe I could get Peter a place on one of the Pizza Oven building courses for his birthday.

Even the mail box has a green roof and the verge is planted with sweet corn and pumpkins.  I have to say the chickens basking in the sun under the raspberries are the fattest, healthiest chickens I have seen in ages.  Peter is very keen to have hens in our garden, I am not so sure and still need a bit of convincing.

Sunset at Ahuriri

Peter had to pick me up from work a couple of nights ago. We decided it would be nice for a change to go for fish and chips at Ahuriri.
As I don't like fish very much, we went to the Hot Chick, for chicken and chips. It was surprisingly very pleasant sitting eating chips and chicken and watching the sun set. Or it would have been if there had not been a child talking nonstop in the background. Just joking of course, it was lovely the three of us watching the sunset.

My Birthday Pressies

Here are the pics of my birthday pressies as promised. The flowers above were from Kerry from her garden. An itsy bitsy Ipod Shuffle from the kids. So I can listen to music and podcasts of the Archers while I am out walking.A cool chicken Teatowel from Dale. Brilliant chicken jug from Keriann. Some Japanese fabric from Peter. The latest Terry Pratchett book also from the kids. Flowers from my brother Bryan. And last and best of all my new camera, bought with kind donations from my hubbie, his mum and my mum. Don't know who the plump middleaged women is that is taking the picture! Obviously its not me I am young, thin and willowey. I am such a lucky person to get so many pressies from so many kind friends.

Hawkes Bay A and P Show 2007

Yesterday was a local holiday and Hawkes Bay A & P Show. Usually we go on the Thursday, which is busy enough for us. This year we decided to go on the Friday and it was just too crowded and too busy. Still got to see some cool animals. I would like to take home one or two of the alpacas above to mow my lawn.

And my youngest and I would like a few chickens to lay us some eggs. We have even entered a raffle to win a hen and two black bantams, not sure if my fingers are crossed or not as if we win we will have to purchase a home for them if we win. Although my youngest says they will be OK in his bedroom!

As much as I love the A & P show. I really hate fun fairs, the smell, the crowds, the noise and the cost. Yuk. But kids love them, so you have to do the stand around and watch them thing. I could not get out of that area of the show fast enough. Could not even bring myself to take a pic to show you.

Quilt as you go

Last weekend I did a "Quilt as you go" class with Linda from Craftlands in Napier at Thoms Moores. I thought we would make up the patchwork squares then quilt them to backing before joining them. But as you can see you actually do all three in one go. Exactly as it said in the name of the class. The backing and wadding were used in a foundation peicing type way, so for each patchwork seam you sew through the wadding to quilt the backing. This is a very fast method, during the class I managed to do 12 of the 16 blocks. Sashing is used to join the blocks together.

I am really pleased with the result. I wanted to use some of my stash of chicken fabrics, which I thought went really well with the checks and spots. I am a bit into spots at the moment. I wish fabric companies would print checks that were straight. Every time I line them up very carefully, cut them out totally in line to find out the reverse side is squint. I think in this case it kind of goes with the country look I was trying to get.

Watch this space in the next couple of days for the finished quilt. Hopefully I will manage not to stab myself on the nose again, like I did earlier today while joining up the strips of quilt.

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Chicken and Sunflower Quilt

I love Chickens and I love Sunflowers, so I have been collecting loads of Chicken and Sunflower fabrics for my fabric stash. This pattern seemed a good way to use them up. I am quite into squares at the moment and would like to use the same pattern for a larger quilt, this one is just a lap quilt size.