Butterflies, binding and block of the month

But first, sunrise in the city - the new apartment block at the edge of Oriental Bay, - and further round the Bay -

the fountain catching the early sun - what a great city!

And the butterflies? well, lately my garden has been host to so many, I think they are  Red Admirals but they certainly love my 'orange monster' plants.

You can see the orange flowers of the Lion's - is it tail? but they seem to have taken on the colours of the blueberry bush.

Some took to hiding among the geraniums - certainly more than I've seen in other years, perhaps because it's been a lovely, long warm summer.

I sorted out some binding for the last quilt made with blocks given to me by Wellington Guild members after my term as President - way back in 1994!

I had some difficulty preparing the edge of the quilt which I'd had quilted by a friend on her long arm before she returned to Australia - I love what she did, but

as I was in the middle of getting my eyes fixed I felt a bit nervous about tackling it with my rotary cutter so it waited for a while.........finally I trimmed the edges and then a friend called round to have a fossick through some of my fabrics .......she found a few to take home and in return she also took the quilt with the binding and later returned it.....

beautifully bound.  She prefers the method of square corners, as I always used to until I discovered the method to mitre as you go.

I've told you about the Pet Pads that are made by the Shut-in Stitchers at Arohata Prison - they are a learning aid to teach the basic skills before the women make their large bed quilts.  We use a simple technique using cotton curtaining cut into six and a half in squares, made into a nine patch, bordered then made into a sandwich - sometimes with a square of a blanket, other times with oddments of batting and backed with either a larger piece of the curtaining or offcuts of polar fleece.  The pet pad is then quilted by machine and the edges bound.

This is the latest one finished, and the week before I was able to take several into the S.P.C.A Op Shop in Petone.

a basket was produced to display them - and one was snapped up immediately!

I mentioned I was doing a block of the month for Pinestream Quilters, a very simple but effective block to mark the 100 year anniversary of WWI

The corner fabric was provided and there will be black buttons attached with embroidery - I'm looking forward to seeing how they all look.

Sometimes it's possible to see an object regularly and not really 'see' it - like the lid on one of my storage jars -

It was all the rage to make these, quite small hexagons for me, and on closer inspection I think it could do with a wash -

I thought so - the background fabric was pale blue!  Maybe if I give it a spray with something.........I don't think it would survive a wash, it's all stitched down round a cardboard base I think.

Maybe I'll just put it back in the cupboard.........













Tomorrow I'll be quilting with some friends - time to get out the tumbling blocks for their monthly outing!

I'll leave you with the quote of Laura Ingalls Wilder, "I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." and a photo taken by Phil, of course, when he had a 5am pickup in the city and he arrived early, just in time to catch the hint of a sunrise,

What amazing reflections!

Thanks for reading my blog and for your comments - I owe a few replies, my apologies, I shall remedy that.

Take care,

June