TAST week 25 & CQJP WIP

TAST week 25 - Cable Chain Stitch

& my CQJP WIP

I have used this stitch in the past, but not too recently, so I used this week as a bit of a 'refresher' stitching time.

I was rather surprised how quickly I had forgotten how to do this stitch, lol. 

I started with two straight rows following a seam on the block. It looked so wrong though and it took me quite a while to work out what I did wrong - I must not have been concentrating when doing the 'chain' part of the stitch because some chains were twisted and some were not, it looked so uneven that I 'frogged' the lot - and I'm not a person who usually unpicks anything, so that just goes to show how very wrong it was.

So then I stitched these two wavy lines, making sure that I got the working thread coming from the same direction each time, so as not to get any chains twisted like before.

Cable Chain Stitch worked on my Crazy Quilt Journal Project June block.

This is another of my INVENTED seam treatments.

Stem stitch roses and Satin stitch in between them.

I quite like the effect of a band. It's a nice 'solid' seam treatment.

This one started with the turquoise ribbon Running stitch.

Laced to-&-fro with 6 strands of green floss, and a white bead added in each circle.

A motif in one of the patches.

French Knots, Silk Ribbon embroidery, silver metallic thread Straight stitch & V stitch, silver beads.

I have also done a couple of other stitching pieces on the CQ block but not got photos of it yet.

Should be able to finish this block during the coming week so will reveal ALL next weekend.

And I have been 'playing' with fabrics, paints and dyes for yet another project that I cannot reveal until September. (Watch this space with patience, hahaha).

As a follow-up from a previous post here called Life on the Farm - Applemunchers, here is a pic of some more Applemunchers that visit the orchard everyday.

Aren't they beautiful? 

They are very social and vocal birds, and live in small family flocks here in NZ. 

I also saw these in an almond tree today, and as there are no almonds at this time of year I am puzzling over what they were eating.

Happy Stitching

Life On The Farm - Applemunchers

We've just had a three-day weekend here in NZ and I thought I'd show you a little bit of our farm life, and what we've been up to this weekend.

There are only two trees in our orchard still bearing apples at the moment. 

I have been re-arranging the netting over them to stop the Rosella's (wild parrots) from eating all the fruit.

Rosella's are beautiful birds that I love to see in the garden, but they are classed as pests because they ruin the crops of the big food growers. I usually let them have one tree without nets on so that they can survive in this neighbourhood of food growers. I love hearing their chatter, and see their beautiful show of colour as they fly around.  

Today I have picked a bucket load of these.........

......... to make one of these..........

 mmmmmm........ apple cake

fresh out of the oven.

This is one of our 'applemunchers'. When they see someone in the orchard they come to the fence and wait for some free windfalls to head their way.

Who can refuse such a cute face like this. Shame about the wig though, lol.

And when one applemuncher calls to the other applemunchers in the field that there is an apple-give-away happening, we get more cute faces arriving at the fence.

And this is Freddie, yet another applemuncher. Freddie always helps himself to the windfalls and hurries to get the best ones before the free-range chickens get to them.

The mandarin trees are giving us a bumper harvest this year.

These are so juicy, sweet and delicious, probably the best crop we've had.

We are all getting a good dose of Vitamin C with these beauties.

And then we have the lemon trees that should be ripening soon judging by the lime green they are at the moment.

The orchard has had a major tidy up this weekend. 

The early fruiting apple trees, and the pear, plum, peach and loquat trees, have all been heavily pruned and are now ready for the arrival of winter. 

The 'low-hanging' branches, that were not long ago heavy with fruit, have been chopped back too. Which makes it easier for Tony to drive the mower right up to, and around, the trunks now.

He's a happy chappy at that.

The chopped branches have been added to the bonfire pile in the top field away from the house. Will probably have a bonfire party for one of the 'sprogs' birthday this month. I've heard we are having visitors for that occasion.  I like it when our kids can arrange their own birthday parties. 

Oh dear, I've just remembered that this sons birthday means that none of my kids will be teenagers any more.

I suddenly feel old.