BITS AND BOBS

I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks - doesn't it drive you mad when the blog doesn't behave? Where have my Followers gone, though from the outcry on Help it seems to be a Google problem. And why does it decide to do its own paragraphing? I didn't lay out the last blog in the way it appeared!

Anyway, this collection of neatly cut out epimedium leaves is the work of leaf cutter bees but I've never seen one - as far as I know! The cut out pieces are rolled into cylinders and placed in a tunnel (says the AA book of the British Countryside). One end is sealed with a piece of leaf and a store of honey and pollen placed against it. One egg is laid on the food then the cell is sealed. Other cells are made along the tunnel and when the tunnel is full the bee dies. The following spring the new bees emerge.

On to other things now. The long-hexie lap quilt I was making from Kath's template is well on the way to completion.

I didn't want to have a lot of material on my lap while sewing one square in place. I followed the idea of sewing in sections, the yellow squares at the bottom being attached to the piece underneath, in due course.
A couple of days ago I put the 'sandwich' together.

Under this layer of fleece is the backing, which I forgot to photo but it wouldn't show you anything exciting, just a piece of Laura Ashley material I was given ages ago. It's the colour of anemones, red, hyacinth blue, white and green, and densely patterned with flowers. I bought a roll of upholsterers wadding years ago and I've always used this as the batting for quilts and the later offcuts are used for toy stuffing. Once these two layers were wrinkle free I laid the top over the two layers, making sure there was plenty of extra material underneath spread equally on all sides. I've not decided yet whether to do a 'wraparound' binding or a separate one.
Then I had to pin the 'sandwich' every 4" or so but I can't do that on the floor now, so put in half a dozen pins to hold it and then lifted it onto my dining table where I completed the pinning section. So far I've managed to quilt 1/4" in from the seams in half a dozen of the yellow squares using a new roll of tape, bought at the amazing new Hobbycraft store in Aylesbury. My quilting frame has been reassembled and is waiting for me to start work again today. The quilt has to be finished by the end of August if it's to go into Haddenham Horticultural Show's Handicrafts section.
Just one more thing now. Do you remember seeing this photo of a mullein in the garden? It was taken on the 2nd June.Look at it now!!
I asked Sarah to stand beside it to give an idea of the height to which it's grown! (She's about 5'6"). Blue tits were hopping up and down it this morning....