My quilting thoughts and inspirations sprinkled with a glimpse of life down on the farm

Sunday, March 6, 2016

March again!

Well I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering where the year is going?! Here it is March already, the nights are a lot more pleasant and the mornings cooler than what we're used to - yes, Autumn is on the way, I love this time of the year!
...the Chysanthemums are looking beautiful...
..there is an abundance of fruit...
... and the chooks are moulting - their fresh feathers will grow back in time
for winter...
(she couldn't work out which was her best side for the photo; I didn't have the
heart to tell her she didn't really have a best side right now!)
And in My Palace there's been a hive of activity this weekend. Another one of those secret projects so this photo below is all that I will show you for now.
Boring, huh?!
I spent the weekend cutting and sewing up a storm and made great progress :-)
Not a secret though is another project I've recently started (I had 3 (!!) finishes last post so am allowed to start something new LOL) —
This is Block One of Lynette Anderson's newest Button Club which I am doing
through my LQS, The Country Yard.
It's called Anderson's Farm aka Barge's Farm!
The heart needs stitchery on it, that will happen at some stage.
And the button is tacked on for now - I can never resist adding them even though
they have to be removed for quilting.
Speaking of finishes and secrets, I can now share yet another very late Christmas present that winged itself across the ocean to a dear friend.

I made another knitting bag last Christmas for my SIL; this one's slightly different. One of these days I'll make one for myself :-)
(The fabric is a NZ botanical/floral print - very pretty).
The back.
Isn't it nice when you have moments of brilliance? This happened to me a while ago when I was having a bit of a tidy up. I was throwing a woven storage cube out, it was quite squashed (one cat shall remain nameless) but I noticed the push-in base was still intact... it was an aha moment as I realised I could use it as a mini design board. I first saw these *here* on Lori Holt's Bee In My Bonnet blog.
One scrap of batting and a glue stick later and voila! I had my own upcycled design board.
And then a day or so later, I realised I could do the same with the lid of a cardboard storage box. Once again I attacked the back of the batting with glue and pressed it to the inside of the lid and there was a little design board for the current block of that project. (You may recognise the Hen and Chicks block from the Anderson's Farm aka Barge's Farm Button Club, shown above.)
Since I took this photo I've trimmed the batting a little as it was
 too close to the edges.
Very handy! I'm linking up with Sew and Sow Farm's Sew Simple Saturday Link-up Party. Thank you Jan, this link up is a great idea, another chance to be inspired in blogland!

I see some bottling and fruit gluttony in my week ahead (it's not easy to resist a freshly picked apple - peach-pear or grape is it?!)(straight from the tree is the only way to go for me!).
And a little more secret sewing :-)
I hope March is putting a bounce in your step, 
'till next time,
Happy sewing,

23 comments:

  1. I love Autumn to, so much easier to get to sleep when it is cooler. I too have a tree full of apples and scraggy looking girls!!!

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  2. Hi Raewyn,such a lovely post,your garden is lovely and I love the bag,I hope you have a lovely evening my friend xx

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  3. Autumn is the best season here, warm days and cool nights....love the chock photo.LOL....
    Lots of secret sewing in blogland...
    Oh another beautiful BOM by Lynette Anderson.. I still have two tucked away I must do...
    The knitting bags are gorgeous ...you will have to make one soon for yourself...

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  4. I always look forward to fall after a long hot summer - but here on the other end we are going into spring after a not so bad winter - plants are budding out and the rains well begin this week - the one thing I do not like about spring are the bad thunderstorms and heavy rains.

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  5. Hi Raewyn,
    I can't believe it is March already either. I am ready for Spring here, although I am normally a Winter person. We haven't had an extremely cold Winter just a very wet one. Our farm is mostly mud! Your Garden is so pretty. I love your chook! Also your BOM Barge's Farm lol! That is really adorable. You have been so busy with all your projects then turn around and make design boards out of scraps! I need to do that. Thank you for linking up.
    Happy Farming and Happy Stitching!
    xoxoxoxoxo Jan

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  6. What a neat idea Raewyn... thank you! Also thanks for sharing your beautiful workmanship with us -- those Lynette Anderson blocks are precious.

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  7. Dear Raewyn,
    you have already done the first block of the new Button Club??? So lovely. I have to speed up a little bit...I see...
    While you habe autumn..here the winter is coming again and it is snowing all the day...
    The bag is a really lovely gift.
    Many hugs to you
    sigisart

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  8. Hi Raewyn--you have been busy and do have alot of cute irons in the fire--and very clever with your recycle projects--
    keep up the good work--
    and yes you can have a break and eat a fresh piece of fruit from the tree!!
    have one for me too--
    love and laughter, di

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  9. You are glad autumn is in the air, and I'm glad it will be spring soon. But first we'll get some snow, so they told.
    I love your new Lynette Anderson block, I haven't seen it before. It will be fun to make the quilt! What a nice knitting bag you made, the receiver will love it!
    Happy week, Cisca

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  10. I'm another who's pleased things have cooled a little - all the better to sleep nights! You ha e been very productive making lovely embroidery and gifts an good luck with the produce!

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  11. I unfortunately it has not cooled down yet here in Victoria. Lynette's new quilt is perfect for you.

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  12. Love autumn too, hasnt arrived porperly here yet, although there are a few trees changing colour around the place. How wonderful to have a glut of fruit!!!! The bottling will keep you busy! You have had great ideas with your mini design boards...fantastic way to keep all the tiny pieces together!! Love the knitting bag, such beautiful fabric. Your new bom is lovely. ..mmmmm sadly your chook didn't really present her besg side, they look soscruffy when they moult don't they...our dog is doing that at present, he looks scruffy too!!

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  13. Still waiting for it to cool down here but I love your autumn photos! Great mini design boards:)

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  14. Your garden is looking great but of course that does mean a lot of work to preserve the fruit. Good luck.
    Lovely work on the farm blocks. They are gorgeous.
    The bag for your sister is delightful.
    Smart move with the design boards. You will get good use out of those.

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  15. You're heading to Autumn and we're heading to Spring! We had a mild winter but I'm looking forward to summer. Love the design boards! So clever! Love your projects as well!!

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  16. Fresh fruit sounds devine. Very clever up cycling I must say! Love your new project x

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  17. the Lynette block is lovely she is so very talented and you have made a lovely n=block. Loving the bag, we are being shown how to k=make the design boards at our next MG they said to bring foam board but I will be like you and find something from the house to use as a base

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  18. Your farm block is cute - lots of interest and the knitting bag looks really great! Great recycling with your design boards, they are so useful. xx

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  19. Great garden ..... Awesome projects .... Great idea with the box xxxx

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  20. The flowers and apples look lovely. The chicken--not so much! You were very kind to spare her feelings. : )
    I'm sure Doniene will love that bag--who wouldn't? What a thoughtful gift!
    I sure love my design boards. One of my two quilting mentors taught me to make them about 10 years ago, and I think I made about a dozen in 15" inch size, so they would accommodate a 12" block. Then when she died a couple of years ago her daughter gave me all of her boards. And I have since made a few larger ones to hold a whole mini quilt, and a large one to use at retreats. I have truly gone over"board". Sorry--couldn't help myself on that one. : )

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  21. The calendar says it's Autumn, but the weather hasn't caught up yet....still a bit too hot for me. I wouldn't be able to resist those buttons either, they're very cute. Those mini design boards are popping up everywhere, such an obvious idea and easy to make with stuff from around the house. Putting it inside the lid of the project box is genius!

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  22. Great to see your Anderson's Farm block, I've not quite finished mine yet! Love your idea for a design tray, I think I need one of those!

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  23. Yep no Autumn here, still in the mid to high 30's, with a thorough dollop of humidity, unusual for this area, just for even less fun ;) Poor chooks, guess a bad hair day isn't so bad after all, lol. Lovely bom, I wouldn't be able to resist adding the buttons temporarily either ;) Love the idea of using a box for a design board, what a spark of genius :)

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