Bunnies, Bears and Foxes

I've finished the latest two Anderson's Farm (aka Barge's Farm) blocks...block 8 is joined to block 7 as it is made...first of all, the bunnies from Block 7 —

then the fox from Block 8 —

Here they are together —

There are just two more blocks to do now and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all finishes up.

I know that some of you will shake your heads in horror when I tell you that I couldn't resist joining a quiltalong.... there are more than enough projects joisting for attention in The Palace and just as many floating around in my head but I could not resist Lorna's design and her QAL. I've had an yearning to make a Bear's Paw quilt for a while and this one with 'a modern twist' proved irrestible.
It took me a while to decide on my fabrics but a wander around my favourite lqs inspired me...

Not a good photo sorry, but it's blacks and grey-blue tones.
A bit different for me but also probably a typical Raewyn pick of fabrics.

After some snatched moments of sewing, I have one block made.....only 27 to go :-)

When I realised how many Half Square Triangles were needed for the blocks I nearly had a fit I remembered a tutorial I had pinned which I wanted to try. It makes 8 HSTs at once...I thought it was worth a go!

*Here* is the tutorial but I'll briefly talk you through it as well....

I used  the guidelines in the tutorial  to calculate the size squares needed....I laid my two fabrics right sides together, cut them together and kept them together. It meant they were lined up beautifully. 

Next was to draw diagonal lines on the back of the lightest coloured square ... and to sew along these ... slice the square four ways —

Then it was a case of pressing the  HST open and trimming them to size. Perfect. Eight made in one shot!

I really enjoyed using this method so will definitely be doing more this way.
Lorna has a linky up on this post so if you are interested in seeing what other quilters are doing pop over and have a look.

It's currently school holidays here in New Zealand and this week we have had a houseful of children. Plenty of extra help with feeding calves and stockwork and naturally there have been lots of opportunities to go outside to play and 'do adventuring'. The kids have got a lot of mileage out of the stack of silage bales....

Two step-grandies and a nephew at play :-)

And tonight they cooked dinner -

Well done kiddos - great team work!
Dessert disappeared before we got a photograph!

We had a downpour out of nowhere the other night and the river came up really fast the next morning. We haven't had a flood for a while, this was pretty minor but exciting for the children all the same.

Just an hour before I'd driven along here to feed the calves!

Half of their paddock was under water.

But they didn't seem to mind... it was quite nice sleeping by the edge of the lake!

We're lucky, the water doesn't hang around for too long here but it makes a fair
bit of mess regardless - debris in fences etc.

There's been more rain since then but luckily no more flooding for us...although a wet day is always a good excuse for a sew-day....!!

Happy creating and thanks for visiting,