Cut Short —

The MOML and I with our feet up, enjoying a change of scenery the other day. 

Each year we try to get away for a weekend between the end of calving and the start of mating....a very narrow window of time...and when our son-in-law offered to milk for us recently, we jumped at the chance!

We headed up north as we usually do; this time we went to Omapere, at the mouth of the Hokianga Harbour on the west coast.

Even though it was school holidays, it was very quiet (it usually is, but more so this time) as only Northlanders can access Northland at the moment.
The view from our unit —

Looking down into the Hokianga Harbour —

The huge sand dunes across the water really dominate the view —

Unfortunately Northland suddenly went into Level 3 lockdown on Saturday night after two Covid infected people forged their way through the border and spent 4 days out and about. One person went into hiding, and they were both very uncooperative about their movements.

That meant we had to go home early, after just one night away. We did have a very full 36 hour holiday though! We had a good couple of walks. This walk was a 4 hour one (one-way) but we just went 40 minutes to an accessible beach. It was beautiful. — 

Some trickier areas —

We had taken a small picnic and had a wee rest before heading back —

Barely a soul around! —

So back home again, earlier than intended, I decided I needed a Sunday-Sewday! The next best thing to having some time away.

I really wanted to catch up on my star blocks for The Great Scrappy Star Adventure. I'd done the instructions for Month 9 but had only sewn the star 'spike' units as part of the writing process. 

I needed to check that it actually worked!!

I got carried away, making a whole lot of units, and then working out which ones would go with what—

The resulting stars (just 9" ones this time) —

A closer look at some of the fabrics —

And not yet shown, the Month 8 stars —

And quickly before I go, I have done a little more on my Squirrel project, the 2021 Laundry Basket Quilts mystery quilt.

Last time I shared, I had done the centre of the quilt —

The next lot of blocks have moved more to the reds, rather than the deep reds —

And this is where it is now; I have done another two rounds. (It's not designed as a round quilt but that is how I am sewing it.) Sit back a bit and squint at it; it looks pretty cool, I reckon!

(It looks elongated because I have only joined horizontally. I can't join the rows together until I have worked my way out to the outside edge, which is another three rounds. Getting there!)

There's plenty more to talk about but that's it for now, as it's well past my bedtime, 

'til next time,

happy stitches,