Happy 2023

I hope that everyone's 2023 has got off to a great start. While I have started mine with no major goals or lists of ufos to work through, I do have hopes of being more organised and productive in my quilting life, to connect more with my online friends and community (I've been a bit slack the past year and have missed it terribly!). I'm not citing any figures but have the idea that I would like to end the year with a few less UFOs and a few less scraps - no promises though as my sewing time can be quite unpredictable due to the ebb and flow of family and farm life.

We don't tend to see the New Year in - it's not a custom we've nurtured as there have always been cows to milk the next morning - however it does seem to becoming a bit of a custom for us to babysit so various other family members can celebrate!

This year we also had YD and half her family camping on the farm so Mum, the babysitting grandies and I joined them in the early evening to toast marshmallows over their campfire.

The kids thought it was great but keeping them safe from the fire was a bit of a challenge!

I had a wee flurry of sewing on the last few days of 2022 to get my block count up a bit. The hourglass blocks for my Smidgeon quilt were closest to hand and quickest to sew. 

I also joined some more together—

And then I couldn't help myself and sewed some of my hourglass blocks to the 36-patches. Looking at the design, I can get away with this even if I haven't chosen my layout yet. It's always nice to have a little play—

And a bit more of a play; it's going to come together nicely—

I've stitched four Christmas stitcheries over the last month or so; these were a bit of an impulse buy but I couldn't resist as they represent a Kiwi Christmas in summer. ..... so many of the Christmas symbols I grew up with are from the Northern hemisphere - snow, sleigh and snowmen, lights, Red Robins, mistletoe, scarves, mittens and jerseys and so on - that it is nice to find something that better represents our kiwi lifestyle at Christmastime.

Pohutakawa under the sun —

Haha who can resist a nod to our reputation as having one of the highest sheep to human ratios! (Sadly that is declining but this is not a political blog so I will say no more!!!) — 

Christmas/summer BBQs —

And of course camping. How Santa finds all those campsites I don't know, but he manages it! —

Hehe our wingless bird has sprouted wings. Too cute —

I have no idea what I will do with these blocks but I am sure I will find inspiration.
This effort brought my December blockmaking tally to 25...and the year's block tally to 373! I was happy to report that to Prairie Moon's 350 blocks project but will be aiming for more this year :-)

Those of us who could, got together at ED's for a pizza meal the evening before Mum went home. It was a fun little gathering and the kids had a really good play while the adults had a good chat.

Mum was here for just over 2½ weeks and she got to see plenty of the family in that time. I am sure she is enjoying a bit of peace and quiet now!

Family were out visiting on Sunday, I thought this was a cute photo —

My 'baby' chickens are getting to the gawky teenage stage; they're nearly 8 weeks old now —

I'm about ready to give up on Bloglovin' as my main reader to keep track of my blog reading...I've been very patient with it but I haven't been able to access it for quite a few weeks now. I've signed up with Feedly.....my problem being of course that I have to start my list of blogs I follow all over again...I will raid my sidebar for some of them but it is a little frustrating to have to start from scratch again!

'til next time,

Happy stitches,