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

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Raindrops on Blossoms...

We had a beautiful hot and fine week last week - some family members even had their first summer swims in the river! 
However we had a wet weekend and this week it has cooled down a little (with more rain) so there's no more swimming at the moment. Thankfully, it hasn't fazed the Wisteria at all.
The Met Service actually put us under heavy rain watch so I spent some extra time bringing my calves back to this side of the river - if it flooded, I wouldn't be able to get over to feed them.
AND, once the chores are done, we all know that wet weather means inside days and inside days mean sewing days. 
I needed to catch up on my blocks for The Country Yard 20th Birthday Challenge. The celebration is next month; it's coming around very quickly!
One of the block themes is 'a favourite block'. I like the challenge of sewing a tiny block, and I also love nested blocks so started with this - 
Then this-
Resulting in this - 
All of my blocks are in the centre of a heart so here is the completed block- 
Another of the challenge block themes is 'Christmas'. It took me a while to decide what to make, but I finally decided on this foundation pieced tree - 
(The pattern I used is the Pine Tree FPP from CentreStreetQuilts.)
Completed block - 
I had a lot of trouble getting the photos of the finished blocks - the colours I was getting were orange and royal blue; these are the best I could do!

YD and I were busy chatting the other day and heard little noises coming from downstairs - I spied young Odie doing this -
Haha, he was 'sewing'! He'd removed the tiny quilt from a nearby quilt and put it under the presser foot of my old treadle machine! He really looked like he knew what he was doing! (I don't think he's seen me sewing but his mum does do a spot of mending on her machine from time to time,)

I wasn't going to do any more calf/farm spam, but as I mentioned bringing the calves back from over the river, I thought I should explain. Moving the youngstock is easy as they follow the feeder, hoping for their milk. Here they are coming over the bridge -  I always speed up so they don't bunch up and push each other off - I've not lost a calf off the bridge yet and hope never to! - 
Then, finally a feed - 
And happy and full - 
'til next time,
happy stitches,
Raewyn

13 comments:

  1. I love your little Christmas tree. Here we should be into the early stages of fall and instead we are still in summer. All week to be around 90-93 - too hot!! the A/C is still on and all night too - it just doesn't cool off enough for windows open this week - no cool weather in the forecast for my part of Arkansas until the 8th of October or so

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  2. Nice blocks you have made, and the wisteria is beautiful. Oh dear, having a calf fall off the bridge doesn't bear thinking about.

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  3. I love that tiny block!..and how it grows.

    Not Christmas already.....

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  4. I enjoy when you share about your farm Raewyn. You have a very clever method of luring the cows where you want them to be. Your quilt blocks are so pretty. I love the tree inside the heart. Odie is a quilter in the making!

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  5. Your blocks and your wisteria are gorgeous and Odie is so cute - great model! You really know what to do with cows, too. I've been reading a lot of books involving farmers, and I can picture a lot because of the pictures you share on the blog.

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  6. Just look at all those cuties around the feeder! So lovely.
    Love your churn within a churndash, so effective and how you are setting them in hearts. Looks like you have a budding quilter on your hands.... xx

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  7. Your wisteria is looking gorgeous. Ours is just starting to show its first colour. Your little block centres are so cute. It’s amazing what kids pick up without us realising. You’ll have him stitching soon too. You know we all enjoy a spot of calf spam. Keep them coming.

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  8. Oops. That anonymous comment was me. Cheers Janice.

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  9. The Wisteria is gorgeous! I’ve tried growing it but with no luck.
    You do enjoy tiny blocks and FPing resulting and lovely hearts.
    Maybe it’s time you taught Odie to sew?
    That’s a great way to move the calves….

    Maria lifeontheblock

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  10. Hope this is not a duplicate comment, my first try suddenly vanished. Please don't stop with the "farm spam" - I came for the sewing but enjoy the real life context so much!

    Ceci

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  11. The small blocks are so cute. I like how they are inserted within the hearts. I love the intense look Odie has with his sewing. Great way to move the calves!

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  12. Well I was wondering why your churn dash block was so teeny tiny. What an amazing block!

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  13. Your wisteria is beautiful Raewyn - ours has been bashed about by the wind the last couple of days. Love your churn dash in the heart and then Christmas tree. Odie looks like he might be a natural with the machine! Always good to see the calves. hope the heavy rain didn't come to you.

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