Nearly there —

I got this far with the Buggy Barn trucks and tractors today —

All the tyres are appliqued and I'm ready to join them together.

Because each type of block is a slightly different size there is the odd gap in a couple of the rows. I decided the simplest thing to do was to add strips of matching fabrics in. I really only had strips left over but they'll work — 

I considered missing today's walk so I could spend an extra hour getting these blocks together but the walk won out in the end.
Down to the bridge to say hello to the horses —

Catching up with the MOML who was feeding out for tomorrow morning —

It's not ALL hills around here!

If you catch the centre tree at the right angle, it looks like it's dancing...

Can you see it?
Yes, I know, easily amused....

Past the cows —

I've been watching this bunch of bananas, ready to run out and pick them the minute the birds start pecking them. I've been amazed there's been yellow fruit but no birds —

But I didn't realise there was another bunch that was even more ready. A gathering of Silver-eyes gave the game away —

They do a lot of damage!

Midnight tonight marks 4 weeks of strict level 4 lockdown. We're to stay this way till next Monday when we enter level 3. Level 3 is nearly as strict but gives the opportunity for more businesses to go back to work. I'm not sure how it will work as customers are still not allowed to go into shops. I guess there will be a lot of the Click and Collect type shopping or online sales. The MOML is looking forward to getting a new chainsaw chain!

Our bubbles are mostly supposed to stay the same as they are now so socially it won't be much different to how it is at the moment. 

'til next time, 

healthy and happy stitches,

Lockdown Day 28

Day 28 of lockdown was a bit of a no news day here...not the best thing when you're trying to blog daily for the duration!
It was a bit drizzly first thing so I put off my walk until later and got straight into finishing the overlocking of the grandie-girls' nighties for my DIL.

 Doing this has got me thinking about doing a little more children's sewing - all of the kiddies are short of warm clothes and haven't been able to get more with the lockdown restrictions. I'm sure there is some fabric downstairs somewhere that will be suitable for some farm trousers and so on.
To help tidy up my cutting bench I did a little more work on Foxley Village. I put together the rest of the month 3 block.

(Shocking photo sorry - it was wonky on my design wall)

I then got excited about doing some more piecing but realised I still had some stubborn wash-away stabiliser under the stitcheries that I needed to get rid of. I wonder if I may have pressed it by mistake and it stuck a bit better than it should have! So I soaked it and put it aside to dry.

Tonight I did a little more stitchery on my current Foxley applique block - again using the wash-away as there are too many layers to trace through. I'll wash it away straight away this time!

I started cutting some of it away. Have a few more bits of stitchery to do on this block before it's done.

This afternoon's walk was across the road and up the first hill plus one.

The sun was starting to set so I got some quite cool 'Sun shining through moist clouds' photos.

Of course it wasn't that dark when I was out but looking up at the sun makes it look like it was.

Emma is so keen to come with me these days. You can see the lengths she goes to, to be by my side!

The chickens were starting to roost by the time I finished and got to feeding them. They have inside quarters but there's always the odd one who prefers the tree!

'til next time, 

healthy and happy stitches,

Muffins and a spot of sewing

I've had the odd thought lately that I get so much enjoyment from my daily walks because it's a form of escapism. I can switch off, enjoy nature around me and let my thoughts wander anywhere they want to go.
Then I asked myself if that was a bad thing or not. Is escapism okay?
I've decided it is; I'm sure it refreshes and recharges the brain.
However I have started trying to consciously plan my day while out walking so that I don't get home again and have no idea where to start with the things I want to get done!
Sometimes I start planning and then my mind wanders off again.
Today however I had one thought on my mind and that was to make some muffins for lunch! I sped up so I could get home to have them cooked in time!

Apple, passionfruit and white chocolate muffins. Fresh from the oven, with the chocolate chunks still gooey, they were absolutely delicious and well worth speeding my steps for! I have a basic recipe I alter the ingredients of, depending on what's on hand.

A few months ago YD asked if she could have my old machine to use. Before handing it over I had it serviced for her and while I was at it, got my overlocker serviced too.

I have barely used it in years but now that it's oiled and set up I find it a handy thing to have nearby. My DIL has been doing a bit of sewing during the lockdown and made the girls some nighties. She didn't realise how much brushed cotton frays so I offered to overlock the edges for her. So this afternoon's job was to make a start on those.

I did two nighties and have two more to do - tomorrow's job I think.

I quickly sewed up one more of the pieced blocks for Foxley Village. This one is called Sister's Choice —

Katie-Cat, our elderly shed cat thought she'd come with Emma and  I for today's walk.

She walked down the first hill and then sat and watched us carry on from a fence post.
I went over the bridge and up the first hill again, so you've seen this view before —

There are two paddocks just over the brow of the hill so I walked through those, along the bush line for a change of scenery.

I tried to get some photos looking down into the bush. I was at the bottom of the paddock and you can see how the bush just goes on and on!

On our way home —

I was happy to get some nice Fantail photos today. Maybe there was something in the air, they lingered slightly longer so I could snap them!

'til next time,

safe and happy stitches,