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

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

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,

32 comments:

  1. Hi Raewyn,oh your blocks are so cute,you are always so busy.
    Boy that sure is a lot of rain,glad you didnt get stuck on the other side xx

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  2. Loving those Farm blocks...your blocks will look fabulous in the dark and light grey background.. Always use that method for lots of half square triangle. Nice and quick.
    Lovely dinner and it looks like the kids are having fun.
    Pleased you didn't get flooded.

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  3. Great post full of lots of good stuff! Your farm blocks are truly adorable, especially with the button embellishments. It was difficult to resist joining Lorna's QAL, but I have to admit,mall those bear claw blocks intimidated me! I don't have a very long attention span :)! I love using HSTs and will have to give this tutorial a try. Thanks for posting the link and showing your steps. I make four at a time now, but eight would be even better! I love seeing pictures of your property, especially when it is being enjoyed by all the kiddos! Glad the rain wasn't too much of a problem! Stay sweet! XO

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  4. Your farm blocks are really adorable. I have used that method for triangles and it works great if you remember not to strip cut your fabric. The hay bales looked like giant marshmallows in that one picture. I never saw bales with colored wraps before!

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  5. I am so glad to see you have joined in the Mod Bear Paw quilt along, Raewyn! Thanks so much for sharing your new method of making HST's. What a clever idea!

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  6. So much happening there Raewyn! Glad you didn't get flooded... & as for the QAL, of course you'll make a beauty... you'll be able to do hst in your sleep by the end of it!

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  7. I love your blocks just adorable. I am tempted by the bear paw QAL but I just have to look the other way right now, too much happening already in my sewing space. I have used this method of hsts for making pinwheels and it sure saves a lot of time and much more accurate.

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  8. LOVE that Farm block. There is so much detail in it.

    That's a great way to do your HSTs when you have so many to construct.

    You can always send that extra rain our way. ;-)

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  9. Love the farm blocks. Will you be adding any calves? Rain is good, but why does it all have to come at the same time? We're expecting a big rainfall tomorrow, so I may have to just stay home and sew. Darn...

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  10. Such cute farm blocks!
    I want to make a bears paw someday, but I admit that all of the HSTs do put me off.
    Wow--that is a lot of water! Will it go down within a day or two?

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  11. Lovely blocks you've made progress on. What a flood! Hope your cows are OK?

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  12. I'm struggling with the few HST in my Tula blocks, never mind a whole quilt of them. Go you!! So glad you didn't get more flooding, there has been a lot of rain the past few days, and more to come by the looks of the weather.

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  13. Thats a great way to make HST. I have used that method, and it certainly saves the stretching when you do one at a time. ( I cant imagine anyone does that now)

    Your farm blocks are lovely Raewyn.

    Aren't you sick of the rain. Such a shame for the grandies who have come to stay. No horse riding. Today we are off to Shelly Beach to try our hand at fishing off the wharf!
    As I write this the fog is lifting, and I think the sun is trying to shine.

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  14. Very sweet farm blocks, I love the detail! Glad the flodding wasn't too bad for you.

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  15. Love your Barges Farm blocks Raewyn. The bears paw block was always the very first quilt block I fell in love with & I always recognise it even tho I am not a quilter. Yes we have had the heavy rain here too but not the flooding thank goodness. I remember my kids used to spend hours playing on the bales in the haybarn ... you always knew where they were.

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  16. Such a cute foxy block - I love foxes! And Bears Paw too, I made one years ago but it sold - wish now it hadn't. We did have a heck of a lot of water come down didn't we, your grass in the paddocks looks lush and green though.

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  17. Your blocks are looking great Raewyn. And that is a really good tut on the half square triangles. There is nothing like black and white too, just fabulous.

    We have had a lot of rain here too, no sun for over a week now, and lots of rain, everything is quite sodden but!I have managed to put a couple of loads of washing out this afternoon, lets hope it gets dry.

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  18. Just as well the real Barge farm doesn't have foxes, bears and rabbits - perhaps there are few rabbits!? Your blocks are looking great. Looks like a full house!

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  19. your farm blocks are coming along so well what a delight the quilt will be. I too love the 8 at once HST make do not like doing 4 at once though as it leaves too many bias edges. Good to see you have help on the farm and I am sure the children are having lots of fun too even though you had lots of rain

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  20. Lovely work on the farm blocks. It is exciting to get near the end.
    I looked at the bear Paw QAL, and was very tempted, But I said no. I will watch yours grow and enjoy from afar. Good luck!
    Love seeing kids having a great time outside. The weather looks perfect, except for the flood. Glad it went down quickly.

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  21. That must have been some downpour! I love seeing the quilts and the stitching projects that you do. I tell you . . . all you need is a needle and thread and a few scraps of fabric and you work miracles. Absolute miracles . . . You Amaze Me!

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  22. Always so much debris in flood water..... Busy busy at your place as usual.....

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  23. Your latest farm blocks are just lovely! And I do like your bears paw fabrics. Floods! Gosh, rain would be very welcome here. xx

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  24. I'm liking your black bear quilt. I'd thought of that, but, the fabrics that she had used in her first quilt, have been on my wish list for a while, but, I hadn't found a pattern for them yet (browns are not my usual colors).

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  25. Lovely appliqué - and no apologies needed for joining the new QAL. Good to see photos of your part of the world.

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  26. Love the farm blocks, they look great together....enjoy that QAL, always great to add another challenge to the year! I came across a book here left by the previous owner and you can buy pre-printed rolls of paper for half square triangles...something new to me!! Wow the river came up fast!! Not that the calves seem to be worried, so good you didn't get stuck on the other side! The kids did a great job with dinner!! And wonderful to see them out exploring.

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  27. Love what you are doing with cute wee blocks and the black and white bears paw looks really good.
    Wondered how you got on with the flooding. Gosh the grass is growing fast! Hope too much didn't get spoilt from silt in the floods!!
    Quiet house now? xxxxx

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  28. Your farm blocks look great, Raewyn. How lovely having the kids cook dinner.

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  29. I love the fabrics you are making your bear paw with. I am still bogged down with other things and haven't even started so I am really happy that I came here and found your link to making 8 1/2 square triangles at once. I just might be able to do this1

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  30. That bunny block is going to be beautiful when it is finished, I look forward to seeing it. WOW you have had some rain up your way. Bet the kids have been having a ball on the farm.

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  31. Never a dull moment at your place, hope the water has receded.
    Love the bear paw and thanks for the link on how to make the 1/2 square triangles, great way to get them done.
    What wonderful visitors helping out and cooking dinner!
    Send them here...

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