I surprised myself when I checked out my camera this morning and realised I had a couple of things I could blog about :-) My progress on any projects this month seems to have been so slow I was sure there would be nothing to share!
First of all, I have made a couple more heart blocks.
I started these *here* and am enjoying hunting out my reds - I'm sure there are many more where these came from!
In my last post I also shared the applique block I made for a Mystery SAL (Friday's Christmas) at The Country Yard.... we had the show and tell for the next round the other day. There are several options for this and so all the quilts will turn out quite differently. Here are some pics from it —
There are three challenge fabrics.... at least one has to be used each time. And if you look carefully you will see the similarities between the three...the same but different :-)
Hmmm I wonder what the next step of this mystery will be......?!
And I've finished the August block for our Holly Cottage Christmas SAL...I'm loving how these are turning out ♥
After a challenging week, I thought I'd share a little more of the realities of country life ....
And before you ask, it's just not economic to have lots of barns/sheds and feed pads here - usually our NZ all-grass system works well. Occasionally it comes unstuck - or perhaps I should say, stuck!
But it's a fresh week and we're still smiling - maybe the rain will stop one day :-)
First of all, I have made a couple more heart blocks.
In my last post I also shared the applique block I made for a Mystery SAL (Friday's Christmas) at The Country Yard.... we had the show and tell for the next round the other day. There are several options for this and so all the quilts will turn out quite differently. Here are some pics from it —
 |
| Kerryn's |
 |
| Bernice's |
 |
| and mine. |
Hmmm I wonder what the next step of this mystery will be......?!
And I've finished the August block for our Holly Cottage Christmas SAL...I'm loving how these are turning out ♥
*****
Down on the farm we're sure we will soon be growing fins and webbed feet as it's been a soggy few months. With nearly 2 months of calving under our belts, we're both as physically and emotionally exhausted as we have ever been. And while the farmlife photos I usually share are cute or scenic pictures, we all know it's not always rosey.
 |
| Ahhh lovely! |
 |
| The hot water cylinder at the shed blew its element. To have hot water for mixing milk powder for my calves, the MOML got a good old fashioned fire going! (Better than earlier in the day when I had to carry buckets of hot water from the house to the shed). |
 |
| Getting stuck has become the order of the day. This was me, trying to get into a paddock to feed my calves. Step one was to jettison the milk and lighten the load (ie feed the calves) .... then detach the feeder and wriggle the bike out (Low - 4WD - diff lock on) ...then pivot the feeder by hand so it was facing the other way ....attach feeder to bike and drive away. Superwoman! |
 |
| The next day the MOML got stuck good and proper. Here he's trying to winch himself out by attaching the winch to a post. Both our bikes have winches at the front - life savers! |
 |
| This shows how wet it is under foot ..these calves are busy around the feeder. |
But it's a fresh week and we're still smiling - maybe the rain will stop one day :-)
Here's to Happy Places. Quilting and blogland fit that bill♥
Happy stitches!
Some very pretty piecing and stitching going on. So much mud, have you had the hail and thunderstorms too? How do the cows and calves like the mud, probably like you & the Mr, you are all are over it.......at least they wouldn't loose their gumboots stepping in it!
ReplyDeletedo hope ypo get a dry spell soon and the land dries out both for you and the cows. Also that you get the boiler think repaired or replaced. Lots of stitching happening all very nice
ReplyDeleteAh, the realities of farm life... so often those of us without a farm forget those things! Well done to you MOML for getting the fire going.. much better than carrying buckets! How many calves are you feeding?
ReplyDeleteLove your blocks, they are so pretty... xxx
Getting stuck, hauling water, and feeding all of those little calf mouths is a full time job so you being able to stitch at all is pretty awesome. Your blocks are gorgeous. LOL getting stuck, funny, but surely not at the time. May be muddy, but that grass looks very long, lush and thick.
ReplyDeleteWe are as dry as you are wet....my goodness you guys work hard! Love your blocks and just love how your Holly Cottage blocks are looking. Hope a little sunshine finds you soon xx
ReplyDeleteI love your heart blocks and Holly Cottage is beyond cute. You are so busy on the farm with all the getting stuck etc. Here is to hoping the land absorbs that water quickly. Glad the calves are doing well.
ReplyDeleteWith all of that going on, I am surprised you have found any time to stitch. I love that August block.
ReplyDeleteYes I must agree with Mary.. but I guess it sit and relax in the evening and do some stitching is nice...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blocks.
Lovely, lovely projects!! I know muck is so difficult in which to calve! Are you almost finished? We just sent kids to market and the price was good. We are extremely dry! Hopefully we can keep what stock we have! Mike had wanted to buy sone heifers, but the water situation keeps him from doing so!
ReplyDeleteNice to get reconnected!
Love from Texas!
Oh goodness, it certainly has been a hard time for you both, and the animals. We've finally seen some sun this weeek, but I want more! So glad you do get a little stitching time in, your projects are looking great!
ReplyDeleteWow so much happening on the farm, all that rain has made hard work for and the animals, hope it improves quickly. Love all your stitchingprojects, great to see you still have time for them.
ReplyDeleteHi Raewyn, your hearts are looking beautiful. I can fully relate to all your mud photos .... on Monday my Mr got the 4 wheeler stuck right down the very back of the farm & had to walk all the way home to get the tractor to pull the bike out!! We are all over it. The sun is out today though so long may it last!!!
ReplyDeleteLove your heart blocks and that special block you did and your Christmas sal is coming along soo cute--keep up the stitching--
ReplyDeleteas for all the rain and the mud--they say "mud bathes" are good for the skin!!!!
enjoy the moments, di
Wow you have had a lot of rain, my lawns have been swampy, not quite that bad though.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are still finding time for a little sewing.
I love all those mystery blocks. They are all so interesting. Different from each other but they fit so well together.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blocks Reawyn, love the Holly Christmas block. Boy things are sure trying around your place, I hope you get some sunshine soon to dry things out. Imgot the car bogged a couple of months ago when I was geocaching, and would you believe not one car came past, luckily I got it out by using a dead bush!!
ReplyDeleteGosh Raewyn you have managed to get heaps done. I love your wee bird in your Mystery block, so cute. And your SAL block is really cute.
ReplyDeleteI can hear the expletives from MOML from down here, lol. I can feel how frustrating it must have been for you both, things blowing up then the lovely mud. Hopefully things will start drying out soon for you guys.
Lovely as always to see your projects on the go. With all the work on the farm I am always impressed when you get time to stitch. I think I would be falling asleep!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you need to keep those boots on for a while longer with all that wet ground.
I like the construction of those hearts. Wish I had known that method before I made my "Love The Neighbor" top.
ReplyDeleteThe Christmas block is so cute.
Oh, my goodness, you folks are certainly waterlogged!
all that pretty pretty and dirty mud in one post - you have to be careful to clean up before you play with your fabric! You are having to work hard in that mud and I can hear your frustration... can you share some of that water please? We used to have 50 gallon drums attached to our houses and wood fire (back in the day of dinosaurs) but they were the very best heaters - hot water in minutes...
ReplyDeleteHugz
Hi Raewyn,i so love seeing what you have been sewing or stitching love your gingie block,it looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteOh dear we dont see the other side of farming,i can see that there is alot of work involved,hope the rain eases of for you,hope you have a lovely Sunday xx
I am so ready for it to be finished raining! Today has been a good day but I can see very cloudy skys... hopefully they do not turn into rain clouds. I am amazed how all the centre blocks for the mystery project are all so different... I think this will be an exciting challenge for the participants.
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing! You have such beautiful quilty projects, and have such a busy family farm life too! You rock! Thanks for sharing...helps to get to know you a little better!
ReplyDeleteFirst, the SAL Friday's Christmas blocs are gorgeous! Second, ew...seeing the quads (we call them that here in Canada) stuck and winching reminds me of when we had our 3 1/4 acres out in Western Canada in Alberta...where my husband used his quad a LOT; attached a snowplough to the front, for one. Camping days for another. Ahh! But I don't miss it. Amazing that you find time to sew after such physically draining days. :-)
ReplyDeleteWow! Yes, you certainly are superwoman! Your blocks are fantastic. I particularly love the hearts and the Holly Cottage Christmas SAL blocks. Beautiful work! I do hope things settle down a bit for you soon.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine working that hard! You had LOTS to share!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness . . . you surely do have mud! That must have been a mess, getting stuck like that.
ReplyDeleteI do love your quilt blocks, but then I believe that you are one of my top admired quilters in the world. I love visiting and seeing the quilts that you are working on . . .it is always a treat.
Connie :)