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

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Christmas WIPs

Now that things are easing on the farm (for me at least; the MOML is still as busy as ever) I've miraculously found more sewing time!
Back when there were still 100 days left until the end of the year, I came across a WIPS-B-GONE (2021) challenge being run by Leanne, the Devoted Quilter.

In the last year or so I've been very good at signing up for things and not following through😟 
I thought that maybe this challenge would give me an extra push to complete a few projects and therefore redeem myself. With that in mind, I remembered that a few posts ago, I had sort of challenged myself to finish three Christmas quilts by the end of the year.
So that part was easy - identifying which 'Works In Progress' to work on!
Progress has been slow but I have tried to keep these three projects at front of mind.
I've made another reindeer for Juliet's Sleigh Ride Sewalong
I'm a bit late for the sewalong but that's how it goes. You can see below how it's starting to take shape. I have two more to make, which won't take too long once I put my mind to it.

My evening sewing has picked up a bit. For a while there I was too tired to think about much after dinner, but lately I've been continuing on with The Santa, The Tree, The Turkey and Me. 
When I'd left off, it was at this stage —
But I spent an afternoon prepping some more for the evenings —
I've since stitched these areas; the reindeer now have their harnesses and Santa just needs his beard and some trims on his suit. Then I'll be ready for the stitchery elements of the block.

Most exciting of all is that I am back to my Scrappy Christmas Ornaments!!!
The lack of a decent sized design wall means that this project was laid out on the spare bed in the guest room. I'd had it on a sheet which I quickly rolled up (way back whenever) when some extended family needed a safe place to live for a month, then Mum stayed for a bit, and then, not long after, our bathroom remodel started. The contents of the 'old' bathroom were upended into the guest room (just across the hallway) for safekeeping and sorting. Whew.
One completed bathroom later I can now access the bed so have unrolled the sheet and started working on joining the blocks into rows.
It's always been my vision to have the ornaments 'randomly spaced' around the quilt, so while I'm joining them into rows, I'm offsetting them so they all hang at different heights. 
I soon realised the small blocks need a bit more background around them so they don't look lost. That has grown the potential size of the quilt by a few inches but that's not an issue.
Here's the mess on the bed, I've joined nearly three rows and am nearly half way there.
The WIPs be Done challenge is mostly being run on Instagram. I thought it would be a good way for me to get back onto that again so maybe I'll have a look at that when I finish writing this (unless I get the urge to sew instead....!)
I mentioned that my calf duties are slowing down. We finished calving about two weeks ago (just under 3 months from start to finish). And some are weaned.
I put the youngest ones out into the paddock last week and spent an enjoyable time watching them run, which they always do with great gusto when first put out —
And another time I caught these handsome fellows being curious —
I took this one gorgeous morning —
And here is the herd another, very foggy, day —

OK, must be off, 
'til next time,
happy stitches,

15 comments:

  1. You certainly are motivated now with the Christmas WIPS. The reindeer look wonderful and your Christmas decorations quilt will be stunning, not long and the Santa block will be done. Always great to see farm and animal photos, the calf looks like it it saying Yipee!! Very handsome lot viewing over the fence.

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  2. Oh Raewyn, your deer pieces are adorable. This is definitely a WIP that needs to be finished and cherished. I love it. And I'm cracking up about your baby cows "running". One of your photos you shared makes them look like they are running wild, like baby rabbits. I don't think I've ever seen cows run (other than what you've shared) and certainly never jumping. Frisky youngsters. Just make me giggle.

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  3. good progress on those holiday pieces! such a lot of pieces in the paper piecing though. Great action shots on the calf

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  4. You are overrun with calves and reindeers at your place!!! love your Christmas projects ... the ornies are just lovely...
    Hugz

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  5. I love it when the baby cows jump about, very similar to the baby lambs. They don't seem to do it for very long but they are super cute. Your photos have captured that moment perfectly.

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  6. Good luck with your WIP challenge and luv those excited calves when they are let out!!

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  7. Love the calf pics - very cute!
    The Ornament quilt will be fabulous and the foundation pieced reindeer are great.

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  8. Great to see you now have time again to sit and sew and relax in the evening with hand sewing..
    You'er make great progress on all three Christmas projects.
    Lovely photos of the calves and scenery...

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  9. Three great projects that it will be lovely to see completed - they are all so interesting. Lovely to see the calves running around for the first time. xx

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  10. Really nice projects on you-want to finish- list!!
    I never thought of using a sheet to lay out my blocks on and then if not all sewn together--I could just roll them up--I have no design wall--just use my bed--
    and that calf looks like it is having the time of it's life!!!!
    hugs, di

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  11. Oh I'm so happy to see your scrappy ornaments again, just love this quilt. And those calves! So gleeful! They really are social and interesting animals, cows. Good luck with all your stitching; looks like you're on your way back into the swing of it!

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  12. Oh so glad you have some time to sew again. Looks like you are making headway on several very neat projects. Love the cows and the joy in the running.

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  13. All of the three Christmas quilts are absolute delights. It is lovely to see them growing. Best of luck with your plans.

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  14. I’m so glad that you are finding a bit more time for your stitching these days. I love the reindeer. The calves certainly look like they are enjoying the paddock.

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  15. Raewyn - we are in the UK at the moment, and I have been a bit shocked to see the ads in all the pubs for Christmas luncheons and the like - my goodness, already? But when you think about it, it's less than two months away! So, good for you to be crackin' on with your Christmas WIPs! They all look gorgeous!

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