A finish on Friday

It was binding time when I sat down to join in with Cheryll and friends for Friday Night with Friends last night.

Nice to be at the binding stage as this quilt as been a long time in the making. It was glaring at me from my quilting chair saying "Pick Me, Pick Me" when I was feeling a little lost and trying to decide where to start next.
It's my Hannah and Harrington quilt started in a 2013 quiltalong by Michelle of The Raspberry Rabbits.

Although I set it as an April finishing goal, I stalled on it because I needed to do a foot conversion.

Recently though, I took a deep breath, watched the necessary video and changed my foot...the older machines had this foot on the left (photo above) which screws into the machine and stays there. Now my machine has a different shank and I can screw a foot off it and change over to a different one.

I was able to attach this Glide foot which glides around the wool appliques without catching and snagging on them. 

That means I've had a fun time doing some quilting lately. I didn't want anything too dense so worked hard to make sure my motifs didn't get too small - I do have a tendency to get really small. I quilted randomly, sort of feathery and spirally, making it up as I went, and really enjoyed it!

I had already quilted the small squares (a simple vine) and done a feather around the outside border AND stitched in the ditch of the applique blocks so, once I got into it all, it didn't take me too long to complete. (Insert happy dance here.)

Last night I walked into the living room at just the right time, as the setting sun was hitting the draped quilt (awaiting the rest of its binding) at the right angle —

Cool huh?!

Thanks to the company of everyone at FNwF I was able to finish stitching the binding down. This morning I took the quilt out for a photo shoot.

I fed calves in this spot recently - the paddock has an old concrete bunker in it and I wondered if it would make a good spot for quilt photography.

It wasn't quite high enough to show the whole quilt on the side with the sun behind me —

On the other side, in the shade with glare poking in at the side, there was enough height but no way to hang the quilt —

There was one old bolt sticking up which I tied baling twine to so that I could peg the quilt up. I improvised with the buggy and tied the twine to that to keep it taut!

The dogs enjoyed the outing!

Third side. Still not tall enough and nothing to tie my baling twine to!

Anyway, it was a lovely day and it was nice to be out and about even if my photoshoot wasn't entirely successful!

The closeup below shows the border quilting —

But it's easier to see what I did on the backside of the quilt — 

Thanks Cheryll for hosting Friday Night with Friends. Visit Cheryll and the others who joined in by clicking *here*.

'til next time,
happy stitches,

Setting Goals and Challenges

Well I knew it was a new month (6 days ago to be honest) but had forgotten to get busy with my planning to give me some guidance for the month.
And I'm going to go with three goals this month - ahem - well, with all this extra time on my hands, surely that's possible?!
For my One Monthly Goal, kindly hosted by Patty over at Elm Street Quilts I'd like to get the Tractor and Truck quilt finished.
I have all the blocks pieced but they need some applique. I started on some today.

Yes I was right, those knobbly tyres do take a while to do but I will chip away at it. Thank goodness the trucks' tyres are smooth.

I'm also making a Woofa goal (Working on or finishing) for the month too. I've pulled out Foxley Village again recently. I'm getting through the hand applique but have barely touched the piecing - it's time to do that. Maybe by the end of the month this will look a bit more together.

I'd also like to make a PHD goal, hosted by Quilting Gail. My Hannah and Harrington quilt is on this list and needs finishing.

The quilting is started - I have stitched in the ditches of the applique rabbit blocks and will move onto filling in those blocks. I found the foot I bought for this job; you can see it's got a very curved shape so it doesn't snag on the wool pieces. Now I just need to work out how to change feet on my machine!

So there we are, three goals and plenty to keep me busy! Thank you to those who run these challenges - it really does help to prioritise and get things done.

I said the other day that the small dog refuses to come on my daily walks now.
He skips down to the chookhouse to help me feed those but then turns tail and disappears as soon as he senses a farm walk coming on.
This is the look I get! —

Look at the tail - it couldn't get too much lower!
He is 13 ½ so I let him off ♥

I had thought I'd just go down to the bridge and back as I was feeling a bit jaded, but once I got walking I decided to go further. So it was over the bridge, past the pump shed and straight ahead.

I ended up in the paddock above the quarry where the MOML was busy loading some rock. This is the rock we use on all the races (tracks). We're very lucky with this rock as it packs down nicely and doesn't cause foot problems in the cows.

Looking across to the bush. This is a beautiful piece of bush, untouched by fire for quite a while. Pretty impenetrable - wild pigs love it as it's easy for them to hide in it.

Following the MOML back home —

And so Day 13 of the lockdown passed by pretty quietly. I wonder what tomorrow will bring...???!!!

'til next time,

Safe and happy stitches,

Add a truck!

I was back to Xavier's quilt today - yes the Buggy Barn one with the trucks and tractors. The trucks are made the same way as the first blocks—

Layering and slicing

And I got one truck sewn together before I had to call it a day —

This one doesn't look as odd with no wheels - at least you can tell what it is!

I was short on sewing time today as I braved going into town. It was odd, but understandable, stopping at a locked gate at the farm supplies store, reporting in by phone, not being allowed out of my vehicle while our order was put in the car, and then unlocked gates to be let out again.
Because I was off to town, I had an earlier walk this morning, and it was really foggy while I was out.
Even the sunrise was hidden!

I also thought I'd better start chipping away at some of the items on my lists that I want to get finished this year. 'Hannah and Harrington' have been basted for a long time so I pulled it out and started on the stitch in the ditch around the applique blocks. I've got a special foot to use to quilt around the wool felt so I'll have to hunt that out and work out how to swap it over!

Tomorrow I want to work on both these quilts again....I also have a pile of apples that need cooking up.

Take care, 

Happy stitches,

My First Flimsy for 2013!!

It's very exciting to have my first flimsy of the year to share! Yes, I have got the last blocks of Hannah and Harrington finished and joined...!!!
I'm very much in love with this project and I'm hoping it won't be long until it's quilted and turned into a real quilt!

The outer border is more of the same Blueberry Crumb Cake range which I used for all the 2 1/2" squares. 

This photo shows the last few blocks I haven't yet shown.

Huge thanks to Michelle of The Raspberry Rabbits for sharing this BOM with us. It's been a fun and interesting project.

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While I'm here, it's time I showed the neat tissue box cover a lovely friend, Leeanne, made me for Christmas.

In the background is some cool appliqué done by another friend on a cheery Christmas apron.

Isn't it fun?!

 And below is another handcrafted gift I received.....

I'm sure you can see what the bracelet is made out of...

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One of the gifts I made this year was an 'Art Binder' for my nephew. It was exciting to receive this photo of him with it... it has gone all the way to Belgium.

And what was also exciting was to see the little wall hanging on the wall behind him... I made that for him 3 (?) years ago (it is a Bronwyn Hayes stitchery) and it was nice to see that it made the list of things that was taken with them when they moved over there!
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Last year Leeanne showed us her new calendar picture for each new month... I thought it was a great idea so decided I would like to do the same. My calendar for this year is the Kim Diehl one called Simply Beautiful Quilts....

And here we have January.... how tempting is this staring at me
all month - I wonder how long it will be until I succumb to making
one of her quilts this year!! 

I hope 2013 has got off to a great start for you all. I am still pondering my list of resolutions - or goals- I'm trying to be realistic and not give in to (too many) temptation(s), maybe next post I'll be able to share them!!
Thank you for visiting, happy creating!

Christmas prep...

I seem to have had a bit of an unofficial bloggy break (sometimes these things happen!)..so here I am making a concerted effort to put that right :-)
In spite of my limited blog-reading time  I do know there's been a 'bit of talk' about Christmas lately - it's so much fun to see the Christmas spirit around the world so I thought I would add to it as well.
Christmas in New Zealand  for me, goes hand in hand with summer... we seem to be busy busy busy leading up to Christmas then all of a sudden the country stops and most people are in holiday mode. For us on the farm the cows still need milking but it is still a relaxing time of salads and sunblock.
For me, there are little things that get my adrenalin going and get me excited about Christmas coming.....

...Yummy fresh foods start appearing signalling relaxing meals with family and friends...

...The flower garden puts on a nice show before too much summer sun starts drying it out too much. The appearance of my red Christmas lilies lets me know it really is December and that Christmas is coming.

...Likewise the Manuka is in flower giving us our very own special sprinkling of Christmas snow,

It was difficult to photograph but these sprinklings of white flowers are
throughout the bush. Scrubby trees really but the Manuka honey from
them is highly prized. In fact there have been bee wars in our district
lately with 3 different beekeepers wanting to put their hives in our bush.

The bees are as busy as....bees!

[I  took a couple of really neat bee photos yesterday, shown here, if you are interested...]
So I really am feeling Christmassy even if we still have to find a (real) Christmas tree and get some decorations out - we have no children at home this year to bully, nag, motivate us!

I've done a little Christmas sewing - this is all I'm showing of this little project just now; these are 'one good turn deserves another' gifts (or gifts for Random Act of Kindness I have received).

I can tell you though that these blocks have come from the Quiltmakers
100 Blocks magazines; I find them a great resource.

And this morning I finished this 'Art Binder' for my nephew. I'm quite happy with it, and the excellent tutorial for it can be found here.

Some of you will be aware that this year I joined the Farmers Wife Quiltalong with Brynwood Needleworks. The lovely Donna sent me this lovely wee gift recently - just for participating!! Thank you Donna.

I'm impressed you are still with me...! I just have 2 more photos to show - both of little critters ---

Here is my latest Hannah and Harrington block - number 8,
yaay, I'm catching up!!

For those closer friends who have been asking about the new carpet we put
down recently , this photo shows you how well camouflaged
our pets are on it!!

I feel caught up now, thank you all for reading through to the end!!
Wishing you all fun, happiness and excitement in the lead up to the festive season -
and happy sewing everyone,

Rabbiting on.....

I have been continuing to catch up on my Hannah and Harrington blocks which the lovely Michelle of Raspberry Rabbits has been offering to us as a free BOM this year.
Continuing on from this post, here are some more blocks (yes, the bunnies are still missing their eyes!!)

Block 5 (aka May)

Block 6 (aka June!)

Block 7. Stitching not quite complete but complete enough for a photo!!

I have sewn the first 6 blocks together - aren't they nice?!!

It's exciting getting this far - I cant wait to get more of them made and joined!!

I've also been stitching this little needlecase. It is a Cottage Garden Threads pattern, using their products. The threads and felt and lovely to sew with.

Another little finish for the month.
Excuse the stray threads in the photo - I didn't notice them till just now!

Isn't it such a lovely shape?

 Have a great day everyone, thank you for visiting,