September Ends

It's hard to believe another month has whizzed by so here is a quick attempt to get a post done by nightfall.

The big news is that I finished my Cross and Crown quilt!

The quilt was made from the Cocoa Pink range by Laundry Basket Quilts. It's a sample for The The Country Yard so I took a few photos before taking it into the shop to display.

I had no more dramas with stabbing myself (see *here*) while quilting. Vireya suggested putting the back-pin-cap of an enamel badge on the upright pin; a great idea, but none of my badges had one the right size - grrrr. However I managed to sort my hands out so the rest of the quilting went smoothly.

I ended up using the Westelee circle template for the whole quilt, doing semi-circles along the edges in the border. I am quite pleased with the effect.

One more scenic shot. Our son's sheep are grazing our orchard at the moment -

I don't think I have shared this block yet. It's another for The Country Yard 20 Year Challenge. The theme is 'Have a Cuppa' -

I've started joining my blocks for my challenge quilt. Here is the top row.  I've not used much of the challenge fabric so have decided to use it for cornerstones in the sashing.

It's been a whirlwind 24 hours on the grandparenting front; last night I babysat the three next door while their parents had a very rare dinner out.

Then this morning Odie and family came out - 

Then the rest of the day was spent with Lily and George while their parents were busy. Of course calf duties time arrived and they enjoyed helping for a while-

We set up a 'table' to draw at and they were busy wee bees alternating between calves and pencils. It was a wet and windy day so that limited play a bit. I'm pleased we came up with an alternative!

I'm looking forward to a quiet Sunday - hopefully I will get more of the challenge quilt done.

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Raewyn

Don't bleed on the quilt!

The other day I started quilting my Cross and Crown quilt top (featured in my Crazy post last month). I really thought it would be done by now, but that's just how it is :-)

I decided to use my Westelee circles template. I used this for my Friday's Village quilt. It's been on our bed this winter and every time I look at it, I am pleased with how the quilting turned out. This was finished in 2018 and I haven't used the template since so I determined it was time to play with it again.

This has a pin/large thumb tack inserted into the quilt which the template spins from (remembering I am at a sit-down machine so the fabric moves, not the machine).

It's quite straight forward and has lovely results but you do have to mind where you put your hands - particularly when you are in the groove - 

I had a warning stab the other day - and then one that drew blood....so it was time to Stand Up and Walk Away.

Since then I've made some blood free progress - maybe I was just getting tired and careless and needed a break anyway!

I've quilted on most of the blocks - 

I will do more circles in the gaps - hopefully that won't take too long.

I found this photo the other day. I think I made the block in July. A kiwi quilter put a call out for Gumboot blocks which she could sew into a quilt (or two) to raise funds for Gumboot Friday. Gumboot Friday raises funds to provide counselling for young New Zealanders. It's an effective and worthwhile cause so of course I was happy to add my stitches to it.

My block was a foundation pieced one; part of a set of patterns called The Potting Shed by Jo Westfoot of The Crafty Nomad. Slightly fiddly in places but I was really happy with how the boots turned out!

I took some photos while out feeding calves the other morning. I now have three mobs out on the farm, getting a fresh paddock every second day. These are the younger ones, about 3-4 weeks old -

This paddock floods fairly regularly but you can see in the below photo, how high the house and sheds are in comparison, and why we always say we're safe and high and dry in a flood!

Next onto this mob, in another area of the farm; these ones are about 5 or 6 weeks old. They're in front of the calving mob of cows. New calves are coming very slowly - two one day, then none the next, maybe four the next then none!

And lastly, the oldest calves. Sometimes I squeeze these in before breakfast; sometimes they have to wait till after I've had my breakfast before I get to them! These ones are nearly ready for weaning - most of them about 8 weeks old. They're in a paddock I've not put calves in before - it's over the brow of the 'back hill', surrounded by bush and very little flat ground to park the feeder. However they've had a ball in there - it's very sheltered and has a good feed of grass which they've enjoyed. The top of the paddock is pretty high up - as you can see - 

Happy calves with full tummies!

As you may be able to tell, I quite enjoy getting out on the farm with the animals!

Ok, I think that's about me done for the night. Congratulations if you've got to the end.

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Raewyn

Crazy!!

Crazy that this is my first post for August!! I honestly did not think that was the case.

Crazy is also the name of the bloghop I signed up for a few months ago...

Hosted by Joan of Moosestashquilting it seemed an apt name for a bloghop that I really shouldn't be signing up for.

Crazy is how it's been on the farm lately.

Calves

Calves

Calves

And I knew it would be like that when I signed up. But a Crazy Bloghop sounded fun.

Crazy is how I felt after I offered to sew a quilt for work, after this sweet range of fabrics came in. I knew I shouldn't have!

Crazy Cocoa Pinks by Laundry Basket Quilts. Edyta always knows how to tug at my heartstrings.

And crazy is how I felt when the said fabric sat and waited for attention.  Crazy as in 'Oh Golly When Will I Get To This'.

So with time running out, I went into overdrive. First of all a test block - 

I've been able to grab snippets of time here and there, in between feeding calves and tending to cows - a couple of days that were otherwise booked became free, housework got left....and so on.

Serious sewing- 

First set of blocks sewn- 

Then more sewing and trimming-

Final blocks ready to assemble-

And finally, after a few more crazy hours,  a completed top- 

Lap quilt made from Cross and Crown blocks.

(The photos aren't in the best light, I'm afraid. I'll try to update them at some stage.)

To see who else succumbed to a bit of craziness, today's participants are —

Just Let Me Quilt

BeaQuilter

Stitching Farm Girl(that's me)

 Days Filled with Joy

And the full bloghop list is on Joan's blog.

I did wonder if I would get it quilted before the bloghop but that was just a crazy thought...

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Cut Short —

The MOML and I with our feet up, enjoying a change of scenery the other day. 

Each year we try to get away for a weekend between the end of calving and the start of mating....a very narrow window of time...and when our son-in-law offered to milk for us recently, we jumped at the chance!

We headed up north as we usually do; this time we went to Omapere, at the mouth of the Hokianga Harbour on the west coast.

Even though it was school holidays, it was very quiet (it usually is, but more so this time) as only Northlanders can access Northland at the moment.
The view from our unit —

Looking down into the Hokianga Harbour —

The huge sand dunes across the water really dominate the view —

Unfortunately Northland suddenly went into Level 3 lockdown on Saturday night after two Covid infected people forged their way through the border and spent 4 days out and about. One person went into hiding, and they were both very uncooperative about their movements.

That meant we had to go home early, after just one night away. We did have a very full 36 hour holiday though! We had a good couple of walks. This walk was a 4 hour one (one-way) but we just went 40 minutes to an accessible beach. It was beautiful. — 

Some trickier areas —

We had taken a small picnic and had a wee rest before heading back —

Barely a soul around! —

So back home again, earlier than intended, I decided I needed a Sunday-Sewday! The next best thing to having some time away.

I really wanted to catch up on my star blocks for The Great Scrappy Star Adventure. I'd done the instructions for Month 9 but had only sewn the star 'spike' units as part of the writing process. 

I needed to check that it actually worked!!

I got carried away, making a whole lot of units, and then working out which ones would go with what—

The resulting stars (just 9" ones this time) —

A closer look at some of the fabrics —

And not yet shown, the Month 8 stars —

And quickly before I go, I have done a little more on my Squirrel project, the 2021 Laundry Basket Quilts mystery quilt.

Last time I shared, I had done the centre of the quilt —

The next lot of blocks have moved more to the reds, rather than the deep reds —

And this is where it is now; I have done another two rounds. (It's not designed as a round quilt but that is how I am sewing it.) Sit back a bit and squint at it; it looks pretty cool, I reckon!

(It looks elongated because I have only joined horizontally. I can't join the rows together until I have worked my way out to the outside edge, which is another three rounds. Getting there!)

There's plenty more to talk about but that's it for now, as it's well past my bedtime, 

'til next time,

happy stitches,