Day 8 of Block a Day December

My day got off to an interesting start this morning when I had to do an emergency dash to Playcentre to go on a Snuggly hunt.

(Snuggly is the precious sleep buddy of 2 year old Lily.)

I searched high and low but poor Snuggly was nowhere to be found.

After a call with ED and some further research on her part, Snuggly was finally found in the horse paddock! Crisis averted - whew!

That was about as exciting as my day got; I did some tidying and sorting and by afternoon was ready for some sewing.

I kept it simple today, sewing up the Scrappy Sprouts I'd prepped the other day —

There are six in this strip now. I think I'll keep it like this.... I have seen some Sprout quilts with flowers at the top of the stem so I'll do some research and gather some ideas.

In other breaking news, I started basting The Lorax quilt today —

I thought, "Right, I've made a start, time to feed the animals and get onto dinner" but he looked so unhappy with just one undignified pin that I gave in and added a few more!

I'll finish basting in the morning and hope to start quilting tomorrow too.

'til next time,
happy stitches,

Day 2 of Block a Day December

Well my challenge of a block a day for December very nearly turned to custard today with ED coming down with a nasty bug. Two small children needed looking after but as she should have been at work they were booked into daycare for the day.
Because her hubby was away with work I did the Ganma thing of dropping them off and then picking them up and getting them to bed.

Driving into town the first time, I had to rethink my day's block. The one I'd wanted to do, I couldn't find the pattern for first thing this morning; also it would have been quite time consuming to make.

I will be doing different blocks every day and they will be for a variety of projects etc etc. I'm hoping this whole exercise will stimulate me in an exciting sort of way!! 

After the daycare drop off I went home and had time for a bit of gardening (new seedlings bought) and an hour for some sewing.
Out came the scrappy sprouts. They were pretty fresh in my mind so I knew where I was heading with them.

Making these is pretty straight forward - and you cant help but make two blocks at the same time.

Placed on the wall with the previous ones —

I like to join these as I go as it means I'm able to press all the seams the correct way so they will nest nicely. First I join the sprout blocks to the lower ones on the stem —

And then join them to the stem —

I'll do another set of blue I think - I kept the lighter blues out for those. But that will be another day.

ED was feeling better this evening by the time I left, so I hope she's even better tomorrow. And that two small children sleep all night for her!

'til next time,

happy stitches,

More trees and sprouts

There's been more sewing and decision making going on around here lately.

And there are more Truffula Trees for the Brown Bar-ba-loots —

A small forest now, The Lorax will be pleased. Four more added to the two in my last post. 
And now comes the exciting bit; piecing the blocks and somehow making these blocks and The Lorax block work together in a quilt for young Odie :-)

I looked up at my design wall to use and it was covered. A month or so ago when I was still in my calving-funk I put my scrappy sprouts blocks up in the hope that they would inspire me to get working on them. (After all, it was one of the many projects I optimistically wanted to complete this year for my PHD). However they didn't inspire or motivate and have just sat there glaring at me. 

And now I needed the space for The Lorax quilt.

Instead of just packing it away I told myself I had to sew another block. 

The problem I have had with sewing this project together as I go is that I put too much thought into planning the next colour; the transition from one colour to the next. My stumbling block was where to go after the blue/green blocks in the row second from right. 

(The Sprout photos aren't the best colour-wise I'm afraid. I took the photos too early in the day.)

Anyway, after forcing myself to put some thinking power into it, I realised that if I am doing it in rainbow order (as seems to be happening) then blue is the logical next step on that row.

And, what do you know? Sewing flowed —

Four more blocks which equals two more 'sprouts'. 

The blue works well —

After that bit of inspiration I packed it away so I could use the wall for The Lorax quilt. The first rounds of borders have been added —

A little while ago I got a message from Lou of the Manxgirl blog. She and her hubby were going to be 'up north' and wondered if we could meet somewhere. Of course!
As I was still busy with feeding calves I wasn't sure how I would do it, but we started weaning more and more calves and I could see light at the end of the tunnel. One mob (of 20) left on once-a-day meant I could leave them to the MOML for a few days and work in a visit to Mum's as well as a drive to meet Lou and Tony. Mum moved about 6 weeks ago from the farm she'd lived on for 60 years (and about 49 in the same house) and I hadn't been able to get down to visit.

It was so nice to meet Lou; we've been bloggy friends for a while and I knew we'd get on :-)

Lou and I exchanged gifts, as you do. I wasn't organised enough to make her something but made sure she had the materials to make herself something!!
She made me a lovely zipped pouch.....

Tucked inside is something to open closer to Christmas time —

Thank you Lou, I love it, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting you :-)

Time to be off, there's a Lorax quilt waiting for attention,

'til next time,
Happy stitches,

A touch of Orange

Last weekend, I decided my sewing time would be scrappy time.
Orange is the colour for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge with Angela for February. I'd put away my January greens and went looking for Orange.
I really didn't think I would find many and wondered if I'd have enough to do any scrap sewing. It's not that I mind orange, it's brilliant for a pop of colour and contrast here and there but I don't think I've ever made anything that's had much orange in it.
Surprisingly though, I found this much orange! So many shades.....

When put next to each other, some looked more gold than orange, or more burnt than orange, etc, but then individually, they all (to me) passed the Orange test.

First of all I cut a few squares to use as the main colour in my Omigosh churndash blocks.

Then I pulled out my scrappy sprouts for the first time in a very long time. I'd really like to get this finished this year.

I made four more blocks.

And after some time trying to remember the 'clever way' I was doing the black stems, I joined them to a length of reds I'd made previously.

I squeezed all that I've done into an empty area on my design wall. There is the odd square I'm not so happy with (for example a cream that's too close to the yellows and the top pink block doesn't work terribly well for me.) 

However I still think it's going to be pretty cool and hopefully, now that it's out, I'll continue to work on it.

[As a side note; I was looking at it the other day, thinking, I don't ever remember using that fabric, or this one over here, etc, when I remembered that some of the red, and green blocks were sent to me by Sue of Mother Patchwork. Haa, no wonder I didn't recognise them but it was a nice way to start my quilt.]

This year I decided to continue on with my 365 day blog, where I post a picture a day for the year. Yesterday I hit Day 50 so I'm pretty pleased about that. I enjoy having the excuse to take my camera out and about with me and noticing some of those things that I'm sometimes too busy to notice. 

Northland (and other parts of the North Island) are suffering 'extreme dry' conditions at the moment and our farm is no exception. 

I've taken both of these photos recently, that show how dry it's become, even since the last time I shared a farm photo at the end of January. 

We're having to feed out to all the stock to keep them happy and healthy.

'til next time,

happy stitches,

End of October tidy-up

I set myself a simple little goal for October's OMG in the hope that I would achieve it and also that it would kickstart some work on a neglected project.

All I wanted to do was add some pink to my Scrappy Sprouts blocks...pink being October's colour in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I still managed to leave it to the very end of the month - but - yaay - I did it!! 

[In actual fact I cheated a little as the start of the top pink blocks were kindly donated by Sue of Mother Patchwork...although I did add the white/creams and add the bottom squares, etc :-)]

The scrappy sprout blocks always look a bit odd when they are at this
stage....

...but when they are joined up with a stem they look a bit more like scrappy sprouts! 

Scenic shot of the day. I thought the tree trunk would be big enough to fit the
blocks but not quite... it was too curvey!

We have everything in that photo above, the cows walking back to their paddock, the apple tree blossoming, sweet peas growing, the grapevine taking over PLUS the re-generating orchard paddock after Miss Piggy dug it all up. Spring has well and truely arrived!

Thank you Patty for hosting the One Monthly Goal party. Patty also has Bag It 2017 running at the moment - click *here* to find out all about it...there are some cool bags and tutorials featured.
[If I'm not too late, I'll be linking up to Angela's Rainbow Scrap Challenge too - thanks Angela :-)]

I've also managed some more work on my ' A Holly Cottage Christmas blocks' by Michelle Ridgeway (the SAL is *here*). October's block is this sweet bird delivering the Christmas post —

Here is this section all joined up —

While I was busy cutting squares, I re-made July's Stocking block; my original one wasn't in these fabrics. I love how this project is growing :-)

And now for the 'ahh how sweet' moment. Nothing better than having your two young granddaughters sitting at your kitchen counter to eat their breakfast (yes that's Marmite on their toast)(they're kiwi kids afterall)... this doesn't happen very often so it made my week ♥ They're back in Australia now..sadly they both caught yukky colds while they were here and the family didn't have the most restful holiday.

Aren't they adorable?

Our last cow calved yesterday and we have weaned the first 110 calves. Life is slowly starting to return to normal... My sewing room (The Palace) is calling out for a jolly good spring clean...maybe I'll fit that in one of these days. Festival of Quilts is on down in Auckland this weekend which will be fun and I guess that means the spring clean in The Palace will have to wait...shame...

'til next time,

Happy Stitches,

Puppies, catching up, and pops of yellow

Karen of KaHolly recently put a call out for some Dog Gone Cute blocks as a way to help raise funds for Animal Shelters after Hurricane Harvey. I loved these blocks when Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts had a QAL for them a few years ago so I was more than happy to jump in and offer to make a couple.
Here are the two I've made, pressed and ready to send away. I hope they don't look too much like I dived to the bottom of my scraps ~ hehe ~ I'm sure they will work well with other blocks sent in!

*Here* is the link for the wee dogs I sewed...Dog One...they are fun to sew up :-)

As well as this I've sewn a few more hearts —

I got a little distracted when cutting the fabric for the lower block below, so had to remake it.....!

I've also completed some applique (if not the whole block) for September's A Holly Cottage Christmas SAL—

And another bit of applique —

So I'm chipping away at my projects.However I want to chip away at some more so I'm going to be bold and join in with Patty's One Monthly Goal again this month. I haven't joined in for a wee while; a couple of goals I've had this year have obviously been too ambitious and resulted in no-shows! So this month I'll keep it straightforward. I'd like to add to my Scrappy Sprouts blocks! This has been my Rainbow Scrap Challenge project and the last time I joined in with this was June with the yellow blocks. This month is Pink, I should be able to find some of that!

The last time I added to these was in June..that was a few months ago...

 ~~~~

The end of September is when we start keeping an eye on the bush out the back for the annual flowering of the Kowhai trees. There are pops of more accessible yellow all over the countryside but I do enjoy the trek to visit 'our' trees. 

Spot the Yellow!

You can see from these photos how tall and old these trees are..reaching up for light above the other natives. We fenced off this area of bush a few years ago and are starting to see young trees growing which is very exciting.

I had hoped for better bird life photos this year as I have a new zoom lens but because the trees are so tall, the camera is pointing directly into the sun still making decent photography difficult.

There are two tui here..they spent the whole time I was down here chasing

each other. The one on the right was being very terratorial.

There was some lovely bird song from the Tui though plus the whoosh of flight as the Kukupa/Kereru (Wood Pigeon) flew from tree to tree.

Rather than get at the nectar, the Wood Pigeon eat the whole flower. This one
(upside down) was having a real feast!

Just beautiful

As you can tell, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time ♥

(Blogging friends that I've swapped with and sewn for over the years may recognise this flower. I try to use it as a touch of special kiwiana.)

Time for bed now, till next time,

Happy stitches,