Goals for 2022?

It's always fun to start a new year with goals, promises and inspirational words. It's also Great Fun to start a new year with new projects.

I've decided to use January this year to have a bit of a catch up and tidy up before my new aspirations take over. Believe me, I have several new starts and projects on my mind but, just right now, the urge to clear my mind (and desk) of the old stuff is strongest. 

So at this stage I am thinking that February will be my January (haha I don't think that even makes sense but it'll do!)

Just before the old year clicked over I made the final basket block for my Basket-case quilt. I had decided 7x7 to be a good size for this quilt and this was block #49. 

This has been an evening stitching project and I wanted to finish it to make way for other projects.

While I'm satisfied for now to just have the blocks made, I'm quietly playing with sashing ideas. I have in mind a low volume type print so I have to wait and see if it looks as good in real life as it does in my mind.

But I couldn't resist one last block the other night - this will be my label —

A big thankyou to Michelle (Rag Tag-stitchin') for the basket block template and inspiration for this fun project.

Another project I wanted to the 49-blocks-and-done stage was one I haven't even blogged about yet!
This quilt is called Star Pop by Emily Dennis of Quilty Love.

The minute I saw the pattern I wanted to make it, and I have used it as a leader-ender project and also as a scrap-buster. 

The background fabric I have used is a leftover piece of wide backing. It was fabulous quality and even though I did have to buy a little more to complete the blocks, I was happy to do so. 

There's an A and a B block which fit together to form this —

Evidence of 49 blocks sewn —

(Please excuse Nigel's tail - impossible to crop out!)

Flicking through my photos the other day, I came across this one, of a mug rug I made to go with a Christmas gift. A fun design called Snow Globe by The Crafty Nomad.

I would have liked to make more of these but didn't have many fabrics I could fussy cut for the centre. Next Christmas maybe!

'til next time,

happy stitches,

A bit of this, a bit of that —

Well it seems that when I told myself that I would try to blog at least weekly, the message didn't get through!! So here I am a good two three weeks since my last post. 

However it feels like I don't have a huge amount of creating to share. I'll get writing and see what I find to talk about!

A wee look through my photos reminds me that I blinked and the Oak tree was in leaf - all of a sudden it was spring!

Spring and September for us here can be wet, but in between showers there are a few beauties.

I grew Crocus for the first time —

Another first, I planted some Rununculus bulbs and they are flowering too! It was a gorgeous day when I took these photos —

When I planted the bulbs, I also sowed a packet of wildflower seeds in the same barrel so it will be interesting to watch the changes as the year progresses.

On the farm it's easy for the MOML and I to only notice the muddy gateways and and soggy pastures. However our daughter in law sent this fun photo through of the kids (and pets) rolling down the hill - doesn't the farm look great from there?!

Ha! the next photo she sent though brought us back down to earth with a thump - yep, the kids' favourite puddle, apparently!!

September is the month when the kowhai flower and I always look out for the first yellow blooms. I took this photo when feeding calves this morning. These trees in the bush are on the other side of a swamp so this is as close as I got today. 

This is a photo I took another time, such lovely flowers.

Calving has slowed right down and the end is nearly in sight, with approx 20 cows left to calve. The last ones always drag on for ages....70-80% of the cows get in calf on their first mating so we have an almighty rush of calves in the first 4 weeks. Some cows need a second mating, or a third or.... you get the picture. We've sold a bunch of calves, I currently have 103 that I'm feeding. Lots of delicious brown Angus cross in the photo below —

I always love seeing all the different shades of brown —

After being housed in various sheds and so on, most of the older ones are out on grass and getting milk-fed once a day, so that has eased my workload a lot.

Which gives me time to get back to my normal pursuits. 

A little childminding (Odie loves his Gandad's farming magazines!) —

And a little sewing —

I've had a bit of brain fog lately that's upset my apple cart so I've avoided anything that requires too much thinking and decision making.

Evenings has been basket making, with a straightforward design. Just the background fabric and one other —

The pattern was kindly provided by Michelle - she has now finished her Basket-case quilt, it looks lovely.

I didn't realise that I'd amassed such a pile of these - so it's motivating to keep going with them and aim for a decent sized quilt.

I've done a little sewing during the day, enough to keep my hand in!

I have made another one of the Reindeer blocks for Juliet of Tartankiwi's Sleighride sewalong. Details *here*. Again, once I'd decided on the fabrics for this deer, there weren't too many decisions to make, just the foundation piecing process, which I have down pat, to follow. 

(I showed my first blocks *here*)

I think the fog is starting to clear now so I'm hoping for a bit more creativity in the future :-)

And, just right now, there's new calvers to get to the shed and calves to be fed!

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Chrissy pudding and baskets

I am making a little headway with The Santa, The Tree, The Turkey and Me, a block of the month by Anni Downs.

I recently got block five finished —

and have sewn it to the previous block —

On Friday evening during Friday Night Sew In I continued on with block six. This is a small piece that will be appliqued to the rest of the block.

I finished all that I had prepped —

The photo below shows the final berries that needed sewing down; I've since done that so I can now start on the main part of the block.

But for the rest of the evening (and again on Saturday night) I pulled out a basket block to stitch.

Michelle shared this pattern with us during lockdown last year. Something to do to help prevent us all becoming basket cases (!). I was initially going to add a round of them to my lockdown quilt but I think I may be tempted to keep making them and create a whole quilt of them. They're a nice little block to do when you haven't got anything else close by, and a great use of scraps!

I'm not sure what's going to happen with my lockdown quilt....I may end up pulling it apart and doing other things with the blocks. That's something to think about on another day!

A big thank you to Wendy for hosting Friday Night Sew In again this month. And I'm sending hugs and Birthday wishes your way, Wendy, I hope your day was special.

'til next time,
happy stitches,

Day 29 of Block a Day December

Suddenly I feel like my month is running out!!! 

I have three November Temperature blocks to do, and I really really want to sew a '2020' block for my Lockdown quilt plus the five temperature blocks for December!! Oh golly. Sewing time over the next two days will be minimal as we have visitors coming tonight. Never mind, I'll see what I can do!

We had a nice family day today and then all of a sudden it was evening. Luckily I'd started stitching this basket block last night and it didn't take long to complete —

I did spend far too long today hunting through my scraps finding the perfect fabrics for the above mentioned 2020 block. Oh well.

And I've realised that I haven't showed you something I made as a Christmas gift for a lovely co-worker. It's a wee spool holder, something to tuck into a bag for a bit of handsewing —

She likes Tilda fabrics and the colour purple so I hope I got it right!

The pattern is called  'Ready Threader' by Annie of the flowergarden blog and can be found *here*. I've wanted to make one of these for a while and this seemed the perfect time to make it.

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Day 18 of Block a Day December

Another basket block for my Lockdown quilt —

Fridays are my busiest day, as I have work (I only work off farm one day a week) and then I usually do

a grocery shop, etc, afterwards.

So Fridays are easy block day. I actually prepped this block last night and stitched it tonight after dinner.

But it's done and I continue to meet my challenge!!

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Day 15 of Block a Day December

By the skin of my teeth —

A full day but I squeezed in some stitching tonight.

Another basket for my lockdown quilt.

Short and sweet,

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Day 12 of Block a Day December

There was a lot of excitement at our place today as all three families visited to go Christmas tree hunting. There are a lot of self seeded pines up in the bush and along the edge of the tracks so it's always fun to find the best ones.

I was at work today so missed all the adventures; however there is some photo evidence which I have enjoyed. And I'm looking forward to seeing all the decorated trees!

It was another last minute block for today. The basket block by Michelle Ridgeway Designs —

I made a few earlier on for my Lockdown quilt. This wee design/idea was gifted by Michelle during lockdown. The idea that stitching the basket blocks would prevent us becoming Basket cases during the time! Fun :-) 

These are some that I have done previously —

'til next time,

happy stitches,