Getting there ------

Last Wednesday I had hoped to make a really good start on my next project, children's vests using these old blankets —

But this happened instead —

Oh golly, our first few cows calved. And it was the day before they were supposed to come home closer to the shed - which meant a 3km walk for these new mummas. The calves hitched a ride in the trailer so that made things a little easier all round.

And then I thought last Thursday might be the day to get the vests done (forever the optimist - how long can it really take?!) but all I got done was cutting out and a bit of a start  —

Of course there was these young 'uns to tend to —

Friday was work day but I thought that Saturday I would get a good bit of sewing done. Production line things started to happen —

And then this happened instead —

Child minding and happy little helpers. 

After sorting out the calves for me, they got busy drawing on my "keeping track of calves" whiteboard, something they did last calving season. Now that the girls are school kids, their scribbles make a lot more sense!

And on Sunday I finally got to this stage. Choosing buttons —

And suddenly two more 'pathfinder vests' have been made! (Size 6)

These are the sixth and seventh of these vests that I have made. They're all quite different (apart from when there are obvious twin pairs made!) and it's still a pattern I enjoy making and the kids enjoy wearing!

Today (Monday) I'm hoping to get this blogpost written but this is happening instead —

Young Odie is here for the day. He is currently asleep (yaay Ganma!) so I'm typing as quickly as possible while I can!

I'm quite happy to put all the children sewing away for now and get back to some serious quilty-type sewing. I have a pile of blankets and fabrics by the door of The Palace to take downstairs and put back into storage.

So while I can, I'll finish here.

'til next time,

happy stitches,

End of the month again!

May turned into another of those months where I didn't get as much sewing done as I hoped I might.

The kiddos have all been here regularly and our house guests stayed for nearly three weeks - all good and no dramas but life gets a little out of routine at times :-)
However looking back through my photos, I see I did achieve a little. 

I made another Pathfinder vest. This one was for Odie and was made using more of the old oilskin I have been cutting up one project at a time.

And a brushed cotton lining.

I decided to use the sewn back seam of the original coat (because it looks cool!) but it meant I couldn't avoid a wee hole there. A simple patch job —

which adds to the authenticity, I think —

The button loops were actually cut from narrow straps already on the coat - a little less sewing for me!

Below, being modelled by the young Sir —

And speaking of Pathfinder vests, we had a Gruffalo feeding the chickens the other day —

A fun, versatile pattern.

I did some pattern testing for Juliet of Tartankiwi earlier on. Now that she is releasing the pattern, I can share some photos.
This is a rather clever design and Juliet has got lots of ideas on how to use it.

I enjoyed sewing up these blocks for her and would like to carry on and make some more, using different colours. Visit Juliet *here* to see more.

The photos are either too dark shade or too bright sunshine, sorry!

The one below is a better representation of the colours —

(They aren't as tricky to sew as they look - and Juliet's instructions are always Very Good.)

Deanna and I have challenged each other to make 4 Omigosh! blocks a month. Some months I cruise in but yesterday I had to spend a morning catching up in order to meet the goal!

Each month as I bag them up, I add to the running tally. I'm now very close to halfway with the blocks. It has taken me a couple of years to get this far so this is definitely one of those longterm projects!

And I think I may need to start a new bag - that's a good sign of progress :-)

It's really feeling like winter is sneaking up on us now. We usually try to (stubbornly) hold out till June 1st before we light the fire but we started early this year. With a youngster staying with us, and all the others coming and going, taking the chill off the house won over silly ideas that it doesn't get cold enough till June 1st!

The other day Xavier helped me get the firewood in —

Don't you just love his efforts!!!!

'til next time,

happy stitches,

The Gruffalo

The Palace was taken over by Gruffalos last week. 

World Book Day was to be celebrated at the younger twins' daycare on Friday so this Ganma offered to make them their outfits.

After all, as I said to ED, it's what Ganmas live for, to make the grandies cute outfits! 

("I'll remember you said that!" said YD.)

The two are into the story of The Gruffalo bigtime at the moment so that was the logical place to start. I'd already decided what pattern I was going to use.

I have made Pathfinder vests before and knew there was an 'animal add-on' I could purchase with instructions and adaptations for varying animal ears, tails, etc.

I did need to buy some brown polar fleece for the outer, but was determined that the rest of the vests would come from my extensive 'clothes sewing' scrap cupboard. I found two brushed cottons that would be suitable to use - one a 'kilt' ED had for a Scottish study at Primary School and the other some offcuts from something I don't recognise so I think those may have come by way of Mum?

I only just managed to get all the pieces out of the 'kilt' fabric, having to join one small piece. This is all I had left so I think that was a pretty good win!

Making two at once put the pressure on but I was able to chain sew and they were (both) finished in time for Book Day 😀
Here you can see 'his terrible claws' —

'Purple prickles all over his back'. I decided just to knot lengths of yarn for the prickles —

I used Soft and Stable for the ears and the horns, which has kept them nice and light and of course means they stick up nicely —

So that was last week's efforts, hopefully I'll have more to share before the end of the month!

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Lockdown quilt and more —

I've made a little progress on my Lockdown quilt recently. You may remember I was starting with a centre block —

This was the centre of a Lockdown pillow offered by Ellie's Quiltplace, who started up a FB group, Lockdown quilters, way back when lockdowns started happening around the world.

This piece actually got thrown in a corner a couple of times. You can see why in the photo below —

On the right of the block, it went really baggy - something to do with a bias stem on bias grain and me not prepping properly.

I kept telling myself I would 'quilt it out' but knew in reality that option was a bit of a cop-out. Finally I unstitched the right hand stem, re-stitched it, and it sits a whole lot better. 

And then I spilt a cup of coffee one evening which splashed all over the place, including the corner of my block. I washed it. And the house fabric ran. Anyway several washing and soakings later, I was good to go!!!

The first border of my quilt has a round of bubbles, to signify the time we spent 'in our own bubbles'. I'd originally thought of doing 49 of them to signify the 49 days we were officially in Level 4 but decided I wanted to change it up a bit.

There is a blank square there which I will fill in with a bit of written info, when I work out what I want to say. And two bubbles in one square signify going into Level Three and being allowed to merge our bubbles slightly.

On Saturday YD and family came out to the farm. I was able to gift baby Odie his latest vest - the same size/style as before, YD wanted one in this yarn as his 'going out' vest.

The next day, he 'went out' and I was dutifully sent ths photo — 

This is a pattern I've made several times before and you can find it on Ravelry *here*.

Later in the day ED and her family came out. George was wearing the vest I'd dropped off at their place the day before —

Lily had claimed it and wouldn't let him near it —

This time he was allowed to wear it —

As with the vest I made for Lily, this one is a Pathfinder vest from Twig and Tale. George's is a few inches longer at the front. Both are lined with brushed cotton/wincyette. George's outer is a wool mix and I suspect Lily's is too. Often these are made from old woolen blankets; I haven't hunted down some colourful ones to use yet, but these ones are actually a good weight for our Northland climate.

I can't believe how quickly time is flying by, once again. I'll keep trying to squeeze it all in :-)

(Oh and PS, I've written this post in the new blogger and it seems to be working!)

'til next time,

happy stitches,