Monday, 21 April 2014

Farm stay

I've been away - staying with my brother and SIL on their inland farm in northern NSW. They have suffered with the drought and seen paddocks reduced to dust bowls - so it was wonderful to have timed my visit soon after they finally had some rain. And what a difference it has made - lovely green everywhere! 

I got to make friends with some of these. They are all such personalities and have names to suit:



This quilt was folded on the end of their bed. I made it for them a couple of years ago - tumbling blocks in colours chosen to reflect the colours on the farm. Happily it could do with a bit more green in there at the moment! It was hand English Paper pieced and machine quilted in the ditch. Nice to see it has been so well looked after.


Some (but not a lot) of quilting progress to report. I have completed Block 4 of Benjamin Biggs wedding quilt BOM. It was fun to revisit the Carolina Lily block - after making a whole quilt of them last year. The construction was different this time - the flowers appliqued in one piece to the background. The other time I made the flowers out of EPP diamonds joined together and then appliqued to the background. Interesting to try another way....

So I can now show you four BB blocks lying together.  The poison green plain fabric in Block 2 stands out at this stage but I will add more of this fabric in other blocks and am hoping it will blend into the whole.

I have also finished and attached the pinwheel border in my Ann Randoll repro quilt (Rhonda Pearce's pattern). It is growing bit by challenging bit - well worth the effort though I think.

Hope you have all enjoyed a lovely Easter break - always good to catch up with family. My only daughter and her partner have just announced their engagement so there was much to celebrate and plan. The wedding won't be till next April so plenty of time to make a wedding quilt....yippee.

15 comments:

  1. It's nice to see green fields in your photos.Would you know what breed those chickens are? they're so pretty. It's lovely that you got to see one of your quilts again.It's absolutely beautiful! as is all of your sewing, the BB blocks and pinwheels. Congratulations to your daughter and her fiance! How exciting! We're in for a treat to see what you make for the wedding quilt!

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  2. Congratulations! That wedding will soon come around. Exciting. Lovely post Hilda.

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  3. Nice to see your quilt is appreciated and congratulations to your daughter and her partner.
    A wedding is such a lovely thing to plan and along with a quilt.
    It's lovely for us to see the Aussie countryside.

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  4. The rain has definitely been a welcome relief. Always lovely to see a gifted quilt being used and loved. Congratulations on your daughters engagement, that will be a special quilt for sure.

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  5. always nice to visit family! congrats on the engagement, you are looking forward to helping to plan a wedding I bet.

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  6. What fun! A wedding quilt!
    Great to see your projects past and present.
    A farm stay is so refreshing.

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  7. Congrats on the up coming wedding! Your quilts are gorgeous and the photos are lovely, thanks for sharing!

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  8. I'm glad you had a good visit. The tumbling blocks quilt looks beautiful - a lovely gift! The added pinwheel border looks amazing with its little sprinkle of warm pink and blue. Congratulations for your daughter! How exciting!

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  9. Lovely post Hilda. Love the fabrics you are using for Benjamin Briggs, that plain poison green already matches the greens you have used in the Carolina Lily block. Speaking of lilies, congratulations on having a photo of your green and yellow Carolina Lily quilt published in the latest Quiltmania! And double congratulations on your daughter's engagement - I wonder what quilt you will make?

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  10. What lovely news - congrats to the newly engaged! Looks like you've had a lovely time away.

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  11. What a beautiful farm and I hope the rain continues.
    What a fun quilt you made for them to enjoy.

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  12. What a lovely tumbling block quilt! Nice to re-visit a quilt you have made for someone as a gift. Your BB blocks are looking great, love your fabrics. Congratulations on your daughter's engagement, I'm sure you will come up with a wonderful quilt.

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  13. Congratulations on your daughter's engagement!
    What a lovely farm - I enjoyed the wonderful pictures.
    What a beautiful tumbling blocks quilt - such a generous gift!

    Your Ben Biggs block is very pretty! The 4 of them look so beautiful side by side.
    And your pinwheels look fabulous on your exquisitely growing Ann Randoll.

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  14. So glad they got rain. Your quilt is lovely, glad it's still getting loved. Ann Randoll is looking wonderful.

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  15. Your work is beautiful Hilda....love the quilt you made your brother and also your progess on your other projects. How exciting to have a wedding to plan for :-) Nice to see the green in the drought areas - how relieved they must be.

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