New Chicken Additions

So I posted last Monday about our original three hens - an Isa Brown (Breanna), a Light Sussex (Washington) and a Barnevelder (Coolie). Then unfortunately on Tuesday morning was lost Coolie. It was all a bit much really. 

What I didn't get a chance to do was post about our new chickens. Two were added to our flock on New Year's Eve. A rooster and his hen. One of the 'Two Men and a Truck' moving guys liked the look of our new house (and hen house) and thought it might be nice place for him to deposit his chickens that needed a new home. We were happy to accommodate them.

We think the hen is an Australorp but we are not sure about the rooster.  He certainly IS handsome. He was already named Silver but was regal enough to warrant a Scottish surname as well. And I got to name the hen after my favourite US President (even though I am Australian).

I must say I had some reservations about introducing a rooster but 'Silver McGregor' is such a handsome fellow I couldn't NOT love him!

These two have become fast favourites with the kids AND the two remaining originals.(Apparently for 'pecking order' reasons it is better to introduce chickens in pairs or greater numbers). Washington, in particular, is never more than 2 metres away from Silver now. She follows him everywhere - which surprises me because I think she was the 'top hen' in our flock. I would have thought that she was unwilling to submit herself to a bloke so easily. Turns out I know NOTHING about chicken psychology!

Anyway I will continue my 'Google Farmer' approach to learning about keeping backyard chickens. I have found some great blogs and sites devoted to keeping them happy and healthy. They have been very insightful. I am waiting on the delivery of a book about keeping chickens too! (Thanks Marieka!)

http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com.au/
http://www.tillysnest.com/
http://www.backyardchickens.com/


Oh and as chicken farming is all 'new to me' I am going to link this post up to Fiona's linky party over at Celtic Thistle Stitches on the 25th of January.

I'm a Little Teapot

The Wombat Stew is back in business for 2013.  Wombat Stew is a group of 7 lovely ladies who love to quilt and also paper piece. We mostly met through Facebook's Quilt Club Australia and are made up of:

Kristy from Quiet Play

Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts

Gemma from Pretty Bobbins

Marieka from Bespoke Bites

Jane from Where Jane Creates

Lara from Luellabella

and me.

This month Lara is Chief Wombat and she has asked for teapots (bless her!). Their bottom must sit on the bottom of the block and also include a selvedge. 

I had a few teapots pinned on Pinterest but this one struck me the most. There's something about the retro shape and floral design that appeals to me.

A ceramic Blossom Teapot by Swedish designer Camilla Engdahl

I had a fabric similar to this but the print was small. And Teal.

So I chose to use this brilliantly happy Anna Marie Horner Sunflower print instead. It is bold and large (and I have seen it in some lovely colourways).

A quick few messages to paper piecing guru Kristy and she whipped up a 'sweet as scones' pattern for me and sent it through as a pdf. I am sure the pattern will be available soon and if you want to be a pattern tester for this one, please email her. (kristyqp@gmail.com)

I was a bit out of practice with my paper piecing I'm afraid. I find it very hard to work in opposites and this time I used A4 copy paper that I could not see through. In general I have difficulty conceptualising things so paper piecing makes my brain hurt! My block has three extra seams than the pattern calls for due to my trimming fabric too closely as I pieced.

By the time I had come to piece the handle I was back into the pp groove and I only made one mistake with it.

And look at that selvedge yumminess! 

It is off to Lara in the post today...along with some RASK (random acts of scrap kindness).

Oh and if you'd like to try some paper piecing yourself, why not join us over at Quiet Play this month for the 'And Sew On' - a sewing themed, paper pieced BoM, where you can make this...

I still have to make one for myself. Oh and there are prizes for linking up your version by January 31st!

Sunday Stash #47

Something Traditional and Floral

I have a soft spot for traditional and reproduction fabrics. During the week I received two 2.5" packs of sweeties from Lara of Luellabella. See this post.

Butterfly Garden 

Making a Tall Boy runner is on my to-do list this month. I probably won't get it started as the kids are on holidays until the 30th, however when I do, I think I will be using some of this pack of lovelies. They are very similar colours to my dresser runner and bedside table mats.

Garden Party

This is a very sweet pack. Look at all that lightness and colour! Some designers just have an eye for what goes together. Not sure what I will turn this into yet but I am glad it came into my stash this week.

Postage Increases

From January 27th all standard International parcels from the USPS will increase from $16.95 to $23.95. That's a HUGE hike! So I suggest you get in NOW and order what you can BEFORE the change. It will definitely be a huge deterrent for Aussies to buy from the US after we have enjoyed the healthy exchange rates with US prices for fabric.

Linking Up

I must thank Audrey of Hot Pink Quilts for hosting Sunday Stash last week. I made a HUGE mistake with the dates that she handled very graciously. It was nice to see 5 folks link up on her blog.

Secondly I must apologise for getting all the Sunday Stash hosting dates WRONG for 2013. I must have been reading from a 2012 calendar when I posted Sunday Stash #44 late last year. So I have amended the dates for the hosts. Sorry folks.


13th January - Audrey of Hot Pink Quilts
17th February - Josh of Molli Sparkles
17th March - Gemma of Pretty Bobbins
21st April - Kate of  Kate Quilts
19th May -
16th June - 

I still have Sunday Stash host spots open for May 19th and June 16th. Let me know if you are interested in hosting for either of those dates.


So what's new in your stash this week? Feel free to link up below.

Polaroid 9 Patching

Natural Disasters

It's nearly February again and I am Queen Bee for the month in my QCA Bee. January 2011 was all about floods in Australia and January 2013 is all about bushfires. Many houses have been lost in Tasmania and New South Wales. With an Australia-wide record heatwave, fires are burning out of control in four states and two territories. 

Quilt Salve

There are a couple of drives to get quilts out to folks who have lost everything. There's something lovely about a quilt gift to comfort in a disaster. So here's a great block for my bees to make and I will turn it into a gender neutral quilt to donate to an upper primary school child who has lost their home and possessions.

Finished 9 Patch Block size = 14.25" square
Finished Polaroid Block size = 3" x 3.5"
Finished Border Block Size = 5" square

Regular border width = 1.5"
Wonky border width = 2.5"

Material

2.5" square fussy cut centres = novelty or interest prints
Polaroid sashing = Spotlight white homespun OR Kona 'white' 
Solid border = Choose either Dark grey, Light grey, Orange OR Aqua (similar to Kona Turquoise, Peacock, Lagoon or Robin Egg) I expect different variations between the colours and will group 3 of each colour into a stripe across the quilt.

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First - I must acknowledge the fabulous polaroid block tutorial put together by CapitolaQuilter. 

Follow ALL the steps in her tutorial until you get to STOP HERE.

Second - I must acknowledge the wonky  polaroid block put together by Jane of Where Jane Creates.

We will use Jane's method to make ONE wonky block.
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Method

1. Measure each of your 9 polaroids to 3"x3.5". I used a 4.5" square ruler (my new best friend) to centre the fussy cut square. Remember that the bottom is wider (1 inch).

2. Trim the white sashing to 1/2" on top and sides and 1" on the bottom. *Set ONE polaroid aside for a Wonky block later.

3. Cut 1.5" strips WOF (width of fabric) of the solid. Oops I should have ironed mine first!

4. Chain piece the top of EIGHT polaroid blocks with the solid.

5. Separate each block and repeat with chain piecing on the bottom. Press and trim.

6. Add the sides to the border.

7. Centre the polaroid section of the block. This time I used a 6.5" square ruler.

8. This time cut an even 5" square around the block.

Now for the Wonky One.

9. Take your *LAST polaroid and add the 1.5" border to the top and bottom. (You can add a 2.5" border for more wonk).

10. Now add a 2.5" border to the sides.

11. Tilt your ruler to add the wonk. Make sure the 5" square section is within the border.

12. Cut a 5" square from the border. Voila! Wonky block heaven.

Assembling the 9 Patch

13. Lay all of the 5" blocks into a 3x3 array. Move them around until you are satisfied with the layout.

14. Sew the columns, nesting the seams as you go.

25. Lastly sew the rows together. 

Concept block in dark grey.

Concept block in aqua.

Link Up

If you try this block, I'd love to see your results. Free to link up your Flickr or Blog post below.

A Feather in my Cap

My Zakka Style Sew Along days came back to haunt me this week as I tried out a new (to me) pattern for our QCA Bee #1. Patterns take me a while to process. 

Lara was Queen Bee for December but I moved house and did not get around to making my block until this week. The colours she chose were orange, pink and a snippet of yellow on a grey background. Plenty of those colours in my scrap boxes - and I had some Kona Ash leftover from my Katie Jump Kites quilt.

We had to make a feather block using Anna Marie Horner's pattern. Thankfully Kristy of Quiet Play had pared down the instructions for us. Still it did not go together easily for me. I made so many errors on my first block - including accidentally slicing through my two large outer grey panels!

Visual Tutorial

Then tear away the paper foundation after trimming A and then assemble.

I must say that 2nd time around I treated the block pattern more like a paper piecing project and I sailed through without a hitch. 

TIP - be generous with your fabric sizes and trim down.

Linking up with TGIFF and BoMs Away for the first time in 2013!

Wombat Mail (Secret Santa)

Christmas came late to our house because we moved house. On Tuesday my husband confessed that he had a BIT of mail in his car (we have re-routed to a PO Box for 6 months). There were about half a dozen Christmas cards from folks postmarked around mid December!


Then there was THIS! A sewing machine cover in 'Outfoxed' by Lizzy House (also reversible with Kona Ash inside).

My Wombat Stew Secret Santa gift from Lara of Luellabella. A very practical gift seeing that I had been using Duncan's pram blanket up until then.

She also included some fabric love. A fat quarter of a herringbone print, charms of vintage sheets, 2.5" pack of 'Butterfly Garden' and 'Garden Party' by Moda AND a roll of adorable washi tape.

It was great for the 7 Wombats to do a swap for December. I think all of us have received our gifts now. 

This January Lara is Queen Bee and we are paper piecing a teapot for her. I love tea, tea cups and pots. We have to include a selvedge too!

Dealing with Death

How do you tell tell children about death? It's inevitable. All things die. Sadly yesterday morning  my oldest child, Duncan, went to let the chickens out and discovered that one of them had died during the night. He came to tell me. He was bawling his eyes out. Soon so was I. 

It was 'Coolie' our little brown Barnevelder chicken. Duncan and I had only bathed her the morning before. We were treating the messy feathers around her bottom. I am not sure why she died. Maybe the problem was an internal one. I was not willing to do an autopsy to find out.

So I took her body out of the hen house and put her under a lime tree. As Frances and Tristan awoke my husband gently broke the news to each of them and showed them Coolie's body. Each of them handled it differently.

Frances peppered Dean with lots of questions about death and what happens after. But I was most worried about Tristan's reaction. Coolie was his chicken. Tristan has atypical autism. My husband did a great job.

"I never got to hold my chicken" he said. It was true. Coolie was the fastest chicken. We could never catch her. She didn't like to be pet even at roosting time.

We talked about what a great chicken Coolie was. "He was the fastest and the fluffiest" my husband said. "She's a girl you know Dad!" Tristan said. 

It's the first time my kid's have confronted death. Pets are a good introduction to it.  I am sure we will go on to lose more chickens. I think it is important to have pets for that reason.