The Humility Block

If only I could machine sew a quilt as beautiful and as complex as the Amish communities of North East America. The designs are inspirational and some may make it onto my glass cutting table as plates, bowls or panels. Some may become small quilted panels, cushion covers or even bedspreads for the farmhouse. Having made two quilts to date and lots of cushion covers I have a long way to go before I can say that I have made a 'perfect' quilt. There is a myth about the Amish putting in a humility block - a block with one mistaken stitch to acknowledge that only God is perfect. Not true at all but a nice story. My quilts are absolutely full of humility!!

There is another myth that black American slaves used quilts as signals when they tried to escape on the 'Underground Railway'. Another great story but not true. Quilts have been made to celebrate, if that is the right word, their lives and escapes but not at the time as signs for safe houses. 

In the spirit of the humility block though I would like to nominate the southern half of Lot 5 as the most unpretentious and mistake ridden block on the property.....Not sure we will ever get it to be as productive as the rest but it does fit in the whole!

Ciao.

Lambing season started

Yes, she did come back to reclaim her third lamb so all's well. The Border Leicester ewes are lambing every day now and we have about 70 lambs on the ground and so another 150 to come. Mainly singles so far but a few twins and triplets too. Our Merino ewe has had triplets too and all are doing well. Luckily no quads yet this year. A few deaths unfortunately - three lambs and two ewes, one from pregnancy toxaemia and the other from unknown causes. The first cross ewes are still doing well and lambs should be dropping later in the month. So far so good and Zing and Zeno seem to be working well as guard animals and keeping the local foxes at bay.


Next jobs are shearing the rams, re-fencing the eastern boundary, sowing alfalfa in the 40 acre river paddock, wood chopping and lamb marking. Challenging and busy time of year but thankfully it is getting slightly warmer and the days are lengthening. We have had some bitterly cold days this winter and about twice the rainfall as last year. Even with better pasture, including the clover and rye grass sown on the eastern 100 acres, we have started to feed the sheep some hay and Triticale grain to keep their weight and condition up for the next few months as we plan for our sale on November 1st 2010. Mark it in your diary! There will be 40-50 Border Leicester flock rams, 30-40 Poll Dorset flock rams and the 275 First Cross Ewes, a vertically integrated sale day!


See you there.