Quilts and Christmas

 

It was my intention to blog just before Christmas and wish all my readers a blessed day, but the best of intentions sometimes go astray. So I will concentrate on wishing you all a blessed and peaceful (pieceful?) year for 2013. I can’t believe that 2012 went so fast. Must be that saying, that time flies when you are having fun!! I has certainly been a busy year, and I can’t imagine ever being bored.

Below a few photos of quilts done just before Christmas. I am starting back onto the custom quilting now.

This was made by Lyn with a few scraps from her stash.

Marcia made this for her sister who loves cats, quilted with paws allover.

Julie’s farm quilt made for her son and quilted with stars and loops.

The Grinch Christmas quilt, quilted with Christmas trees and stars.

A Jelly Roll quilt made be Val, quilted with Asti.

Made by Susie for her MIL for Christmas.

And below a couple of photos from Christmas. I forgot to take many photos, the first is 2 of my excited Grandsons, the day before Christmas. We had our family dinner on Christmas Eve, and you can see the tree before the paper went all over the floor!

Tomorrow I am having a visit by these 2 little ones, so looking forward to that. The older one is coming with his Dad on the train, so he’s excited. I told him that he could buy food and drinks on the train, and he was pleased to tell his Dad, there is a shop on the train! (Dad did not think I needed to tell him that!!)

I am just on the last part of a custom quilt tonight, and then will turn the machine off for a couple of days until 2013!

Do hope you all enjoy your New Year’s Eve, and catch ya next year.

Blessings,
From Jude

Birthday lunch

In my last post I showed you a bag supposedly made for my niece for Christmas, but I actually made it for Michele, whose birthday it was this week.( http://williammorrisandmichele.blogspot.com.au )   Had a lovely catchup at lunch before my specialist appt. Good to see you Michele, and Larry and darling little Beau, and of course Faye and Brian and Jean, who took me to Adelaide. We had a great day, fitted lots of shopping in to the day, and arrived home about 9.30pm.
Not much quilting has been happening this week, a bit of Christmas preparation, cooking, some gardening, and some visiting. And this weekend I need to make another bag for my niece.
Will be back to the quilting in the New Year.
Got a good report from the specialist and I can now add a little bit of crunch to the mush, slowly over the next few months. And after years of medication for reflux, I am now tablet and reflux free!!
Think it must be time to wrap some Christmas pressies, so better get to the shop for some paper.

Blessings,
From Jude

My weekend

I have just had the best weekend, stayed home, and sewed. It seems so long since I played with my machine, too long. For Christmas, our family put the names in the hat thing, and I have to buy for my niece this year, and trying to decide what I should get, I decided that maybe I should put some of this fabric stash to use and make her a bag! So the second photo down you can see the bag (the handles are hanging at the back).
Then decided that maybe I should make a journal cover to match, so I did.
By this time the mind is ticking over, and maybe I shall make more journal covers. This Wednesday, our Bible Study group are having a breakfast together. So you can see these in the first photo. I have had my sewing machine for quite a number of years, and never touched the alphabet, and now I have. The girls names are on the front and on the spine I have sewn MY JOURNAL.
 

And the photo below is what my sewing area looks like at the moment. I changed the layout of the tables and had everything close by. I love to fiddle around with different threads and embellishing. And a good chance to try out all those fancy stitches on the machine. Guess you have worked out by now that I enjoyed myself.

I have a really long list of projects not finished after doing lots of workshops in the last few years, and have been wanting to get some of these done, and when I had some time, what did I do, not these projects, but started something new!! But I will definitely be sitting at that chair again very soon. Just what the doctor ordered!?
And speaking of doctors, I am off to the specialist tomorrow for my 4 week check since surgery.
Am being driven to Adelaide by some good friends and while there we will be having lunch with some more good friends, one of which has a birthday tomorrow. Can't wait for that either.
Will check in again after my trip.
I have been doing some edge to edge quilts, photos to come. My time out from work has gone so quick and I only have crossed half the jobs off that I wanted to do.
Time for bed, an early start in the morning, but was reminded today about no blog post for over a week, so thought I better make this a priority. ( also needed new batteries for my camera!).
Enjoy your time, whatever you are up to.
Blessings,
From Jude

Recent quilting

Found a few photos that I had not blogged, so that was great. Bit hard finding things to show when I have not been doing very much. Except bookwork and writing my Christmas newsletter and cards for customers. Finally posted them this morning, so was a good job out the way.
Have finished a couple of small e-e quilts, but could not take a photo as the camera needed new batteries.
Below is a candlewicked quilt, that Kathy only wanted lightly quilted.


This is Merridys, quilted with an allover clamshell design and trimmed out the picture blocks.

And below is a panel with border, which has been outlined in the centre and a pattern in the outside squares. 

And this is Jenny's jungle animals quilt, hard to see the quilting as the fabric is so busy.

Well, thats another posting before I get calls to make sure I am ok.
Just over 2 weeks since surgery and things are going along ok. Just getting back into easy jobs again, and taking it quiet.
Good friends gave me a ride to the postoffice and bank and supermarket this morning, so have been out and about today. Will be pleased when I can drive again.

As the weather has warmed up quite a lot today, must be time to go and turn the sprinklers on, glad I have got bore water at The Sanctuary.
Hope you enjoy your weekend, what ever you have planned,
Blessings,
From Jude

Recovery

I have not been too worried about doing a blog posting this week, for one thing I did not have any quilting to show, and had not taken any photos of my daughter while she was here.
This weekend I have had 3 people comment that there had been no update, and wondered if things were ok. And when I said that I had no photos to show, the gorgeous Faye said to photograph the mush!
Susanne spent 9 days with me, and left for Melbourne on the Overland Train on Friday. Bet she will be glad for a rest, as she worked hard while here!   Below is the stockpile in my freezer of mush to last me a long while.

And this is for you Faye, a photo of my lunch, Zuchinni, Basil and Parmesan Soup. It tastes much better than it looks, sorry for the blurry photo.

And below is the most used appliance in this house at the moment.
Its amazing how creative you can be to make mushy food. I must say though, that I am missing the crunch!

And just a shot of my cupboards after the big declutter! Amazing how much room there is now, and I can actually see everything. Shall we see just how long it lasts?

I have spent the week quietly doing admin stuff, sorting out papers that needed throwing out, we have filled the bins this week. Feels good to offload, but still a lot needs doing yet.
Part of the week was rather hot, temps up to 42deg on Thursday, so good to stay indoors.
Recovery is going well, and might get back to a little bit of easy quilting this week. If I did not have the computerized machine, I would not even contemplate it.
At this time of the year, when everyone seems to be rushing here and there, and attending end of year functions, and I am usually trying to finish quilts before Christmas, it is quite nice to be taking it quieter. As I am not driving yet, it's a good excuse to stay home.

That's all from me, do hope you have a good week, whatever you will be doing.

Blessings,
From Jude

This week

Below is a photo of Jennifer's quilt, which was posted off to her early in the week. Jennifer loves needleturn applique, and making dresdens, and has left lots of lovely space in between for me to be creative with the quilting. The centres of the dresdens are doileys. What a good idea, as I have a lot of those from my grandmother.



Since I finished this quilt, I have been missing from home and spent time in Adelaide having surgery for repair of hiatus hernia. Have put this off for quite a while now. I am now home to recover and "veg" out for a bit. DD3 has taken time off from her work to be here with me. My diet for the next 4 weeks is very soft mushy food. So far, so good, but might be looking for some crunch by the end of a month!     So I will be doing a bit of sitting around, have got lots of books to read, and computer stuff I can do, and maybe a bit of sewing time for me will happen.
Thanks to those who phoned, checked up on me, and visited me in hospital. Great to see you Michele, and Faye!! And thanks to my family for the lovely flowers.
Then back to the quilts again.
Enjoy you day, whatever you are doing,
Blessings,
From Jude

More quilts

Thought I would share a few more quilt photos while I was already at the computer.
Below is Linda’s quilt.

This is Lona’s, made for a Richmond supporter.

And another from Marcia, who has not been quilting long, but doing a great job.

And sorry this is turned the wrong was, but another quilt from Linda.                                                  A quilt pattern from Lessa Seigele.


And last, but not least, Jeans tablerunners, the first is her design from Michele Hill’s workshop earlier in the year, at The Sanctuary. Well done Jean.

And another tablerunner from Jean, I think she might like purple!

Enjoy your day,
Blessings
From Jude

More Colour Therapy with Marie

Just a few more photos from the weekend retreat. All participants had a great time trying different techniques, including Ice dyeing, marbling, Gel printing, shiva sticks, stencils, stamping, screen printing, salt dyeing, shaving cream printing and sun printing. Now it will be exciting to see just what they do with all these little sample pieces of fabric!

They worked in the shed in the mornings, where they could make a mess, and inside in the afternoons, with plastic over the sewing tables.

Vickis pleased with her shiva sticks and rubbing plates piece.

I think this was sun dyeing in the process.

Everyone was eyeing Jocelyn’s ice dyeing fabric, but Jocelyn was making sure that these went home with her, but though her granddaughter might just want to use them too.

Above and below shiva flowers happening.


And its always hard to get a group photo with everyone smiling, this is the closest I could get out of 4 photos.
Thankyou girls for coming and making another great weekend at The Sanctuary.

Blessings,
From Jude

Todays progress

Photos of todays retreat "More Colour Therapy" with Marie Holly
in The Shed at The Sanctuary. Leanne is concentrating on putting her colours in the tray for marbling fabric.


Then she used a stick to swirl it around.

And this is what she achieved on the fabric!! They are all pretty excited with their results.  

 

So thats just a quick update, better get back there with some dinner for them, as the glasses of wine are just being poured. More photos hopefully tomorrow.

Blessings
From Jude

In the garden

Below is a photo of the bouganvillea at my house that is in flower at the moment. Don't think I have ever seen so many flowers on it, its very showy. Am trying to grow one at The Sanctuary also, but its very slow to get going, although its in a more exposed position and the soil is a more clay. I shall be patient.




And this is a photo of what I call Jill's rose, which is really a Pierre de Ronsard climbing rose.
It is planted at the bottom of monkey bars, a childrens playground equipment, and Jill recommended that I plant this rose to climb up and grow over the top. And its very fitting that it is flowering at the moment as next week will be one year from when Jill died. It is one year since this was planted and every time I walk past I remember her, and miss our conversations and visits. I look forward to seeing this rose grow and climb further up and over.

I have 8 ladies staying over the road at The Sanctuary this weekend. Marie is teaching Colour Therapy, so look forward to seeing what they make.
It was a house of laughter last night when I left to come home, lots of sharing about their lives since last meeting each other, and some meeting for the first time. I think that it will not just be Colour Therapy, but also Therapy for each other, and timeout from the daily grind of life for them all. Just to take time and not think about what's for the next meal and be waited on is great.

This morning I need to finish a custom quilt before I go back with sustenance for their day.

Enjoy you weekend, whatever you are doing,
Blessings,
From Jude

Another update

As the week is almost over, better make another posting, or I will have people asking if I am ok.

Welcome home to Helen after being a grey nomad for 3 months, travelling this great country of Australia.

This is a photo of 2 of my grandsons, taken a couple of weeks ago when I had a quick visit from them. They had spent the day on their uncles farm and looked just like little farm boys, and smelled like dirt and grease as well. Soon after this they had a wash and put their pj’s on for the 3 plus hour trip home, by which time they were asleep. But they really enjoyed their day out on the farm. My children all grew up on a farm, and my grandchildren don’t get that experience as we no longer have the land. So its a bit sad, that all those farm things are not part of their everyday experiences.

Another Bedford mystery quilt finished by Kath!

Below are 3 of Di’s quilts, all edge to edge patterns. The brown one is quilted with a chocolates!

Below is a photo of Kay’s quilt, that she designed after a workshop with Michele Hill at The Sanctuary last May. Entered into Adelaide Quilt show last weekend and won a second place ribbon!                 Well done Kay! Sorry I forgot to take my camera to the show or I would have put up a photo with the ribbon.

Well, time for bed, have had a busy week, finished some quilts, and preparing The Sanctuary for this weekend’s retreat, Colour Therapy with Marie.  Today I have been shopping and cooking.

Has also been a sad week, with the death of 2 friends, one a fellow quilter and the other, our neighbour from our farm days.      Back then, I could never have imagined that years later I would be quilting for others and running a quilting retreat!  Farming seems like a whole lifetime ago.

Well that’s enough, be back soon with a report of the weekend.

Blessings,

From Jude