This and that, and this and that.....

It seems like the end of another week, and as I have only posted very briefly on my phone this week, maybe it's time to say a bit more.

I had to look back at the recent photos and see just what has been happening. The days are just flying by, and I don't know where.

I did report that GD3 had spent some time here, and here are a couple more photos of her. She spoilt the cat, and made a couple of journal covers.

I still have lots of quilt photos that have not been posted yet, but until I get to those, here is one I quilted for Michele, that she made for her granddaughter. This was quilted allover with a circle pattern called Asti.

And I mentioned previously that Marie had made an Antelope Canyon quilt, using her hand dyed fabrics. Here is a photo of that quilt, which is now waiting for the quilter to work out how it should be quilted. Marie has sewn hers with the half circles around the edge, and not a centre circle. (I have another one all drafted up, ready to cut, that should look a bit different to the others, and hope to get to this very soon.)

Yesterday it was Angels day, and as one of our "angels" is moving from the town, we shared a lunch together to say farewell. We wish you all the best in your new home June.

The Gum Tree Quilters biennial quilt exhibition is coming up in October this year, so preparations are underway. In previous years, we have borrowed the "car quilt" from the SA Guild to advertise our show. It was displayed when we sold tickets for the quilt raffle, and outside the Hall where the show was held. (see photos below).

 Unfortunately we were unable to obtain the loan of it this year. It is a great attention getta, so we put our thinking caps on, and decided we would make one of our own!??

Over the years, the Angels have received many donations of fabric, or quilts, and sometimes the leftover blocks from quilters. These leftovers have been sitting in a box, waiting patiently for "someone" to work out what to do with them, and how to use them in a quilt. This seemed like a good use  for them. I thought it would be "relatively" easy to attach them to a backing, using Max. It has been a "gunna do" job that has been on my list for months, and yesterday was the day. A backing had previously been made which measured about 250" long, which should go over the length of a car. Our cover might not be quite as "tailored" as the Guild one was, but we think it should work.

Here is our box of cast offs, some smaller blocks, and some larger pieces. (And I might add that after we stitched all day, that the box was still full!)  A real jigsaw puzzle! A plan was made, to join the smaller pieces into bigger ones, and square them off  to make 20" square blocks.

Four of these were then joined, to make one wide strip which was then placed on the backing, with no wadding, and stitched by Max. Sometimes the pieces were much bigger, and sometimes there was narrow strips. Somebody obviously decided they did not want to continue with these flying geese blocks, and they made 2 narrow strips.

 And these spider blocks had not made the cut in someones quilt either.

By late afternoon, this was what had been achieved. It is a bit hard to see it all at once, but the first photo is what was hanging over the back of the machine.

And this is hanging over the front, and right down onto the floor. A real mixture, but being put to good use. I will photograph more when it is draped over a car in a few months time. (We still have one row left to stitch onto the bottom, and a strip right down each side, and this will be done next month.) A casing is planned to go around each side and a rope threaded into this to shape the cover to the car. - Well the theory sounds good we think!!??

And while I am tapping away on the computer I will make this post worthwhile, as there probably won't be much for another week as I am off "gallivanting" again.

A few months ago I borrowed the "Farm books" from my mum to look at. These books are a record of the family farm that I grew up on, and date from the settlement of the farm in 1910 until now. It has been in my family all those years. Mum has delved into family history over the years and compiled fantastic records of many branches of her family. These books go back over the years of my Dad's family. My brother is on the family farm now. I don't recall seeing these books when I actually lived on the farm, and at that age, it was probably not something I would have been as interested in. I might have grown up on a farm, but I had 3 brothers, and I had little interest in farm things. It has only been in my married life that I got to know much about farming, so now I am interested. I decided it was time that these books go back to where they belong, so tonight it was time to read them. I had planned to scan the books, but there was too much, so I have photographed some of the pages.
It is a great photographic record of how times have changed, from the horse and cart days and early cropping  methods, to modern transports.

 This was one of the first houses built on the property, and my  great grandparents lived in this, followed by my grandparents.

 And this is how it looked in my childhood, when my family lived in it. And there have been more updates to it, and my brother and his wife live there now.

There are many pages of financial records, which makes for very interesting reading. And all handwritten.

And this photo is more recent, about 1989, and the black and white friesian cattle are some of the cows that belonged to our dairy, so I was very interested to see this.

It is in my "gunna do" list to write something similar, with photos and information of my life and our farming experiences, and seeing these books has re-ignited that desire.

Thats about all the newsfromjude for now. It's time for a good sleep, after a busy week. Tomorrow I am up the highway again, and will be interstate for a few days. Will report on all that in more detail next week, or maybe try a brief check in on the phone again.

Blessings,
From Jude