Catching up ......YET AGAIN!

Time for another update of newsfromjude.  How did it get to be this far into December? I can't give the excuse that life has been busy, busy, as things have really slowed down here, which is good. Reading back through some blog posts from years ago they always seemed to say that I was trying to achieve a more balanced life. While I still have a lot of things to occupy my time, the pressure seems to have finally eased. There could be a few reasons for this...... Covid restrictions and not going so far, reaching retirement age, finished with our local exhibition..... they could all have contributed to this, but probably a big reason was the fall I had. This has certainly curtailed my activities and recovery is slow. Most of the bruising has gone, but there is still a problem around the kneecap area which will be investigated if it's not healed early in 2022. I do what I can, and have spent a lot of time with leg up and I have read more books in the last few weeks than in the last couple of years. It's a pity my supply (of reading material!!) has 'dried up', but possibly just as well as there are many other jobs for me to do. 

The lead up to Christmas Day has always been a rush as I try to finish quilt deadlines, sort cards, gifts and cooking. This year our family has already celebrated together, I have done the cards and decided not to put myself under pressure with the baking. (I certainly don't need the temptations in the house either!) There are still some quilts going through the system, I have spent early mornings in the garden, there has been a bit of socializing with coffees out with friends, and I've managed to get some stitching time as well. I could get used to this life! 

I have tried to keep up with blog reading, but must apologise for not acknowledging comments. Please be assured I appreciate your responses and will try to do better in 2022!!

FAMILY TIME

After the celebration of mum's 90th birthday, she came back with me to spend a week. We read books, chatted, entertained friends, had nana naps, and spent time in the garden....... until the arrival of DD3 and family on their way home to Melbourne.    They parked the van in the front driveway..... 

...........and Mr Jett told me this was his bed!............

                                                       It was then time for stories with Ma.....................                       

..........................and a lesson from Ma on how to play softly!!

I was finally able to give Miss Billie her quilt in person and she is pointing to the little girl with her name on it that was quilted alongside the tree.

The doll's bed came down from the top of the cupboard and we found a little quilt for dolly.

There was "tea for two"..................

................and a four generation photo, and Jett is looking up because he wouldn't sit still and his Dad told him to look up in the tree for the possum!!

Breakfast time in the pergola.....................

I had to get the machine out for Miss Billie, but think she might be still a bit young as she didn't have the strength in her foot to push down the control.

Now it's time for the Gingerbread Man story with Grandma.

Time to sit with the teddies....................

It was a lovely few days and having them here for the first time in almost 2 years!! Mum and I then returned to our quiet time reading books and we may have had nana naps too!!

GARDENING TIME

The back yard was sprayed in spring and looked great, but the rains kept coming and the weeds grew again, and when I wasn't looking (read too busy) they took over. I had a strawberry patch in the midst of the weeds, and have finally found it! Now it's a race between me and the birds to see who can get the strawberries first.!

This end has been weeded and the manure is being spread...............

...............still a way to go to clear the rest of the yard, but a little bit at a time and I'll get there.

STITCHING TIME

Not long ago I was rearranging tubs and found a lot of UFO's from long ago. I did report on my 25 year finish recently.

I also found this bundle of fabrics. I know I had good intentions to make a baby quilt for my new nephew and he is now 22 years old!! But I can't remember what my plan was for this quilt. I did have some blocks pieced and laid them out, but they were all different. I had intended to come back to it so that I could get it off my list. I found a better solution and handed the whole bundle to a friend who makes lots of quilts!! It felt good to let it go and concentrate on another project.

Here is another selection of fabrics that I obviously had plans for. There was at least a rough diagram of my intended quilt with them, but I changed my mind ..........................

.........and I decided to do a disappearing nine patch instead. The squares had all been cut at 5".

I made one block and decided that it was tooo busy with the black and white prints. (And I didn't have enough of them either).                
                                                                             

I replaced the black and white prints with a grey tone on tone.................

12 blocks later I sashed them and added 3 borders for a single bed size donation quilt. 

I have been trying to sort fabrics in readiness to make up another batch of "Ready, Set & Sew" kits and came across a drawer full of all the oddments that didn't fit any size criteria that my sorting fairy uses. Decided it was time to deal with them, so started making a few blocks................... and I sorted into colour families.....................

.......and then trimmed them to 10 1/2" square. I figured that 20 blocks would give me a good single size quilt................................

................and by the time I had made 16, I was  bit over it and decided that a large lap would also be good!! This was a very fiddly block working with odd size pieces...............

                                 Sashing fabric and border was chosen.................

................but when I added the sashing to the first row, I wasn't that thrilled and decided that it blended with the blocks too much??.........................

.......and came up with Plan B! I got this far last night before I went to bed.............

...................and after church this afternoon I added the outer borders....... and while I am pleased I am not too happy about the corners of the inner border, as they disappear! The jury is still out whether I shall change them out, or perhaps as a friend suggested, applique something in the corners? Or should I leave it? 

There is a nice tub of quilt tops now waiting for the quilter and then they will need bindings. They will all be donated to a worthy cause. Next year I have plans to get a sewing day happening for ladies to come and sew for others. (Not to be confused with our group's Angels day).

There are also plans being made for a special event in February that I will have more news about in January. It will be party time!! Watch out for my New Year newsletter, in lieu of a Christmas letter.

That's all for now. May you enjoy the lead up to Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour and know the Peace and Joy that He alone can bring.

Blessings, From Jude