What have I been up to?..................

Yes, I know that's it been 'awhile', (3 weeks) since there's been any newsfromjude. My apologies for that, but, well, what can I say? Looking back for photos, it doesn't seem like I have been over busy, but the days just seem to disappear somehow, with a bit of this and a bit of that. I know I have a lot of blog reading to catch up on, and apologies for that too. 

I have had a couple of messages that it was time to update the blog.

One facebook message went like this........

Two weeks is a long time to wait for the latest news! VVBG

been thinking about the blog, but only thinking,

I could say think faster but that’s a start!

The next comment came via a text message from my mother, shortly after we had chatted on the phone for a half hour.......................

Forgot to tell you it's time you came back from America!

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So perhaps I'll try to work out what newsfromjude there is for you??

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Dear William was started a "few" years ago, when I traced all the applique and fused it to the background. The blocks were then rolled onto a tube and stored, waiting patiently for some further attention.  Some night sewing in front of the heater has resulted in some progress. It was a bonus that I could watch (well, at times I watched, but mostly listened) some good movies that have been on lately.

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And now I have finished the stitching on 5 of the 9 blocks. (They are now put away until my next bit of motivation!)

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Our local church has welcomed a new Pastor who was inducted on the first May. 

I have been to 3 funerals in a week. Farewell to Barry, you were an example of a great man of faith and will be remembered for your support to our family over many years.

 Always a sad time, but also a celebration of a life well lived.

I loved the words of this poem and how fitting for a farmer it is!

Another friend and neighbour of our family in our farming years, now at peace after 91 years.

The other funeral was viewed online, and was much sadder. It was a man of my age who I went to school with and lived near in my growing up years. While I have not seem him for many years, I still had contact with his family. 

3 lives gone in a week, that were all part of my life history has left me a bit ??, not sure what the right word is.

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Chookyblue has had some zoom sessions and I have checked in a couple of times. It's always a good time to sit and listen to the conversations of bloggers from all over the world. Thanks Chooky for organising these. Chooky has used this time to finish a lot of bindings and if you check out her blog there is more info on this. 

This pic was from the session last night, and you can see different quilts hanging up behind her. (Sorry you had your eyes shut when I snapped!)

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I had quite a few half square triangle pairs in a tray and thought that I might clean them out. So started this layout, that I saw in a photo 'somewhere' recently! (Thanks for the inspiration Ruth).

I was trying to get the same colourway in each branch from the centre, but you might notice I had quite a few reds, and greens, but the browns merged into gold and yellow and orange, and the other row is sort of pink, purple and blues. I was struggling to get any more variety for more rows so had to stop here.

And here is the Ta Daa, and now in the quilting queue, where it might stay for awhile.

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                  I have had another trip up the highway. This is the painted silos at Coonalpyn.

Pat and I had a day out prior to my eye appointment with the specialist. We did some shopping in Murray Bridge before having lunch with Mum..............

......and then travelled to Mount Barker for my appointment. I stopped to take this photo, but sorry it doesn't look as speccy as it really was, with the pretty autumn leaves falling. My eye appointments always necessitate me having a driver to go home due to the drops they put in my eye, and it really was very blurry for the next 3 hours.

The car also had a trip to Naracoorte for an appointment, so the km's are clocking up, after lamenting that I hadn't been anywhere!!

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The fabric rep called in and seems to have left a bit more fabric at my place!?

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Pat had an appointment in town and used the time while waiting to get her blocks sewn together for this quilt. It needs the last border now, and it will be in the quilting queue too.

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I had planned to load another custom quilt and had the backing draped over the rollers ready to load. I have to say that it stayed like this for more than a week before it got pinned on. I finished it yesterday, so am pleased to have it behind me. (Photos in due course). I have also finished another custom, but sorry there will be no photos for this until after it has been shown.

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Mother's Day has been and gone for another year...............

...................and there might have been another birthday a few days later.

I went out for morning tea, and a few more of us enjoyed lunch after. Where are the years going?

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The season has turned cold, and I enjoyed the first fire of the year................

.......while reading a good book. This is a reason why I don't often start reading a book, as I need to finish it before I get back to 'work', so I pretended that it was still Mother's day.

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I put Dear William aside for now, to concentrate on Windy Hill farm quilt for Mr Tate. I had 14 blocks appliqued and decided to use 7 and pad them out with blocks in between, and then I would have enough for Mr Jett's quilt as well. (2 for the price of one?)

I decided to sash with the aqua and found a fabric to coordinate for the border...............

.......and then pieced together a lot of squares in the colours that were in the border print to fill in the gaps between the blocks..............

Needed something more in the top row where i only had 2 blocks, and found these little farm animal squares that were joined..............

....all going well and 2 rows are together............

...and the 2 blocks for the bottom row are pinned where I want them.

Another evening sewing to join the bottom blocks and stitch the 3 rows together....................(while watching, listening?? to another movie on Friday evening...............

............BUT WHOOPSIE............... THE BOTTOM ROW ENDED UP ON THE TOP!!!!!!!!

....................went to bed and decided to unpick the next day.

It was mentioned that I could leave it, but I wasn't happy. I don't think it looked 'balanced', as I had deliberately used the row of 3 blocks in the centre.

Thankfully it didn't take me long to unpick while I was chatting on the zoom meeting Saturday evening and before I knew it, the quilt was in the correct order, and then borders were added and it was done. Now it's in the quilting queue, waiting it's turn. 

(The animals and people all need eyes and mouths etc yet, but they might get drawn on, as this girl does NOT do hand stitching.

I spent a some time in the garden after coming home from church today, as the weeds have almost taken over the plants!! A few hours of time has also been allocated to computer work as I am on the roster for this month to do the Power Point presentation for church. 

This week also looks to be fairly full with a trip to Naracoorte on the agenda, some blood tests, and our local patchwork group Annual General Meeting as well as more time spent with Max.

I'll be back 'sometime', not saying when. 

Blessings, From Jude