Another quilt and other ramblings

 

This is Joy’s Farmers Wife Sampler quilt finished last week. I did a clamshell edge to edge through the centre and 2 separate borders. I just loved the texture of the clams quilted in the centre. Am working on another custom now, and have a very large New York Beauty for next week.

The weather is not real conducive for work at the moment. We are in the grip of a heatwave. Yesterday the temp got up to 45Deg which is HOT, HOT, today up to 36 and tomorrow expected to be 38, followed by 41,40,34 and 40.  THere are fires burning in places and houses have been lost in Tasmania.                                                         

   I don’t like the heat and if you ever hear me say how cold it is, just remind me! It is hard to be motivated to work, and take a lot of keeping up with the watering of gardens.

It has been a difficult week apart from the heat. Early in the week I found out that a beautiful lady had lost her life in an accident on Christmas Eve. So sad, my sympathy goes out to her family and her friends. Pam was part of the wonderful “In the Pink” retreat at The Sanctuary in September.

And on New Year’s Day, my son’s partner was in a car accident, caused by 2 ****** cars in a road rage incident. Thankfully she is OK, but was saved by the airbags in their car, only recently purchased. Car is written off, 2 people in another car (not wearing seatbelts) thrown from their car, and the driver of another car taking off from the scene. Each day I have heard more stories of people doing STUPID things in cars. What is happening, where is common sense?

It is easy feel down about the things happening around us, but I need to also think of the positive things to balance it all. I am thankful that the power has not gone out, and the aircon is working. I am thankful that I have work to do, and can pay the bills. I am thankful for a comfortable house, for good friends and family. I am thankful for the firemen that fight the fires in extreme conditions.

A visit from good friends this afternoon, was much appreciated when a faulty part on the submersible pump of my bore was replaced and fixed. I am not mechanical, and like to be able switch things on and expect them to go! So thankyou very much, my watering system is much better now.

Well that’s enough rambling from me, will be back in a few days with some more quilt photos. Hope you are in a cool spot if you are “down under” and a warm one in the northern part of the world.

Blessings

From Jude

Meeting the train

The town I live in is situated on the main freeway between Adelaide and Melbourne, almost on the border between the states of South Australia and Victoria. And we are lucky enough to still have the railway line going through. The Overland Train travels 3 times a week to Melbourne and 3 times back to Adelaide. A few years ago a group of us caught the train to Melbourne and attended the Quilt Show and had a good time. And DD3 caught the train back to Melbourne back in November after she looked after me for a week. But it's not often that I go to the station, but yesterday was another special day, as the train brought special passengers to stay with me.


The train was right on time, and I heard the whistle as it came across a crossing. 

And Theo and his dad were watching throught the window as they came into the station.
Mum and little brother drove down in the car and met them afterwards.

One very happy little man and his dad pose for Grandma.
It has been a lovely time with them, although NewYears Eve was spent very quietly and into bed well before the clock struck 12.
Today they have gone to Matt's Dads 80 th birthday celebrations and then will go home after that.

Happy New Year to you all.
Blessings,
From Jude

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