Another update

As it is 3 weeks since the Pink Retreat, and I have only posted quilt photos, I decided another post was in order. I had intended to do this in the morning, before the day got underway, as I am normally an early riser. But, as I am still awake at almost midnight, I might be a late starter tomorrow. I have been to bed, and was almost asleep and the phone rang. I have a phone right beside my bed, and can answer without getting up, but that seemed to put paid to my sleep, and I tossed for another hour before I decided I may as well get up and put the time to good use. (You may be the judge as to whether blogging is a good use of time!) I normally don’t have any trouble sleeping.
Life has been very full lately, and I think I have so much going around in my mind, it’s hard to know where to go first. Below are a few photos from my garden, as they are fast disappearing with the season we are having this spring. There has not been much rain, and not much forecast soon, which is unusual for this district. We have had more than our share of very strong winds, with associated falling branches etc. I don’t think the farmers would be very happy with how the season is shaping up.

Looks like I have a lot of pink in the garden.
Have been catching up on quite a few quilts, some of which had to be finished for customers to hang up in the Kaniva Quilt Show, which is on next weekend. October 18 and 19, at Kaniva, just over the border into Victoria. It will be worth a visit if you are close by.
We have had a visit to Bordertown by a sewing machine mechanic, who worked on machines at The Sanctuary. Was great to have someone come here to do this. My overlocker has had it’s first service ever. Won’t say how many years I have had it.
Some more quilt photos below.
First one by Sherrel, which I custom quilted.

And this bright, very large beauty was made by Sue, and quilted allover.

And another large and bright quilt, made by Sue’s sister, which I basted ready for her to machine quilt.

South Australia had a long weekend last weekend, and the biannual Australian Machine Quilting Festival (AMQF) was held in Adelaide, at the Convention Centre. I debated long and hard about whether I could afford the timeout to go to this, and put off registering for classes. I finally decided that I would just go for a day and do one class and check out the vendor mall and see what’s new out there in our industry. But after I registered and booked in to my class, I realised that the vendors did not open until that evening, so I would not see that, or the quilt show. So I decided to stay overnight and do 2 days and 2 classes. It was a good opportunity to do a class with an overseas tutor who was teaching Statler in Adelaide. I am sorry that I was unable to manage being there for the whole Festival and help out as a volunteer as well. It’s always a great time of networking and sharing with other machine quilters. And the Quilt Show put on by the AMQA was amazing, and I would have liked more time to spend looking the quilts.
This is the tram that took Elaine and I into the city for our classes. Certainly beats driving your car and having to pay for parking. I was surprised just how many people they pack into the trams though! I have seen photos of trains in India that are packed to the rafters, and thought I could have been in India, but at least there were no people on the roof of this tram!

The water fountain in Victoria Square.

The classroom was set up so that we could all see the screen and watch what the tutor was doing on her machine with Creative Studio.

And this is Kelly Gallagher-Abbott from America working on the Statler, and teaching us some great information. I was tempted to stay longer and do her other classes, but…..

This was where we had lunch, overlooking the Torrens River, with the new walkway bridge leading to the newly developed Adelaide Oval. The weather was lovely for sitting outside and watching the world go by, just for little while.

And this is Elaine, we were waiting for our delicious lunch to arrive, sorry forgot to photograph it before we ate it!

And this is my Mum and Dad, who I visited on my way through to the city.

Our local church received a new minister in August. Two sermons that I have heard recently have been very thought provoking and have spoken very loudly to me. One was on Good Intentions, and I know I definitely suffer from that. And this morning was an Invitation to God’s Banquet. Another great message on whether we will accept this invitation. Very challenging. All comes back to that word BALANCE, which I am still working on, although not very successfully.
Have lots to do this week, working on the Paper Bag Mystery quilts. I am enjoying working on the designing process in EQ, using the collection of fabrics that I have purchased. Am nearly half way there, and have only 12 days to finish them. Still have 2 places left for this weekend if you would like to join us. All Bags have a different quilt design in them, and most of the fabrics are cut ready for you to start sewing.
Might not be back for awhile, so hope you have a great week, whatever you are doing.
Blessings, From Jude (who is hoping that sleep will come very soon)

Last of August quilts!

 

Better do a quick posting this morning before I get into the day. I have already had a comment about no blog post.

Am working on an intense job this week, lots of SID on 99 blocks that are 4”! And all on point, so might be working on this one for awhile. And am also working on more Paper Bag Mystery quilts. There’s nothing like a deadline is there? Have lots to blog about that’s been happening, but this morning I will just post these quilt photos from back in August. I can’t believe just how fast time seems to be going. My word for the year in 2014 was supposed to be “balance”, but I don’t seem to have made much progress yet, and I am almost over being so busy.

First quilt was made by Helen, and quilted all over with Starret.

This is Sherrel’s Bedford Mystery quilt, which was made larger with more of her scraps, and a piano key border. It was quilted all over with a pattern called Flutterbyte.

This was made by Mary, a very striking pattern in 3 colours, with edge to edge quilting.

Another Bedford quilt, made by Val, and also made larger.

Made by a friend of Lorraine, and quilted allover with Dancing Hearts.

This quilt was started by Jenny many years ago, and finally finished. A pattern by L’il Blokes called Teddy Bears Picnic, and custom quilted.

Also made by Jenny and quilted all over with Sassy.

Made by Chris, very effective in the reds, black and white, and quilted with a pattern called Pearl.

Made by Kath, and custom quilted.

Sorry for the delay in posting August quilts in October. Will try to keep up in future, but there just seems to be so much happening that time just gets away. If someone could “invent” extra time, I think they would make a fortune, as everyone seems to want more of it.

That’s all for today, time to hang out the washing and get Max started for a day at the machine.

Blessings, From Jude

“In the Pink” Retreat report

I know there are some who are waiting for this blog post, and I have had one email enquiry, so before I get back to the quilting machine I better report in.
It was such a fantastic, fun time with a lovely group of ladies, and I hope I cover it all. But first, I would like to thank you all for coming, for all that you contributed and all that helped in any way, as I could not have done it on my own. We have an amazing result and this afternoon I went to the bank and deposited $1700.10 for the credit of the http://www.bcna.org.au/  Breast Cancer Network Australia account!!! That was the total from the proceeds of the raffle quilt and the auctions of donated goods that were held throughout the weekend. So THANKYOU to all.
There were lots of pink decorations, so we could hardly forget the reason for being there.












Raelene was good at tying bows, so went around the garden and house.


Inside all was ready for the arrival of guests, with pink hats, and goody bags with more pink things.

And the display of all the donated goods ready for the auctions. Due to the quantity of items, we invited other quilters, (and a husband or two), who came and willingly parted with money for a good cause.


Pauline made up a lovely array of nibbles for the travellers.

But before the weekend could start, we had to “fluff up” the flowers that had been made back in July for this occasion. Thankyou Raelene for your organisation with this. They looked just great, and made a lovely display in the garden too!





Friday evening we started with the first auction. We had 4 during the weekend. Michele Hill came to join us for the weekend and made up gorgeous kits of a Tudor Rose Pinwheel. Some girls made them up, and they look gorgeous. I don’t think there was lots of intense sewing happening, but overall it was a great time of chatting, sharing, eating, laughing, and participating in the auctions. I believe that for lots of those attending, it is a time of therapy, when we find out that  others have travelled a similar path at sometime in their life. And that’s what makes each retreat special for me.


Just some of what they found in their goody bags!

This was the money used in the auctions. All the girls had paid for this in the retreat fee. Was unfortunate that some girls ran out, and had to buy more, or put in the real coin!? Well, maybe unfortunate for them, but fortunate for the BCNA.

The weather was glorious, so lunch time meals were eaten out in the pergola.

I tried to keep to the pink theme, with some of the food. This was cottage pie, and mashed potato goes a lovely shade of pink when you add a beetroot and feta dip! The photo shows it more orange than pink.

This pork spare ribs with beetroot chutney on rice,

We also had a pink pavlova, which looked more pink in the middle. Also pink sauce on the silverside, and pink trifles, and berry icecream, and lots of beetroot in the salads, and pink icing on custard slice. Not too sure that I could come up with ideas for a green, or blue weekend!!?

As the weather was so nice, we took out some items for the Saturday afternoon auction.

For Saturday evening dinner, the dress code was PJ’s. Pink rollers in the hair completed the outfit.

A good look for dinner??

Jean was very pleased with her pink outfit, even the pink nails, and sox! (And she told me that there was more pink where I could not see!!)

Our group photo, out in the sunshine on Sunday, but unfortunately, one lady had already departed, so we are only ten and not eleven.

Raelene and Jean with all their goodies, at the end of the auctions. I watched Raelene packing the car this morning, and there was lots more to take home than they brought with them! 4 ladies, all their luggage, and their purchases, and a small car, and you get the picture?

Sunday afternoon we concluded the weekend with High Tea. Out came my grandma’s pretty cups, saucers and plates, and all the delicate cake trays. It was delightful and we should do this more often. Something about a cup and saucer and not a large mug!! We were missing a nice teapot, so maybe that is a purchase for the future? And thankyou to Pauline for the lovely food.






Eleven of us made short work of that lovely spread of food.

It was time to draw the winner of the raffle quilt. And I am very pleased to say that this lovely lady had the winning ticket, and was present at the drawing too. Congratulations to Michele Hill, who gives so much, to so many. Michele’s donation to the auction items were hotly bid on by the girls.

This is the quilt that Michele won, and is not her usual William Morris applique style. But she tells me that they have made a room for the grandchildren to use, and William does not fit there, and this looks just right, as the lime green matches her colour scheme. Hope you enjoy the quilt Michele.

And then it was time for packing up, and all the pink decorations came down. The auction table was empty.

Time to relax for those from the big city, who were to leave in the morning.

A chance conversation led to a decision to play cards. This was my second time in a couple of months, after years of not playing. We had a most enjoyable evening, and the girls said it just topped off a good weekend. A few things in the fridge needed finishing off, like the nibble platter from Friday, and a “little” bit leftover in the bottle?? (It might just explain why Raelene commented this morning that there was not much “spring in my step”, do you think?)



In an earlier post I spoke about these pink fluffies that had been donated to me for the retreat. It took a bit of thinking about what to do with them, but finally a decision was made.


I put the fluffies into a jar, so that the girls could guess just how many there were, (and then they could keep the jar as a prize). But a few got away before I could put the lid on, they went everywhere!! The turned up in the oddest places, like in the fruit bowl, in the coffee cup, in a bed, on the jam jar, in the tissue packet, and in the dessert bowls etc. etc. And one lady reached up in the cupboard for her cup, put the tea bag in and added the hot water, before she discovered her fluffy. He was a bit sad and very wet and still recovering from first degree burns!! Each time someone found one, they were given 2 extra play dollars for the auctions, so there was great excitement each time. Until Sunday morning, when I arrived at The Sanctuary to find this note!!

They told me it was so much fun, that the fluffies are being put away for another day.Thankyou Chris for your donation.
And in the garden below, you can see "Fluffy Flamingo", which was one of the auction items. I had debated about whether to put him in the auctions, as I liked him myself. So the girls all joined together and put in enough money to bid for him, and then they presented him to me as a thankyou gift, to be put in my garden. And he looks very much at home, so THANKYOU girls!

Well time to sign off, probably written too much and it will crash when I hit the publish button?? Thanks to all of you again, from the bottom of my heart.
Blessings, and Love from Jude.