A tribute to Marie............

 I mentioned recently that my friend Marie, a well loved member of our group had passed away. I have been sorting all the photos taken over the last 25 years for our group history book and in the process found a lot of Marie. She always looked up and smiled when the camera was aimed her way and it has been very special to go back and reminisce about all the good times we shared.

We journeyed to many workshops, quilt shows, SA Quilters Guild events and local shows together, and attending these again will never be the same. It was common for Marie to call in and visit me on her way home from Wednesday golf games, and always with a smile whether she had a good score or not. She was also a valued member of the Bible Study group and her faith gave her a special strength and peace in her final months. I recently read a quote which said "I am not dying, I am going to life", and Marie knew this for herself.

 Marie was also known for her skills with dyeing fabric, and had a little home based business she called "Holly Hand Dyes" and attended many market days selling her wares.  

Marie taught many dyeing workshops at weekend retreats at The Sanctuary........

          She was a regular at the retreats held at The Sanctuary and Number Eight ...............

                          This was taken at my 60th birthday party.....................

A group of us travelled to Melbourne by train a few years ago to attend the Victorian quilt show.............

This was a special moment for Marie, winning a first for her quilt, Rainbow Canyon, an Antelope Canyon designed quilt made using her own hand dyed fabrics............

..............and another special day when the 3 of us came away from SA Quilters Guild Festival of Quilts  with a swag of ribbons a few years ago....................

                               A morning tea held at my place for a friend's birthday..................

A group of us at Quilt Encounter which was held at Immanuel College...........

.......and Marie presenting a quilt to me on behalf of the group when I was about to have some treatment in Adelaide.

And this one goes back to 2006 after the 4 of us had done a workshop in Adelaide and about to head off to the quilt show, and just before I found out that I had won Best of Show.

The friendship quilt that was made by group members and given to her, served its purpose by providing comfort and support in her final days.

Marie, I thank you for the great memories. We will miss you and especially that lovely smile. 

Marie's funeral was held last week and this poem was on the card handed out to those attending. I just love the sentiment of these words and how appropriate they are for a quilter.

Blessings, From Jude

 

Happy Birthday......

 It was 2 years ago today that my 10th grandchild, and 5th grandson was born. It was fortunate that I was able to get to Melbourne that year and see him the day he was born. Not something that I would be able to to do these days. This is the second year that he has had a birthday in lockdown with no visitors. 😔😔😔

As usual I have been back into the photo files to this post, and found a few to post. 

We had a video chat this morning and I watched him play with the present I sent. He is quite the little chatter box now and can string words together into sentences. Quite advanced for 2 years old I think, but then perhaps I might be biased??

Hoepfully it won't be much longer before we can actually have some hugs.

Happy birthday! 

 Blessings, From Jude

Changing plans and Customer quilting catchup..........

I finished my last post by saying I was having a quiet day of church and then time at the desk. But plans are made to change sometimes aren't they? Mid morning I saw a car pulling into the driveway and these little cherubs surprised me with a visit on their way home from a friends house. It was an unexpected surprise and so lovely to see them. Tate is getting really talkative now and is much more outgoing. He has always had trouble saying Grandma and it would sound like Margar, and even Miss Bridie now calls me Margar, so I think that name is here to stay! 

 I did get some desk time in the afternoon, as well as time in the garden clearing a space in the back yard where I want to plant some gifted strawberry plants. It was a very warm windy afternoon and some plants needed to be watered. Thankfully Sunday evening rain arrived to keep things going for a bit longer. On Monday the temperature dropped dramatically and when I drove to the chemist my car told me the outside temperature was only 8deg!! 

This week I am fitting in a couple of my quilts before I do 2 more customer quilts, and by then it will be almost time for the show.

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Now for the update of recent customer quilts that have gone out the door with their owners, ready for binding and sleeves and labels.

First up is a quilt made by Robyn for her granddaughter using fabric featuring Australian fauna. Another smaller quilt using the same fabrics was also made, and both were quilted allover with Baroque swirls.

This is Lois' Mystery and Mayhem quilt using bright scrappy fabrics against a navy background. This was quilted with an allover Meander pattern.

Anne made this quilt using mainly linen fabrics and I quilted it with a pretty floral pattern allover.

Another quilt made by Robyn, this time much larger and is for a friend. Once again she chose the Baroque swirls pattern allover.

This is Raylene's "Moment of Madness" string quilt and quilted allover with a Meander pattern.

This star quilt was also made by Lois, and is going to West Australia for a family member and has been quilted with an allover Australian pattern, featuring Koalas and Kangaroos.

Ruth is the queen of using scraps and strings for her quilts which are all donated to a worthy cause. The next 4 quilts were all made by Ruth and are quilted allover with simple patterns. 

Pat commenced this quilt in a class with Faye Packham many years ago at a retreat that was held at The Sanctuary. Pat was pleased to finally have it finished and I believe Faye said it was about time too!! It was quilted allover with an Oriental pattern as the fabrics used are mainly Orientals.

Sue made this Elizabeth Hartman Delightful Desert quilt and asked for it to be quilted allover with a Cactus pattern.

Kath made this kit called Twilight Time and it was quilted allover with a pattern called Happy Days.

Mary has also made a quilt in purples with black and this was quilted allover with Pearl.

Another made by Mary, and sorry but the colours look very washed out in this pic. They are much nicer in real life - (come to the quilt show to see!!) The quilt was called Lilac Storm, and named for the fabric range that was used, so I quilted it allover with Wind.

There are a few more pics in the file, that have been custom quilted, and I shall save them for another post.

I have been standing with Max all day and am feeling very weary, although happy to have finished another custom quilt. Not many to go now, which is probably just as well as the frame assembly is due to happen 2 weeks from tomorrow. Hopefully I get a better night's sleep tonight, I think I must have too many things on my mind at the moment?? That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Hope you are having a great week.

Blessings, From Jude

 

Where do I start??

I have decided it is not a good idea to leave such long gaps between blog posts. It is much harder to to remember any newsfromjude to report on, so hopefully I can get some order into things after the exhibition. The committee is working hard in the leadup to our show, although realising that things can change suddenly in this world of ours. If you are resident of South Australia we would love for you to come and visit us, and our thoughts go out to those 'over the border'. This is really disappointing for all as our town is just on the border, and we usually welcome many from Victoria to our quilt show.

VISITOR(S) and quilting

It has been very remiss of me that I  did not mention the arrival of my "fairy" 2 weeks ago, and now she has departed again. There has been much action happening while I have concentrated on getting customer quilts finished for the show. The 'revolving door' worked overtime while friends came in and out, either to work on their own quilts and bindings, or to visit the fairy. We enjoyed good attendance of Angels one day, but sorry I have no photos of the day.

My fairy has been out and about with lunch and coffee appointments, and also a garden inspection while I have kept working. She has a better social life in Bordertown than I do!? The time is coming when I hope to change that??

This is Raylene's strippy quilt that she is adding binding to in the pic above.

                                This is Val's Mystery and Mayhem quilt that she is binding.

This is Val's next quilt too bind, and I look forward to seeing this hanging in the quilt show.

It has been quilted allover with a cloud pattern. I don't think that flat on the bed gives it the true perspective, but you get the idea.

 Pat was making binding for a quilt that she has made for her daughter, featuring embroidery in the blocks, and this was custom quilted.

The fairy doing what she does so well, sorting and stacking fabric packs.

 Robyn has spent some time staying with me while renovations have been in place at her house and she ordered Chinese for tea one night. The paper plates came out to save having to wash dishes and it was eaten in the lounge with our feet up by the fire after a busy day.

I had to laugh at this scene, as it just goes to show that being 'glued' to your phones is not only reserved for the young people anymore.

OUT AND ABOUT

Trips up the highway have been few and far between this year which means the kms were not adding up in my car. Driving to the shops and Post office only add about 5km each time, so I decided it was time to make a trip to Murray Bridge which would add another 400km and get me to the first service of 1500km. So one Friday morning, Raylene, Yvonne and I headed up the road for a day out. We picked up mum, had lunch out and did some shopping. It did help that I had some birthday vouchers to spend at the plant and clothes shop. It was a fun day out with friends and lots of laughs and even a catch up with my brother. 

While being busy at home and only driving to the local shops it is easy to forget what the seasons are doing, so it was a treat to get out and see that spring somehow had arrived. I love to see the wattles in bloom, the pretty yellow of the canola crops and the green crops, with the blue and white of the sky. This canola crop is higher than the fence, so hopefully we can get finishing rains here soon. 

Because of the MB trip my car was now just over the 1500km it needed for the first service, so it was time for a short trip (40km) up the road to Keith. While the job was being done Raylene and I enjoyed coffee at the local cafe called Henry and Rose.

It was a lovely afternoon sitting in the sunshine. I am not very good at doing the "selfie" pics, but you get the idea.

Just across the road from the cafe is this water feature, called Circlework, by James Darling. Reading from the label, I note it celebrates the cycle of water through the Australian landscape, with reference to the region's high water table and extensive irrigation industry.

NOT IN THE PINK 😞😞

This weekend in most years until 2020 was always taken up with being In the Pink. Last year it was a Pink with a difference with a few local afternoon teas, some Zoom afternoon teas and a sale of fabrics to raise funds, with a result of $2650 being donated to BCNA. I thought long and hard about BCNA fundraising for 2021 and decided that there was too much happening at the moment to do anything. While I am disappointed about this, perhaps I might be able to do something later??

I might finish this post here, although there is more to report on of another trip, and heaps of quilt photos. In my last post I mention processing some very sad news. Our friend Marie, who is pictured above in the middle sadly departed this life for her eternal home on September 8th. She will be missed greatly, and her funeral is planned for this week.

Time to head for the shower and start my day, which will be a quiet one. There is church this morning, and after lunch I have an appointment with my desk to get some more advertising processed for the quilt show. Hopefully I can take off my publicity officer hat at the next Annual Meeting and give it to someone else!? 

Blessings, From Jude