December quilting

 

Guess I better slip a post in while it is still December, I can’t believe that Christmas has been and gone and the last day of the year is here. Won’t be long until next Christmas!!

The following are a few of my customer quilts done in December. I thought I had them all rotated the right way up, but sorry, I don’t, and I can’t find a place in Live Writer to turn them.

First up is Chris’ blue and white, a first quilt for Chris, and she did a fabulous job. She wanted a very simple edge to edge, and we used  a Lorien Quilting pattern called Happy Times.

And this is another “large” quilt from Christina, quilted with a clam shell pattern that has a small star in the arc.

A 2010 Bedford made by Pauline for a friend.

And these are both made by Jean, and quilted with simple custom.

And this is made by Val’s daughter Robyn, and I think also a first quilt. She wanted a simple water pattern.

That’s all for now, have lots more to say, but it will have to wait…… Had thought about a new year posting about leaving the old and going into the new, but am on my way out the door, so it depends if I get home before the clock strikes midnight!! I spend days thinking about what I can say, and read some great postings on other blogs, and then when it comes time to “pen” tap my thoughts they never sound quite the same.

So, maybe I shall just leave it here and wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope that it will be everything you want it to be. I know I have changes I wish to make, and hopefully I can keep them up.

And this is where I shall get my blog printed, right up to the end of the year 2013.

Happy New Year, and Blessings, From Jude

The Day after Christmas

Tradition in my extended family is a gathering the day after Christmas. The venue is usually shared around, and this year we gathered at my sister’s place at Mt Barker, a town in the hills near the city of Adelaide. As you can see, there a quite a few of us, and one brother and his family was absent. After main course, we gather around the tree for the giving out of gifts. Each person is given the name of someone to buy for, so we each receive one gift. And then we have dessert. Some of the younger family also spent some time in the swimming pool. My camera spent most of the day sitting on the table, so not a lot of photos to show you.


It was a 2 1/2 hour drive to my sister’s house, and then home again. Not far from home, I noticed this in the paddock alongside a parking stop. Had to turn around and go back for a photo! I think Santa may have lost his way, sure hope he had finished his delivery run  first, although the bag seems to have something in it still!

You can see in the photo, that is it well and truly summer here. The farmers are almost finished the harvest, and I did see some headers in action on my drive home.
The road I travel is the main highway between the city of Adelaide (in South Australia) and Melbourne (in Victoria), and there is much traffic on that road. I saw the places where accidents have occurred, both fatal, and was reminded that Christmas was probably not good for some families. And another small town on the highway, would have been holding their breath last week, as a fire burned very close to the edge of the town. The trees along the highway are all black and bare of leaves.  A bit hard to take photos when you are the driver of the car!
I think today is the day to load another quilt, my break is over, another Christmas has been and gone. It has been lovely to spend time with family. And even the housework time was good, to see the clean windows at my house!
Will be back soon with another quilt show. Enjoy your day, whatever you are doing.
Blessings, From Jude.

Christmas Day

 

And here we are on Christmas Day, in the year 2013!

A time to say Merry Christmas, NOT Happy Holidays!

A day to reflect on the coming of our Lord. A day to think about the real meaning of Christmas.

May you know the spirit of Christmas, which is peace, the gladness of Christmas, which is hope, and the heart of Christmas, which is Love.

Blessings,

From Jude

A quilt catch-up

 

While I am sitting here at the computer, I thought I would post a few more customer quilts, that are sitting in the file waiting to show. These go back to November, so I better post them, as still have all of December to blog yet.

The first 2 are pretty quilts, made by Linda, for her granddaughters, first one quilted with hearts, and there were 2 of these the same, and the second one quilted with ballet slippers. These quilts have been a work in progress for a few years, so Linda was pleased to get them finished, and the girls were ecstatic with their quilts.

And this was made by Joan, all hand pieced!! Joan wanted a very simple quilting, so diagonal lines did the job well.

And this was made by Valda for a Christmas present for a little girl.

Birds and Berries, a BOM made by Jill, and custom quilted.

This quilt made by Sherrel, and used up lots of scraps, although Sherrel said there did not seem to be any less after finishing this.

This was made by Jenny, and I was going to do an allover pattern, but  decided to do a pattern in the hexagons, which quilted quite fast, and really made the hexagons show up. (Sorry that the photo is sideways, but forgot to change it before, and don’t know how now)

That’s all folks, for this show, be back in a few days with some more.

Blessings, From Jude

Coming ready or not

At last I have finished the last quilt before Christmas, and can start my preparations for the big day. "Max" has been switched off, and it is very unusual not to have a quilt on, or at least hanging over the rollers ready to load. I plan to be back at work by next Friday. 

In the meantime I have been baking, and I know it is all sweet stuff, but mostly will be put into containers and given as gifts for Christmas. 

After church today, the Christmas tree was put up, and the decorations hung.
Tomorrow I shall go shopping for some presents, and wrap them to put under the tree.

I have also been cleaning, a longggg overdue task. Sweeping cobwebs outside the house, and cleaning the pergola, are both jobs that have been passed over, with the priority being customer quilts, and looking after The Sanctuary. And one job is leading to another, now that I am looking more closely. So hope to do some windows this week, especially now the weather is a bit cooler for a few days. And I know that as soon as it heats up again, I will wilt. I don't function well in the really hot, but after reading blogs of people in England and the US, I think that ice and snow would be hard to work with too. (Even though snow does look pretty in the pictures!)
Last Thursday's temperatures of around the 44deg mark certainly made the gardens wilt. And throw in high winds as well, and lots of damage done.

Blessings,
From Jude

Hot, hot, hot....

I know it's summer and we should expect this, but it has come so suddenly, I'm not ready. But if I am truthful, I will admit I am never ready for HOT summer. The hot weather and I don't really get on very well together.
I have decided that I need to head to the lounge, put my feet up and turn on the aircon. The quilt is not finished, but it will have to wait, hopefully until it is a bit cooler in the early morning. Not quite such a hot one tomorrow, and then much cooler for a few days until Christmas, maybe some rain even??


This is one Christmas job that I acheived this week, with many thanks to some helpers. (Thankyou to Jean, Pat and Mikaela!)
Now it's up to Australia Post to get them delivered to my lovely customers, without who, I would not have a business. Each Christmas I like to tell them how much I appreciate them.
I know I still have lots of quilt photos, but it will have to wait.
I am leaving the studio.
Catch ya, next time, and stay cool if you are down under, and hope you are warm up north.

Blessings,
From Jude

Electric Quilt programme

I have spent time this week updating the scheduled retreats page of this blog with some of what is planned for next year.
These photos are of the EQ retreat that was held at
The Sanctuary earlier this year. The next one will be February 14-16, 2014.
If you use this software, and want to know how to make it work for you, come and spend time with Judy (The Virtual Quilter) to learn more. This is a small class, so that Judy can give each person individual attention.
A weekend spent in a relaxing setting, fully catered and all linen supplied.


One of Judy's designs in EQ on the computer, and the real quilt beside.

If you are interested, or know of someone who might be, I would love to hear from you.

It has been a busy week, quilts being finished, and administration "stuff" happening, an update was loaded on to the Statler and a couple of jobs have been done outside the house. Hopefully by the end of next week, I might be able to START to think about that "C" word!
I did dream about having time off in January, but think it was just a dream!

Enjoy your weekend, wherever you are,
Blessings,
From Jude