Machine Woes!

Oh, dear......my long-arm is sick.....it keeps spitting out the bobbins as I sew....thunk...the needle hits and breaks. It is a mystery...and an aggravating one, at that. I couldn't figure it out yesterday, so gave up finally. This morning I will call Gammill to see if they have any ideas. I know it is in the bobbin...maybe worn out springs...those silly little things are $4.50 each....wow.

I ordered some, so I can check that out. And of all times...I have 3 quilts to finish by Monday, one being a king size. At least they are my own for the show, so if I don't finish, not a big problem.

My friend from CT/NY came yesterday. She and her hubby are out here visiting so we went to museum to see the Japanese exhibit. It was a gorgeous sunny day.

Tomorrow we get the pump for the pond/stream.....it will remain to be seen if all this whole process will work. Hopefully there will be some pix next week of our stream connecting the 2 ponds...and flowing...ha....we will see!

Couldn't resist the beautiful waterlillies in our old pond...hope you like the pictures. Have a great day.....will let you know how the machine turns out, too!! Judy

The crazy days of summer!

Hi all....it is a cloudy and grey day here today...we have been blessed with lots of sunshine lately, so a cooler day will be nice. Today I am working on a beautiful applique quilt...small wall hanging, actually. It is a floral. It will be lots of fun to quilt with funky threads and such.

I have been working overtime to get all the quilts done for our Busy Bee show in a couple weeks. I may not get mine done, but got everyone elses finished, and that is the most important thing. I am working on a thread play one now for me as well, and have a huge old bear paw quilt to do yet.

The Japanese show at the quilt museum is simple smashing. Those women sure do know how to work a needle....and everything is hand pieced and quilted by hand. One gal did a machine quilted piece. We had fun taking them around, and at a picnic right on the water at SuSan's beach house. I only wish I spoke Japanese. They are so soft spoken and kind....always bowing, and very humble. When they take classes they keep the same teacher forever, and she is their mentor....the instructor also has some assistants who also stay with her forever! It is a whole different mind-set there compared to here. Whatever, they sure do make beautiful quilts.

The antique kimonos are spectacular...and some wool muslin they used was fabulous. I don't think I have ever heard of wool muslin.

Be sure to see a Japanese exhibit if one ever comes your way, you won't be disappointed...I will post a few pix of our adventures...oh....I took a handsewing class to make a beautiful scarf...I am aiming for Christmas to get it finished....it will be beautiful, if ever I get it done.

Today, more quilting, and as always working on our pond/stream project...we are making slow progress....had to re-set our waterfall rock 3 times...the third time being the charm we hope!

Have a great week, whatever you do! Love, jude

The Japanese Quilt Show is Coming

Melinda, Diane and SuSan model their jackets.

Melinda, SuSan and Judy working on projects and modeling their handiwork!

Hi all....time goes by too quickly...but I thought I would mention the up-coming La Conner Quilt Museum's next exhibit....the Japanese exhibit will start the first of July....The girls are coming all the way from Japan to bring their extraordinary quilts, usually handpieced and handquilted.

You have to see them, to believe them. It is a fabulous and once in a life-time experience!

Check out the website at the museum to see all about it...also classes the Japanese gals will be teaching. I don't quite have it down to put a link in the blog yet...what else is new??

Monday a few of us from the museum board got together to make kimono type jackets to wear for the big occasion...we look pretty good, I think. The jackets are all the same pattern, but so different in look. It took us about 5 hours to get them nearly finished, including the lining.

The pond project moves along slowly, but if the weather holds out, I may be able to get the stream bed fixed so we can lay the liner in and think about the landscaping around the edge.

Then we can put the pump in and plumb it for the big grand opening....to see if the stream will actually work!! I will post some pix either way! It may be a ditch with liner, or it may be an actual stream!....well, gotta go get a quilt up on the frame. It is due for the Busy Bee Quilt show at the end of July....happy quilting and gardening....and WEEDING, TOO. judy

Bath Time again.....oops.

OK>>>>why didn't my bath time picture get posted.....I am sooooo dumb with these computers. It was on the blog before I posted "publish blog", so where did that 3rd picture go? I am just not meant for the computer age...so here goes....maybe just this one will post.....happy days...jude

BATH TIME!!

My orange-a-licious quilt....still have at least 3 more lonestars to make.

My orange-a-licious quilt...still have 3 more to make.
Liz Theaker's Wildflowers....Liz is director of the Quilt Museum.

HI all....how does the time get away from me.?? I imagine you all are as busy as I am, so will understand that I have not written for way too long.

Since the last time, I have taught a couple classes, taken a great rope wrapped tote bag class, and worked on quilts and in the yard on the great pond project.

I taught some of the gals from the museum how to do collage quilts, and they came up with some really great "paintings". A few of us made a field trip to the La Conner Quilt Musueum and enjoyed the Hardware exhibit. The Japanese exhibit is next, and promises to be a stunner as always. They are masters at teeny tiny perfection.

Our neighbors have finally moved everything, including the cows, to Idaho. They had been letting their cows use our pasture for grazing....I will miss them, especially in the morning when they come mooing for oats when I feed the goats and alpacas. It was quite the trick getting those cows in the trailer for the move....they weren't having any of that! I couldn't even coax them with their favorite oats. The new neighbors will be coming soon. One is a doctor in town.

I had a big laugh last week when Curly, the suri alpaca decided to take a bath in our little mini-pond. It dries up in the summer, but the puddle is pretty sizeable in the rainy weather.

That is Curly in the picture posted, along with his pature mates. They all get along pretty well now, but Curly is the BOSS.

This weekend I am going to my brother's to try to sell some things at his garage sale...I hope I can get rid of some things that are still stored in our barn.

We are getting ready to form our stream between ponds so we can get the liner in and ready to try and pump our whole system in a circle with 2 waterfalls. It will be interesting to see if it works in real life as well as in my imagination.

Tomorrow we have a long-arm meeting in Everett....they are fun, and we share lots of great techniques and business ideas.

Oh, I finally finished my 9th lone star...Orange-a-licious...named by dear friend Stephanie Davis...well, gotta get going to finish a quilt and start one for Roberta Horton for the next Kaffe Fassett book....have a great day. We are supposed to have some sun today...still not here yet...Judy

off to teach!

Quilts from Dale Fleming's class....if ever you get the chance to take her class...grab it!

The butterfly is from the cover of Dale's book.
The crow...oops, sideways! is from one of my students in the woven class....pretty neat.

Good morning friends....a sunny day here in Arlington! Yeah! It seems I can never find the time to write anymore. Shame on me. Today we are loading up 6 or 7 duffel bags of quilts to take to Longview,WA. I do a machine quilting class on MOnday with a trunk show Monday night. It should be loads of fun. I am working with Lady of the Lakes guild. They have over 100 members.....a smaller guild compared to some. I think I have about 16 students in the class. I love to teach machine quilting....the girls really surprise themselves with great quilting.

Well, in the last couple weeks the calf got loose....we got her back inside the fence she jumped.....the alpacas and goats are just their ornery selves. Jessie bonked me on the temple accidentally one day when I was bending over near her...ouch! They are doing fine, and grazing away.....of course the goats beg anytime you come near the pasture. And the fish are always begging. I am feeding them every day now with the warm weather. I even saw the big catfish for a second yesterday. He comes up and eats the fish food. Usually he will stay up a bit longer. I still have not seen the baby catfish, but I know he is down there since no one is doing the back stroke!!

I took a fun class with Dale Fleming Thursday, and will post a few pix of her quilts.....she works with circles and curves. It was fun, and another technique for my brain to use in the future. I used Australian fabric, and will turn my samples into a little wall hanging I think.

OUr shop hop is in about a month here...over 60 shops. Enough to keep your head spinning and car going for 4 days or so.

Well, guess I better get going and load the car with all those quilts.....not much other news anyway.....have a great week.....Judy

critters and quilts

Another one of Freddy's quilts....watch for her new book!

Friday Harbor....so beautiful and perfect weather.

Snow geese on the way to La Conner Museum.

HI Friends....I cannot believe it has been so long since I have written...does that mean my life is dull....or am I just too busy....maybe both! In the past weeks we have chased alpacas and goats...escapees from our attempts at fencing them in....got some new koi...and I have been teaching and quilting up a storm. Yesterday was a wind storm with winds nearly 50mph.....wow....the power went off and I couldn't work, so we went to the mall and walked around and added another koi to the pond....a pretty lemon yellow and white spotted one. I hated to put her into that cold water, but in she went.

I am all finished with Freddy Moran's last 18 quilts....for another book...lots of string quilts that are really neat. So be watching for the next book!!

As for Freddy, my friend Stephanie Davis has started a brown nose Freddy Fan club on facebook...if you love Freddy, see if you can find it on Facebook...I am not much help there I am afraid. It should be fun to see who signs up.

I am teaching this Saturday for my guild....the woven quilts....and in 2 weeks I will be teaching at Lady of the Lakes in Longview, WA....I am teaching quilting and doing a trunk show for them at their guild......maybe I will see some of you there!

It is a cold and wet spring and this morning I think it was hailing, too. I am looking forward to more teaching, and meeting more gals in guilds. Last Saturday I did a trunk show and demo for the Northwest Quilting Connection. What a great group of gals. I think I will join them. It will be fun to learn from more quilting friends.

I had a great time teaching in Friday Harbor....I took the ferry there, and taught a couple of Kaffe Fassett's quilts. The girls did some beautiful pieces....and they sure did feed me well!!

Well, today I am expecting a new quilter to come by the studio...new to me....his name is Luke Haynes and you can see his work on the web. It will be fun to work with a guy quilter...there are a few out there....Scott Hansen is another guy from my guild who does great quilts, too.

Well, gotta eat some lunch and get busy on the longarm...one to finish and mail today, and another one to mail to CA.....yet this week.....so, hope you are all quilting and enjoying your moments of creativity....judy