Cool fall weather.....

One of the gals in Houston guild did this piece in class!

Another student fish! They are so talented and do such great quilting for beginners.

The quilt above is made by my hostess Bekah....is is a beautiful cathedral windows with all the royalty portrayed...and the lovely embellishments really make this a work of art. The picture does not do it justice.

From the plane I saw this great landscape...I think it could make an interesting quilt!
My quilt...Out of Hibernation. I started and finished it about 15 years ago, I think...one of my earliest quilts when I started quilting again in the 90's. Back in the 60's, quilting was virtually dead! I like this one, but I think I should do it in polka dots. Fabrics back then were not so fun.

Oh, my! Can it be fall already. This morning there is no sun, yet, and the weather is in the 50's. It is a bit of a welcome relief with all the HOT weather this past few weeks. It should be warmer again tomorrow.

We had our pond/pump guy visit and check out our plumbing job...seems that is ok...we just needed more water to get the skimmer up to snuff...and somewhere I think we have a leak...yikes. Probably where we joined the stream to the old pond. So, I guess we are back to the drawing board so to speak. Can't just stitch it up like a quilt.

Speaking of quilts, I just got a great lone star from Freddy. It is black and white with little bitty squares all scrappy pieced in the squares and half squares around the edges of the star.....it is really neat. I am going to get it going this morning.

I tried to post pictures last time, to no avail....everything disappeared....I don't know why I am so computer challenged. SO this morning I will try to post a few pictures again. I have a few from class in Houston, and my pinwheel star I painted on the barn door. It was like the one I found on-line painted on a barn in PA.....those gals didn't know I loved red, white, and blue and STARS....so thank you girls in PA for the great barn design.

I saw Eleanor Burns new book with barn paintings, so will have to get that, I guess. Anyway, gotta get info into the shops for my classes next quarter. I am also going to teach out of the Bold and Beautiful book. It is quite inspiring and great fun. Check it out.

Well, gotta go pin up Freddy's quilt and check the fish. Have a great day....judy

PS we had great time at my outdoor quiltshow and barbecue. As usual the girls brought some really beautiful quilts to hang on the fence. Of course the weather was HOT.

Back from Houston

Hi all....I am finally back from my teaching and trunk show in Houston for the guild there...what a GREAT time I had with the Texans! Thanks Bekah....Linda, and Vickie as well as the others who made me feel so welcome. Just a warning....if you order food in Texas, bring some friends along to help eat it all....everything really is bigger in Texas.
Oh, rats...I couldn't even wear my new cowboy boots...it was tooooo hot....I decided to leave them home....I was so sad...they told me cowboy boot season is a few months off yet.
I stayed with my friend Bekah....I have quilted for her over the years, and she is a Kaffe and Liza fan to the max....she treated me to a show of her quilts piled up about 4 feet deep....Kaffe even named one print after her!!
I was welcomed into her beautiful home and got to play with her 2 dogs, meet her lovely mom, and rancher husband....he helps with their son's cattle ranch. I hope I can go back again.
One morning I went out onto the patio and my glasses got all fogged up...so much for the humid weather in TX...I left Michigan because of that humid weather, and if you have not experienced it, it really can hit you right in the face!!
But....the Painted Pony quilt shop is near Houston, and what a shop it is...check it out on line, and if ever you get to the Houston area, be sure to visit....wow....what a lot of fabric. There was a huge patriotic type area with eagles and such....then, a HUGE Kaffe section....so had to get some of that....and other fun things...oh, and not to forget the massive wall of batiks. Well, you get the idea. I had to help the TX economy a bit.
Ken worked on the pond while I was gone...still some technical problems with the pump....or something. He rocked in most of the stream, and it looks really neat....one of these days we will get it going perfectly.
Fall is here, and time to think about classes for teaching....any ideas??
Exciting news...I was asked to teach at Asilomar in June of 2012....a long way off, but it will get here before I know it...in the meantime, I have to get ready to go to the Leavenworth show in September, and then Innovations....hope you are all are keeping busy too.....more later...jude

Machine working, and water running!!

One of my thread play quilts....inspired by Mexican designs!

My Out of Hibernation quilt...started over 15 years ago....they didn't have many bright colors back then...I made 58 bear paw blocks, and this is all I used...I better get busy!

our stream in process....and our bridge over the river Koi!

Hi all.....well, after some phone calls and tweaking of the poor old Gammill, the old girl is up and running again. I got my last quilt, Out of Hibernation, finished in time for the Busy Bee Show.

In the end, I bought a new bobbin case, and some new tension springs for inside my old bobbin cases....all seems well, except for the needle position switch, which is still temperamental. My in-laws (mom and sis) come Wed for 5 days. So, the machine will get a bit of a rest for a few days.

We did our plumbing for the pond pump....it certainly looks impressive....I hope it works as good as it looks!! We are now filling the ponds as max as we need to, and then will hook up the final loop of pipe into the bog to make the circle for pumping. We still have the unveiling coming!

Well, gotta clean house for the company! Will post some pix of the pond and such next time....have a great day....judy

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