I Have a Plan

 I'm catching up on the housework and the washing and I am finished up with the donation quilts for this year so now it's time to focus on some of my quilt projects. I have two quilt exhibitions early next year for two of my quilting groups. Therefore I need to get some finishes so I can participate. The first exhibition is for my Applique Group and will be held on 15th and 16th of March. I have decided to finish two quilts which are mainly appliqued for this exhibition. My first choice is A Tribute to Mrs Williams. I have made lots of the parts of this quilt but haven't started to put it together yet.
 I have half appliqued the centre block and two of the large triangles, as well as finishing the appliqued hexagon flower blocks- 4 of them. I've made 3 of the Ohio Star blocks and I need 16. The 8 hand appliqued petal blocks are finished and I have made 16 of the Square in a Square blocks, of which I need 32. I am working on the China Plate blocks now. I had pieced 4 of them, of which 3 were reverse appliqued to their background. I didn't like the accuracy for the fine points so I have started hand appliqueing a fussy-cut flower circle over the middle of the circle.

 I started yesterday afternoon and have pieced 8 of the China Plate blocks and appliqued 7 of them to their background. Four since yesterday so I'm going well so far.  I also needed 128 half square triangles which finish to 2.5" in size and I have made 88 of them last night. I plan to get the rest of them finished tonight as well as more of the China Plate blocks.

I've included a photo of the pattern so you can see what I am talking about. I have a plan to finish 3 quilts for the two exhibitions, 2 for mid March and another 1 for April. I need to focus on just these quilts as they are still in the early stages so I will pack away my other projects and focus on a finish. Time will tell if I have bitten off more than I can chew!
 Wish me luck. I'll keep you updated on my progress.
Hugs, Jan Mac

I Rode a Camel!

Look No Hands!

 We spent some time in the desert over near the Pakistan border and rode camels across the sand dunes to view the sun setting. Once you get in the rhythm it's a rather pleasant experience but I asked the camel boss to just let us walk as I didn't want to be madly struggling to hang on while I bumped and bounced across the desert. There is only a thin strap to hold on to and we were lucky to have stirrups as many didn't have them.

 We rode for about 45 minutes and then rested on the soft, white sand while we waited for the sun to descend.

It was a fun experience and another one to mark off my Bucket List. I'm still cleaning up and getting ready for Christmas but I am also getting my sewing projects ready for some intensive sewing.
It seems like a long time since we left India but it's only been 5 days. It's surprising how quickly things get back to normal at home again. I hope you are all more prepared for Christmas than I am at the moment.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Wildlife of India

We saw lots of different animals while traveling through India. I rode a camel across the desert which had been on my "Bucket List".
 

 

 We saw lots of cows, which are sacred in India, as well as sheep, goats and lots of dogs. We only saw a couple of cats but also lots of bird life. Water buffaloes, horses, donkeys and camels are all used to pull drays. There were some elephants but a lot more camels as we were in a semi-arid desert area.

 These cranes are from Siberia and they migrate to avoid the harsh winters in Siberia.

 We saw lots of small squirrels darting everywhere and people were feeding fish at a local lake.

 Horses are part of the wedding ceremonies and we were lucky enough to be there during "wedding season". Grooms ride through the town on horses and the festivities last for about 3 days.

 Monkeys roamed the country roads and then jumped on the cars if you stopped for photos. I'm not sure what type they are but they had very long tails.

 The dogs have a very relaxing life and are looked after by everyone.

Here is a flock of camels. Yes I know it sounds strange but that is one of the correct collective nouns for camels. They are also known as a herd or a caravan.
 I'm still catching up on sleep and the washing as well as getting myself organized for Christmas so no sewing yet but I hope to get back to it soon.
In the meantime I hope you are enjoying the photos of our trip.
Hugs, Jan Mac

The Faces of India

 We flew home yesterday after a wonderful trip to India. The time went by much too quickly and I have so much to share with you all. I bought a new camera on the day we left and I just love it. It's a Nikon 3200D and the photo quality is great and now I just want another lens or two to allow me to take more close-ups of people and animals.
 These are some of the lovely faces I captured on film as we wandered around the towns and villages.

 

 The wonderful colours of the clothing worn in Rajastan are in contrast to the drab colours of the landscape which is mainly desert in this area of India (over near the border with Pakistan). The people were very friendly but also very curious and loved to talk "cricket" which is like a religion for them. I'm back to working nights again tonight but will share more photos very soon. We had a fabulous time but it's always good to be home again. Now I need to get organized for Christmas.
 Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Jaisalmer

We have spent the last few days in the desert region of India, over near the border with Pakistan. I have taken 3,500 to 4,000 photos in two weeks so I have lots to sort through when i get home. The internet is still oatchy so I have only loaded two for you today. At the moment we are in Udaipur and fly to Delhi for an overnight stop and then leave for home tomorrow, arriving back in Melbourne on Sunday morning.
We have had a great trip and have seen and done many new things so I'll have more to update on my blog when I arrive home.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Highlights of India

Every day has exposed us to the many colours, sights and smells of India.Here are some of the beautiful historical buildings and street scenes. We have also stayed at some beautiful heritage hotels and even a palace at Bikaner. Sadly the tour is nearly over but I have lots more photos to share when the internet co-operates. I hope to show more tomorrow.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Trip Update

We are having a woinderful time and seeing lots of colourful sights in our trip  The internet is too patchy to upload photos so I will have to do them when we get home. We are loving the food and are both very well. Thanks for stopping by and sorry I can't update more often.
Hugs, Jan Mac