What we did at the retreat.......................

From time to time I open my studio to just FUN sewing days. Everyone is on their own as I am sewing myself. We just had THREE AMAZING and FUN FUN FUN days. So many laughs - wow - I've had my fill of belly laughs for the next couple of weeks. NO - that's not true- I love a good laugh EVERY DAY.

So what did we work on????   I can only show you what we worked on and some of them were so fast that I did not get a picture. Next time, I will have to leave the camera out and tell them that they MUST take a picture BEFORE it gets packed away.


Sit back and enjoy.......................

After the first day, I had a peek around the room and thought this was pretty funny. Here are the "guest" sewers work stations - nice and neat and surface area pretty clean

More nice relatively clean surfaces

And then there is MY sewing spot. Yes there is a sewing machine in the middle of that mess. Well I had to put my stuff around me since I had to share the space!!!!!!    That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Normally I DO NOT sew with this much stuff around. Too messy. It looks much better now that the mess is thinly spread over the ENTIRE room. 

Linda was BUSY BUSY BUSY and brought a number of small projects to work on. Including BOOVILLE - a Block of the Month that she is making for her grandson. I WANT to make this as well. Yes - it seems that darn near everything Linda makes - I want to make. DARN her!!!!!

Spools from Spool Quilt by Edyta Sitar (Laundry Basket Quilts). Oh yeah - I would make that one as well - heck I would make ANYTHING from Laundry Basket - her stuff is GORGEOUS. This is also Linda's

AND Linda also did all the applique (fusible) for this. Another project by Laundry Basket Quilts. Just stunning!!!!!!
OK Linda - that is ENOUGH - my list of quilt TO DOs is HUGE and a lot of that has to do with YOU!!!!!!

Karen assembled this scrappy quilt. She also made an alphabet quilt and several other things (she is a focused worker although she talks a lot - I wonder how she does it!!!!). I just didn't get a chance to get pictures!!!!!

Katheleen started this quilt and got the entire top done. She had the same expectations as myself. "I can do this in ONE day" - well that one day turned out to be THREE days. I love the pattern and if memory serves me correctly - the baby that this is for was born while she was sewing it. How cool is that. 

Judy was sitting in the back corner and apparently she was whipping borders on quilts faster than I could get the camera out. I think she bordered TWO quilts. And she made this chair cushion. BUT .................................

The highlight of Judy's retreat was to do a quilt on the long arm. At this point she was getting the hang of it and was quite pleased with the results. 

AWESOME job Judy. I hear she is cleaning out the garage to get her own!!!!!!    No - her husband won't get rid of his plane that is sitting there!!!!

Sharron had to make the backing for her quilt and then she quilted it on the long arm as well. GREAT JOB.
Hmmmm - did you notice that they are both wearing red??????   I wonder why?

 Anyway Joyce also quilted a quilt on the long arm, but she had it folded up so quickly we didn't get a chance to see it. But it was nicely done as well and I think she was very happy with the results.

Elaine was working on several projects and I really really wanted a picture of her pineapple quilt, but it got folded up and put away before I realized as well. Then she got busy making a LOT of half square triangles.

Flo was also here and working on her Border Creek mystery.

Speaking of Border Creek Mystery - LOOK -

I finished all the 192 four patch this morning. They are DONE DONE DONE!!!!!!  

And so Clue five for the Quaintly Queen is COMPLETE

 Then I was on a roll this morning, so I dug out Clue Six...............................

Clue Six DONE DONE DONE for the lap size. I think it will take a bit more time for the queen - especially those borders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I spent TWO of the three days working on that mystery, but I did other stuff as well.................

I got this quilt top together. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colours. This is Four Patch Posy - a class that I will be teaching at Hobby Horse.  All the blocks are made from that border fabric, but that purple and green make this quilt sing. I just LOVE it. 

Got the backing and the BINDING done. I emphasize BINDING because......................

I had enough blocks left over to make a second quilt which I am putting on point.  That green sure makes a difference in the final look. Anyway - when I was deciding what to do for the setting triangles, I realized that I did NOT have enough of the purple left. And why not??????    Because I used it for the binding in the other quilt. DRAT  - if I had not cut the binding, I could have used it for setting triangles and found something else for binding. Well - too late. 

Went shopping yesterday and found this pretty close match. A bit busy, but the colour is perfect. I will check one more store and then I am going to cut it up. Life is too short to make the project stop for this small of a detail. The old me would have stalled while I tried to find this fabric (on the right). It is from Jinny Beyer White Nights Collection from 2009. I doubt I will find it - I already searched on www.quiltshops.com and NOPE - there was barely anything out there. It is GONE. 

 While I won't share what happened at Quilt Retreat - this quote makes me think of one of the conversations and I think it is PERFECT......................



JUST DO WHAT YOU'D DO IF YOU DID HAVE THE CONFIDENCE. This came from Experience Life (the magazine from my NEW gym). So true - take a LEAP of faith. And a quick note to all those who take a class from me, a workshop, advice or whatever - if I am willing to take a LEAP of FAITH with you - you BETTER be willing and RECEPTIVE to taking that LEAP of FAITH with me - otherwise - don't ask.




OK - I have other stuff to do this morning - that is it for now.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!