PRODUCTIVITY SKY ROCKETED!!!!!!

What do you get when you put a bunch of quilters in a room, take away all their distractions (more or less) and  give them access to a sewing machine, cutting tools and an iron????   HUGE LEVELS OF UFO COMPLETION!!!!    That's what!!!  

Oh my goodness - the girls worked hard and got so much done. I tried to take pictures of everything, but it was hard as sometimes, the project got whipped into a bag and they were onto the next one before I knew it!!!!

Here goes with what I have..............................

Remember - some were here for one day, or two, or three and one person (besides me) was here for all four days!!!!!!!

Karen inherited a project from someone who did not want this any more. OK - are they crazy?????   The center part was done, but had to be trimmed. She managed to add the outside gold squares and retrim all the blocks. I  think she has another set of blocks to do with the outside triangles in burgundy. This was after she worked on another project - one of those that got whipped into the bag before I could get a picture. I didn't have the heart to make her get it out of the bag. 

Judy - hard at work quilting her quilt!!!!!

She got the entire thing quilted while she was here. She took ALL her flannel scraps, cut them into blocks and made a HUGE quilt. This is a scrap quilt at its' best. This will make a great memory quilt for Judy!!!  I think she just had to trim and bind it when she left!!!!

Sharon brought a couple of projects that were almost complete but had run into issues. With the loan of a zipper foot, she made quick work of this little bag which we all coveted for our own purposes. I think Sharon was going to use it for a knitting bag after someone wanted it for that purpose for themselves!!!!!   Should have frisked everyone before they left or searched their bags to see that nothing was pilfered!!!!

Another project done by Sharon. This had languished in the  UFO pile because of the inside border. She had a hard time finding something that was even remotely close to the fabric in the quilt. She isn't 100% happy with the fabric choice, but the quilt top is DONE!!!!!!

Sharon went home with another finished project. This time a Christmas present for her son's dog!!!!   Oh yes - we are all dog lovers here and we all wanted this quilt for our dogs!!!!!!   She did a lot of grid quilting on the top and a nice fleece on the back. She machine stitched the binding down on both sides.  I think the dog will be quite happy. My dogs were looking at me pleading - we want something like that for Christmas too!!!!!!

Don't think my girls have anything to worry about - they have LOTS of dog beds and blankets around. I use the practice pieces from the long arm, serge the edges and VOILA - a great dog bed!!!!    Don't they look bored!!!   And yet they got LOTS of attention. 

 Judy M called me yesterday morning - could she come over?  Sure - we had lots of room. She was going to bring knitting, but ended up sewing half square triangles. She marked them, I lent her a machine and all of a sudden, she got WAY more done than she had planned on doing!!!!!!

Anne was aiming for the Quilt in a Day award!!!   She started this project from SCRATCH. She sewed the top, quilted it and BOUND IT while she was here. And yesterday she was going to give it as a give to her niece!!!!!    Wow - nothing like pressure to get a project done!!!!

Lynn took her brights that we JUST exchanged and decided to make this quilt.  The pattern is called Fractions. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this. OK - so it is black with brights. Of course I am going to love it!!!

We had a mystery guest!!!!  Yes that is Marian behind the HEART MASK that I photo shopped in. Yes - the expression on her face was that BAD - I couldn't post it or she would have killed me!!!!   She did get some work done on her Primitive Garden quilt. And then left the pattern at my house. I don't think she even knows she did that yet!!!!!  Too bad it wasn't the quilt she left!!!!!

Good thing she arrived because when Sharron cut her finger, Marian and Lynn took over and doctered her up!!!!    Cause I sure wasn't going to do it!!!!   I think it must have been Sharron's pearls that did her in that day!!!!   Next time - NO pearls are allowed on the production floor!!!!!

Paula brought some show n tell when she came to do my hair. She had some split nine patch blocks as well that we were going to put on the wall and there was NO ROOM.  I love this dog quilt although there was so much commotion, I do not know who it is for.

After the girls would leave for the day, I would continue to work!  And one night, I needed to sew a seam and my machine was set up for applique. Hmmmmmm - I was tempted to just borrow another machine to do my stitching, but NO - I changed the foot and did it on my machine!!!!    Tempting though!!!!!!!

Ronda quilted this on the LONG ARM!!!!   She had taken my class a couple of months ago and with a bit of assistance from me she was able to get this done. She did a great job for a first time quilter!!!!!  She got the binding on as well, but not stitched down.   These were blocks from an exchange and when she was quilting, she noticed a hole in one of the fabrics. So off to Fabricland where she found a couple of appliques that she added to the quilt to cover the hole. For that reason - I hate exchanges!!!!   You just don't know what you are going to get back in fabric - well I don't mind exchanging with people I know cause I can yell at them if they use crappy fabric!!!!!!   Come on people - use the GOOD stuff for exchanges!!!!!

She also got TWO pillow cases done. 

She had to rip this quilt top apart (or parts of it). A project that she started a while ago when she was less knowledgeable about quilting. And then she put it back together after she did some trimming!!!!!

She is also working on an All About Me quilt for her husband (who does not read my blog!) . This is for his 40th birthday in January. I think she made great progress, but still lots of work to get it ready for me to quilt in early January!!!!

 Despite everything that happened to Sharron, she did manage to get this quilt cut out (and no blood on the quilt) and the blocks sewn together and then arranged into a pleasing setting. I love the colours in this - this is for HER husband (who also doesn't read my blog!!)    I think it is for Christmas but she wasn't sure she would get it quilted in time. 

Linda brought this for show n tell!!!   She still has to hand stitch down the binding, but I LOVE THIS quilt. 

Oh yes - let me just say something about Linda. Yes Linda is my friend, but I have a love/hate relationship with her.  I just LOVE everything she works on. Lots of scraps, lot of little pieces - I often joke with Linda and ask her what WE are going to work on next!!!!   I still have lots in the wings that Linda has done and I just haven't had time yet to get there.

Spider web quilt - paper pieced. This is for her sister - who doesn't read my blog!!!   Linda finished up the paper piecing, finished the assembly and got the borders on. She even made the binding that night before she left!!!!!

Here is Linda admiring her handiwork!!

This one just needed borders, but she got it done. Not sure if she made the binding for this one. I think it is for her daughter - hmmm - does she read the blog???   Oh well - I think Beth has seen it, so no worries!

Linda also trimmed and put the binding on this quilt. It was made from squares that she exchanged with a group she belongs to. All the fabric is cat related.  

And look at the quilting - how appropriate to have quilted mice being chased by the cats in the quilt!

Then Linda got SILLY. She broke down and decided to do the Orca Bay Mystery by Bonnie Hunter (because I am doing it), so Linda followed in my footsteps this time. If you have ever made a Bonnie Hunter quilt - you know there are LOTS of pieces and LOTS of LITTLE pieces. So this square looks OK right? Well.....................

Look how big it is - 3 1/3" UNFINISHED!!!!!   And we need 72 of them. And this was the easy week!!!!!

Linda came with her phone book (as per Bonnie Hunter) and used the cut up pages as the foundations to piece on. Nice nails Linda!!!! 

I don't seem to have any pictures of what Flo worked on. Sorry Flo - I know she wasn't feeling well and she was the farthest from me so I couldn't keep an eye on her!!!!


Last but not least is Katheleen. She was a  BUSY bee.

Katheleen made good use of the design wall..................

and the ironing board   (thank god it wasn't a pampered sit n sew day!!!!!   although I have done my share of ironing on this quilt!!!!)

And the "finished" quilt. It is STUNNING. Just love the colours. Katheleen's elderly mother lives with her and when Katheleen took this home and placed it on her mother's bed to show her - her mother WANTS this quilt. But the funny thing was - her mother lifted up the top and said "in her day - they used to put a backing on the quilts!!!!!!".   That was too priceless to pass up!!!  I guess when Katheleen said "finished", her mother thought that it was DONE!!!!!  

I missed pictures of this quilt! But Katheleen is working on  this project that she will give to her mother!!!!!   There is a lot of work here - lots of Y seams which she was struggling with, but got them all done and was working on the applique!!!!   By the time I realized she had packed it all away - it was packed away and too hard to get the pieces out to take pictures! DRAT!!!!!

Katheleen also worked on her double wedding ring quilt and a couple of other projects. She was also in the far corner from me and I didn't get over there often enough to get pictures!!!!

And me - well I got MORE work done yesterday as well. Have a look....................

Got the border on this wall hanging/table runner

Made the backing and the binding

Got all the pieces from The Quilt Patch mystery complete. Then opened up the last clue. NO more applique - it is time to assemble the quilt.

This is the top assembled. I already ordered the finishing kit - which puts this block on point and adds big corners to it. You will have to wait to see that!!!!!!    It is very cute!!!!!

And more half square triangles (enders and leaders done). I tend to make my inside border  2 1/2" wide. This is also the same width as the bindings I make. When I join the strips on the diagonal, I get those little triangle off cuts. I use them to make up half square triangles. My last border almost always is  6 1/2"  and when I join the strips on the diagonal - then I get BIG triangle off cuts. Then I match them up and sew them. That is what these are - the big ones. I am not sure what I am going to do with them, but I am thinking I might make quarter square triangles. That would be cool.

Wait there is MORE................................

Several years ago, one of my groups did an exchange. Then when we were doing show n tell at our  sleepover retreat, Linda brought out her project blocks. OH MY GOD - there were the blocks I made for her - NO FINISHING on the edges. I took the blocks back and this is one of them. I got the satin stitching DONE!!!!!

Close of up stitching

The second block for Linda DONE!!!!   And even better - Linda took them home with her last night. Off my list. 

 Then since M was at work and DH was in bed sick - I kept working..............................

Made this quilt YEARS ago. I had satin stitched one of the faces on the pumpkins, but needed to do the other two and the features on the ghost. It is  now DONE!!!!!!

And the backing and the binding

OK - I think I am done with applique for a bit!!!!   My eyes were getting a bit tired last night!


And then I dug out this quilt.............................

Quilt made from Thangles blocks

I made this quilt YEARS ago. I wanted to put a saw tooth border - well a double saw tooth border on. I think I had started to put it on - made a mistake, ripped it out, threw it in a box and left it. I NEED to get it done because when I finish mine, I have one more to assemble and I am NOT assembling that until I see how much fabric I have left because I am limited in what I have left and can't get any more.

So last night, I get busy sewing and CRAP - I think I made the SAME mistake as last time. CRAP CRAP CRAP. So then I went to EQ7 - to figure out how to put the borders on.................

Quilt border designed in EQ7

The problem is that I wanted the sawteeth going into the center, but the long sides are not symmetrical and it won't work!!!!!!   So I am doing this and I don't care any more - I just want the stupid thing done!!!!!!!!!!!



And then within one half hour of the girls leaving last night - I had all my stuff out of the room where I hid it and back in view!!!!!!    Judy M said I need to make a list of what has to be done. That is my way of making a list!!!!!!   I'll take a picture later. I have been on the computer long enough - I need to get something else done.


All I can say is thank you to all the ladies who participated in the retreat. It was LOADS of fun and there is NO WAY that I would have got done what I got done. Besides restricting myself to sewing for four days with "minimal" interruptions (next time - the dogs are going to Marian's!!!), the girls just kept focusing, so I did too. It was AWESOME. So awesome in fact that we have scheduled MORE dates. The next in-house sewing retreat is at the end of February!!!!!!!   But if you want LOTS of productivity - don't forget the Pampered sit n sew on December 11. Hey - I get to do all your pressing and seam ripping - that ought to speed things up a lot!!!!!


Have a great day!!!!!!


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