It's BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh how I LOVE going to quilting retreats!!!!!    I love getting home and unpacking so I can see what to do next!!!   BUT it is also a bit of a let down. The fun is over and back to reality!!!!   Oh crud!!!!!!!

On the way home, Mary and I chatted and chatted and therefore the radio is NOT on. Once I dropped Mary off, I turned the volume up. WAIT A MINUTE - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO - Say it isn't so!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh yes - they are playing CHRISTMAS SONGS for hours on end!!!!   Isn't it a bit too early??????   Well - it is something to listen to. I desperately need a NANO or some Blue Tooth enabled device with PLAY LISTS on it. Hey M - are you listening??????   I want that for Christmas!!!!

I bet you are wondering what we did at the retreat? Well - I have pictures of what I accomplished. I will load what the others were working on later.

Here is all my stuff in the hallway. Then it slowly worked its way to the studio and got unpacked. Have a look at what I did..........

This is part of a HUGE quilt that I started working on a couple of years ago. It was designed as a Block of the Month - I am not sure that it ever came to light, but I was asked to test it. I did review the patterns and made a couple of the blocks, but not all. SO..............   There were THREE blocks made. I finally completed ALL nine. 

Final picture - still have those pieced sashings and stars in the border to do. Still lots of work, but I don't assemble quilts at the retreat so this becomes an "AT HOME" project. 

Got some trees made for the Winter Sampler - didn't have enough blue background to make the missing two trees, but they are cut and ready to sew tomorrow. And the fabric for the next set of blocks got selected when I got home. 

Made 24 of these blocks. The four patches were all made and a lot of the peaky and spike units were made, but I had to make about 40 of those units in order to complete these blocks. I now have 25 blocks (one was already made). The big question is what do I do with them now?????   That yellow is VERY BRIGHT!!!!   (well gold). Sashing or not? A weird setting or not??

I do have lots of extra fabric so have to come up with a cool setting for a large quilt or a couple of smaller ones. 

Made 60 of these blocks for a Storm at Sea. The units (see the units on the right hand side) were all made - I just had to sew them together to get this "four patch"

When I got home, I opened up the project box and found this BIG block. 

And partial units and other bits and pieces in the box

More fabric - now I have to look at the pattern and count what units I have and how many more need to be made. 

And here is a good reason to NOT leave tools with a project. I don't think this template is mine. I am NOT missing this one, but I think I might know who it belongs to. 

Another project moved ahead. I had to make TEN of the 9-patch blocks on the right and had to put the final border on 11 of the ones on the left. 

Oh shoot - missing FOUR pieces to finish off those last four blocks. Then with all the bits and pieces left - there is enough to make TWO lap size quilts (I think)

96 half square triangles - sewn, and trimmed - this is for the Halton Hills Mystery Quilt

120 of these hopscotch blocks - DONE. There is enough here for FOUR quilts and I have a laundry basket filled with fabric for the backings and borders and bindings. 

One more block done on this quilt - only 15 to go. 

And let's not forget my ender and leader project. I got quite a few of these little triangles sewn and TRIMMED. 

It was an AWESOME retreat. I got NO hand work done. I was possessed by the machine, although none of us went to bed that late and we didn't start at the crack of dawn. I also made TWO trips in town - once to Bracebridge and once to Huntsville. So it wasn't like I did nothing but sew!


Now the BIG question is - do I just pick one of those quilts and continue working on it to get it done?????   A lot of those were sitting on the 2013 shelf and have been hanging around for a LONG time. Or do I put them away and get back to the scrap quilts????   Or do I throw caution to the wind and work on BOTH??????   I vote for option three - work on everything!!!!!    I just like to have a design wall to work on my projects before I do the final assembly and the ones at the retreat house are being used by the others. No big deal - I have an awesome design wall at home so I don't mind to hold back and do it here. BUT I have about 15 quilts now that all the blocks are finished and they NEED to get done.

On that note - I am out of here - got another busy day and I had best settle down for some hand work!!!!


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


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!