Retreat time!

 Oh how a retreat was needed for the soul.

We spent three days at the Capuchin Retreat Center quilting the hours away.  Of course we had to follow all the Covid restrictions....filling out a health form, taking our temperatures day of arrival and departure, wearing masks throughout the building and just practicing good hygiene. Even with all that, we had such a good time and got lots done.

We were divided up into two groups (there were 18 of us).  We were designated odd and even numbers according to our room numbers and had to follow  those numbers to the two sewing rooms and taking turns in the cafeteria to practice good social distancing.  

Well, the group I was in were the odd numbered ones (Odd balls as we called ourselves later)

I tried hard to take pictures whenever a new quilt was displayed, so I hope I didn't miss anyone's beautiful works of art; but when you are oohing and ahhing, it's hard to remember to bring the camera out.  

So, here's a quick peek at some of what everyone was working on. 

There were a total of 100 of these blocks, 5".

Placemats

Pumpkin for a great grandbaby

A sister's (3) collaboration for a  family Christmas drawing.  

A brand new quilter!  Not sure I would have attempted this one as a first timer, but it came out beautifully. 

Husband's shirts.  There were many more rows of this one, but I missed that photo.

Thimbleberries quilt.  

Then the two that I got completed were the Halloween cats that I appliqued while sitting with my mom while she was in hospice back in December 2015.  I made it my goal to get this one done on the first day.

My cats were in a bag so long that I forgot that had sashing, border and binding fabric already purchased.  So, this one should get on the long arm super quick.

Then while hunting for projects to work on for retreat, I came across a bag of black and white fabric strips, so decided to use them up and make a charity quilt.  I had some left over turquoise fabric from another charity quilt and used up every bit of these fabrics.  I now have an empty space in my closet...yeah!!!

I did get binding machine stitched on a couple of charity quilts.  One was taken by a member of the guild to work on and I will finish the other one very soon. 

Well, all-in-all, it was a very happy and satisfying three days.  It's left me wanting to continue with my sewing which I plan on doing.  Getting together with friends was the brightest highlight of those days  especially after all the dark days we have been going through.  

Here's to better days.  Stay healthy and do what you love.  

I'm back!!!

I am back from my retreat that was held in St. Louis, MO at the Mercy Center; and I had such a good time and was pretty productive while there, too.  

Here is a picture of most of the ladies that were in attendance.

 

My goal this year was to get another UFO done and that was my fermenting 9-patches that I have had since the early 2000s.  They were from a swap with a bunch of gals and the theme for them  was Robyn Pandolph.  I found at least 10 yards of four different gold fabrics in my stash (meant for this project originally)  that I cut up to be the alternating blocks and now this quilt is a top.  I have to order a backing (hoping to find a 108" wide back in Robyn's fabrics, also).

Then there was the baby quilt that I cut out prior to attending the retreat.  I got it all done.  I have the backing here at home, so it will probably be the first one on the long arm so that I can say it is done.  I even made the binding at retreat.

 

Did make a little shopping trip to Jackman's ( a great shop for all kinds of sewing things and it is huge!!!) and Janie Lou ( this is a mostly modern fabric shop...I love it!)  where I bought this adorable pink giraffe minky.  I threw it together as a little baby throw and will be gifting it this weekend at a baby shower.  (so that makes three projects done)

 

Also, picked up some fabric (and a book for the pattern) to make another baby quilt.  They didn't have all the fabrics in stock, but I did find them on-line and will be ordering them tonight so I can throw it together soon.  I am missing the panel and the piglets. 

Then there was this lovely gray and white stripe (diagonal) that I just couldn't resist for a binding.  I have yardage of a gray with tiny white dots that I plan on using someday for a background and I thought this would make a great binding for that quilt.

I, also, took a bag of prepared Hearts and Hands paper piece blocks, but they take a long time to complete; but I did get three done.....from sewing them, pulling the paper off and appliqueing the center circles....like I said, very time consuming,  So I am three closer to being finished.  I think there are now 37 more to go. 

While at Jackman's, I picked up the roll of batt that I had pre-ordered from them a month ago, so I was driving home with a 30-yard roll of batting in the backseat.  They did a pretty good job of vacuum packing this thing.  I am afraid that once I break into that shrink wrap, it is going to explode like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man.  We will see.  

I am going to try and post my pictures of everyone's show and tell AND the projects that they were working on at retreat.  Hopefully this works.  We have a lot of very talented ladies in this group.  So, please take a look at what all was accomplished and I hope you enjoy the show.  I know I did.

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/qltnbe/sets/72157654194379278

Planning and prepping for retreat

What to take on retreat?

Oh, if I could only just live in pjs the whole time then I wouldn't have to worry about what to pack for clothing. It's hard enough to plan what to work on.

There is the never ending Hearts and Hands.  

I have about 50 or more of these prepped and ready to paper piece.

I pulled out a bunch of 9-patches that were from an exchange years ago and my goal is to find fabric for the alternating blocks and get a quilt top done in these.  

I have 133 of them.  So do you think I have enough?!!!

The rules of the game at the time were to make the 9-patches at 6" finished using Robin Pandolph fabrics.  

I think what has been holding me back on this one (other than the fact that I have way too many UFOs) is that I wanted to make a custom designed quilt.  

I even made a center, basket block.

This block was going to be the center to something "similar" to this quilt in a McCall's Quilting magazine that I have had rolled up in a bag with all the blocks.  The pattern is called Baskets Galore.  I didn't plan on making all those baskets since I had so many 9-patches, but something like this.  

I think I am changing my mind now...so many years later.  I just want to use up what I have.  

I even have a dozen blocks where some of the sewers did not follow the rules.

I think these gals just wanted to use up their fabric.  I think these will end up in a charity quilt or an NICU quilt.  Hmmmm....maybe I can do that really quick.  There are a dozen of these.  

So, anyways, I am now thinking of just adding a variety of floral alternating blocks.  I will make it a queen-sized quilt and need to figure out how many blocks I will need and then how much fabric I will have to purchase.  

Then there is the commissioned quilt I have taken on.  "I" don't need any "new" projects, but a co-worker asked for a baby quilt and I said as long as I had freedom to pick the pattern and the fabric, then I would go for it.  So.......

...I purchased this pattern on-line; and today picked up these fabrics for it.  

The first fabric is the binding, the letters are the focus fabric for the front AND the backing, the array of colors is for the little borders around the focus fabric, then there is the bone colored fabric to outline each block and the background is the soft green.  I am going to get this cut out and ready to go for retreat.  

I think that is plenty to be working on for a four-day retreat.  What do you think?  I can already see my Hearts and Hands being set to the side since making one of them takes so long and then  I feel like I have accomplished nothing.  Maybe I will have to make a pact with myself and set aside so much time each day to work on them or maybe one whole day dedicated to just them.  

In the meantime here at home, I have picked up the thimbles quilt again and have stitched on two borders. 

These were straight borders and easy peasy. (Just a reminder, I am doing this quilt by hand) 

The next two borders I am thinking I will have to applique the thimbles onto the borders because there is that zigzag effect.  

I still have to work out just how I am going to do this.  But two borders away from being done has motivated me to get it completed.  

Ok, so I think I am almost ready for retreat.  Now...I just need to cut out the baby quilt and figure out how much fabric I will need for the 9-patches alternating blocks and I will be ready to go.  

Better get packing,  Oh yeah......it's still 3 1/2 weeks away.  That's ok....I need to be prepared.  

Happy quilting!

My retreat projects....

I had a goal for this retreat to finish a baby quilt top that I had started in June at another retreat.

So, I did finish the  houndstooth, baby blue and white quilt top.

close up...

I love the look of this quilt, but there are lots and lots of bias edges and I am not too happy with the way it was turning out.  I did eventually start starching the heck out of this, but it just  isn't as "squared" as I would like it, so I am going to try and re-starch and see what I can do....especially since I have fabric to make a baby pink and white AND a charcoal and white.  I don't want to get discouraged.

My second project was to work on a Fig Tree quilt called Sunwashed.  I am making this one in the Vintage Modern fabric.  I had all the pieces cut out before retreat.

I made one block....

and found it to look disturbingly like a TV test pattern...LOL, so I threw some more pieces up on the design wall to give you a better look.

I am liking this look a little better...

So, I have ALL the blocks made, but need to lay out all the blocks with the sashings on the floor here at home so that I can get the colors spread out evenly.  

I have now done that......

 and will look over my pictures of the lay out, maybe make some switcharoos and then start pinning rows.  Once I do that, I can start stitching. 

All in all, it was a very successful quilt retreat.  It was certainly one that I really needed.  

I hope you get lots of sewing  or crafting or whatever you want to do accomplished in the next few days.  I am hoping to get my Sunwashed quilt top all together by the end of this weekend.  I know I have the quilting bug now and hope I can keep up the momentum.  

Happy quilting!