Quilters Retreat-More Photos

I have a few more photos to share with you of our Happy Quilters Retreat. Barbara Murray's beautiful 30s applique/pieced quilt was, I think, my favorite! She has been working on this for several years, and I commend you, Barbara, for sticking with it and completing it. It truly is lovely! Here it is laid out on a sheet. Everyone came to a consensus and agreed that a few of the larger patches were too bright, so Barbara replaced them with a lighter fabric. Well done, Barbara!

 

This is Kay, below, with one of her small quilts. Kay finished this little guy while on retreat, including the binding. Very soft and sweet, Kay!

 

That's Janet, below, with her pieced "Shells" top. It has beautiful shells and starfish on it. Perfect for taking to Virginia Beach on quilters retreat, I might add. Nicely done, Janet!

 

The 2 photos below are of Deanna's little Featherweight and her pink and green quilt. I'm so sorry I neglected to get a photo of her pieced blocks. It's going to be gorgeous Deanna! You've inspired me to start collecting pink and green fabrics for my own pink/green quilt. 

 

And last but not least, my friend Pam in her night-light headgear. A lot of people asked where she got her fancy light--it's from Wal-Mart, you'll find it in the section with all the hunting merchandise. This is Friday night and Pam is putting the binding on her pumpkin-themed Thimbleberries quilt. 

 

We had a nice big room that is a community room adjoining a beautiful subdivision pool. It has two wonderful walls of glass, perfect light for a group of quilters. And on the ride home, I had two different encounters with deer on the road. Not that I hit them, but they crossed the road in front of me. They are such beautiful animals! Good friends, good food, a little fresh air, and lots of sewing...what's not to love!

 

Till next time, keep stitchin!

Mary

Make a List Monday

So in the spirit of true confessions, I'm going to borrow this theme from another blogging friend, Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. (You can visit her blog at http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/ ).  I really like the idea of being organized, and I TRY to be organized, but it certainly can be a challenge, can't it! I once read that every morning you should write down the top 3 things you want to accomplish that day, and if you accomplish those 3 things, you're doing great! I sometimes do this, but my problem is I'm not really consist with it. So, in the effort to get myself more organized, I'll share my list with you on Mondays. And obviously, it won't only consist of quilting and sewing things! And I'm only going to list 1 item for each day. So, here is my 1st Make a List Monday!

List for the week of September 30th:

1.  Download photos from Happy Quilters retreat and blog at least twice with them. (that's Pam and her gorgeous flower garden quilt....she's binding it! Oh happy day!)

2.  Decide on setting fabric and put together "Double Hourglass Quilt" from Kathleen Tracy's book "Civil War Sewing Circle." (no photo)

3.  Trace applique pattern and begin applique templates/pieces for "Pinwheels in My Garden" from Fat Quarter Quilting by Lori Smith (probably the book our group will be working from in 2014).

4.  Find a recipe for blackberry cobbler AND apple strudel and make them both. Add them to my "Christmas Cookbook Journal" if they are keepers. Photo them for the book? Blog about them on my Rudy Day News blog?

5.  Complete a lesson for my new Bernina 820QE. Specifically, learn how to get my machine to accept my 37 foot (for you non-Bernina folks out there, that's the quarter inch foot. A MUST have!)

6.  Choose another small quilt to hand quilt, layer it, and begin quilting it.

7.  Write up 3 commendations for the hospital staff at Johnston Willis Hospital (Midlothian, Virginia). One tireless nurse in Neuroscience ICU literally helped to save his life! Two other nurses went above and beyond to keep him comfortable in the days following his surgery. By the way, 2 of them were female, 1 was a male nurse. I cannot tell you how special these people are in my book!

We'll see how I do with checking things off my list, keeping in mind that I work full time! I'm also the personality type that can research something to death and NEVER actually get around to doing it! So hopefully that won't happen--especially with my recipe ideas. I had the blackberry cobbler at Cracker Barrel this summer and it was delicious, and I've been thinking about making it ever since then! That's almost 3 months of dreaming, and no doing! Am I the only one that does that?

Till next time, keep stitchin!
Mary

Happy Quilters Retreat

Twice a year I get to go on a fun weekend retreat with the Chesterfield Happy Quilters. And this was the weekend! It's such fun to spend time with friends who share a common interest with you.

The show and tell was truly wonderful, here are a few quilts from the weekend:

 

Judy's Double Wedding Ring bed topper.

 

That's Kay's quilt above, I forget the name of it. I believe those are 1.5 inch squares!

That's Deanna's Tumbler quilt, above. Deanna's "Vintage Valentine" was one of my favorites. I took a close up of her signature block for you to see also.

 

 

Won't it be wonderful once it's quilted! I have lots more photos and will post them over the next few days. As for me, I worked on advancing 3 particular projects and don't really have anything to show yet. I did have a terrific conversation with Paula, who I discovered owns the same machine I do. (Bernina 820QE) I still have so much to learn about it, but I did pick up a few simple pointers from her. That was worth the price of admission! ;-)

 

Till next time, keep stitchin!

Mary