What can I say? when I'm in love, I'm in love

I told you I'm in love with that Magic Binding technique.  A table runner from September's retreat finally finished.

Let me tell you about an awesome retreat

Annual retreat in North Webster, IN... a blast as usual, I just heart those ladies so much. There is just something so calming and reassuring about being around a group of ladies who not only share your interests, but help you to understand your place in the universe and the sisterhood of women. OK that sounded corny I know, but I sit at the age of 42 and see those younger than me struggling with the same things I struggled with I cant help but look to those older than me who fought and survived the same battles I'm currently facing.

I was very productive during the 5 days of sewing. I know my attitude of using things up really helped me to plow through the projects since I started with mostly UFOs and orphan blocks and worked to give them a home. We went shopping in Shipshewana as we always do, I thought I was being a good girl, buying only fat quarters from Lolly's famous boat. We got a great deal by buying 100 FQs, so that is all I bought, 100. It wasn't until we got back to the cottage did my buddy Darlene point out that 100 fat quarters are in fact the same as 25 yards of fabric! Yikes! Thanks Darlene...geesh!

Here are some pics of what I managed to accomplish.

Fall orphan blocks. This quilt is the result of 4 swaps and a BOM that never got completed with various flying geese thrown in there to make it somewhat square.
GPS Giant Postage Stamp swap blocks finally at home in a quilt top.

This was a BOM from years ago, Broken Stained Glass from planetpatchwork.com. I doubt very seriously if this were all the blocks in the BOM, but its together now.

A pieced back using the Turning Twenty pattern in homespuns. This will eventually back a quilt with wool batting, my first time using it. Its the winter quilt for our bed, i need to get a move on before it gets cold.

See my cute little Kilroy peeking out! :-0)

A RxR from Mailblocks from a couple of years ago. Fuzzy appliqued flowers still need to have some more leaves put into the barren places that just need a little more.

And my Sonnet charm pack quilt, also from several years ago, finally ready to be quited.

This year's challenge was Itty Bitty, it had to fit in a 10"x13" frame. So here it is, all finished. The buttons were DH's idea, I still just wasn't pleased with the way the centers came out and he was the button man.

Lastly, but certainly not least, the favors I gave. Hand made soaps in various yummy scents. Sandy at Earthlydelightsoap made up these darling little bags with two different soap scents. I highly recommend her soap, we've been using it for years and in addition to smelling just wonderful, it leaves your skin so soft and smooth. I cannot say enough about her customer service, i contacted her to explain what I needed and my budget and she made these special sized bags, she's the greatest! I am a very happy customer!

So now the North Webster September retreat is over, next to start planning for is May. And I also need to get all these tops quilted and finished!

Other retreat doings

This is an adorable little purse made from a pattern that Alison had...I actually made three of these, two were intended for my friend Jamie's mom and sister, but Jamie's daughters confiscated them as they were pulled from the bag :-) Forgive the long skinny pic, I didn't think you needed to see all the coats that have been hanging on the coat hooks since last spring! This is the top for my sister Amy. These are the fabrics picked by her when we vacationed in Tennessee a few months ago. I really played with the geese, this way and that, and the general consensus at the retreat was that it looked much more exciting and moving all jumbled up.

Home from retreat!

This is for anyone out there who has thought about going to a quilting retreat but has been too apprehensive to go.....GO!!!!!!! I know everyone thinks they're shy or that they wont fit in, but look at it this way, how can you go wrong with a room full of other women who share the same passions as yourself? I always have a wonderful time with old and new friends at retreat. There is so much experience to draw from, if you have a question or a technique that has been a problem in the past, chances are there will be someone there who is proficient and will take the time to show you one on one. Best of all is the friends you make. I have always been one of the guys, having very few female friends. But when I am at retreat surrounded by women, older and younger I feel....(searching for a not too overly sappy term)....belonging, kinship, centered.

Anyhoo....next time a retreat presents itself to you please just go for it! Take your open mind and you desire to learn and share and just jump in head first!

This is the cottage we stay at taken from the dock out on the lake a couple of May retreats ago. Gifties made for Liz who is the Retreat Mom who keeps us all in check with her whip and wit and the other for Alison, quilter, chef and friend extraordinaire.

Pumpkin blocks for a swap completed at retreat.

Christmasy Delectable Mountain blocks for an upcoming swap. (I LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! this pattern, have already made 36 half blocks, going to make more for sure!)



For the rest of you woolenators to drool over, purchased at Lolly's and Yoder's in Shipshewana.



More pics to come when my quilt hanger gets home from work :-)

I can't talk right now, I'm battling crabgrass

I think that's what I should put on my voicemail, away message for email, Blogger and Facebook.

Like many other people, we decided this year we needed to focus on us, family, home, house and friends. To begin with we completed our renovation of the living room that was years in the making. Last year we did nothing to the yard, no pool, no weeding, no planting, other than an obligatory mowing, that's all that happened. So now this year we're starting all over again and now all the weeds have 2 years of roots to battle, and have previously dropped their seeds, so when you think you have an area clear you come back a week later to baby weeds starting to grow again. Grrrrr!

I did have a chance to do some sewing. A few finishes here and there, but mostly I focused on swap blocks. May retreat in North Webster was a blast as usual. New faces and new friends and many of my buddies from previous retreats. I had a really nice relaxing time. I didn't get a whole lot done, but that was fine with me, I really needed to recuperate more than anything else.

So this post is a bit of everything, consider it a catch up with a little of this and a little of that.

Our new window seat, the cushion is in the process of being made. I'm still looking for the perfect fabric. Gene says make it in muslin for the time being since the dogs like to sleep there, so that's what I'm doing, a denim covering for now. I think he did an awesome job on this seat and it has tons of storage underneath and little side tables for drinks.

This was the challenge for May retreat. An Undercover Crate using the free pattern from Laura Gunn http://lauragunn.typepad.com/paintinmyhair/ She shows hers with just two fabrics, but I pieced the sides of mine to stay within the challenge rules. We were each given an old pattern book and we needed to use an idea from that book to make anything excepts a quilt, wall hanging, table topper, etc. So the spools pattern was from the book and Laura's excellent and easy to follow pattern made the rest.

Crazy cool bag that Susan showed me how/made for me. Its hard to tell the dimensions from the pic, but its 24"x9"x18" with wood dowel handles. Its awesome! I think I might make a couple more, why not have one for fabrics and supplies?



Jamie finally quilted the top she started in December. Even her daughters Jessie and Julie got into the action. We still need to bind it, but I am very proud of her. She managed to zigzag around the edges and her family is using it until then :-)

Now I promise to be a good girl and try to keep up with my blog a little better. I have managed to finish a few things, I'll need to get some pics and get them posted. Its nice to be back! :-)