What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

I sewed the rows at retreat, but after joining several rows, I realized I had turned a block wrong. That is when I stopped for the weekend on this project. I came home and took the row apart and resewed it.  I still have 3 rows to add to the top. Once one block is wrong, the rest of the row is based on the wrong one and the whole row has to be redone. The fabric is really wild and beautiful, and, this is not like anything I have ever done. I was a missourri star kit. They buy ...

At retreat this weekend, I sewed the last 4 blocks I need for sea swept. I ordered studio 180 template for the sashing. I think it will save me the headache of math "to fit" what I have already made. I have the squared squared template. I ordered diamond rects. hooray.  I still have many cut pieces - I may make it larger.

There is always something scrappy going on at the sewing machine. This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern from her book addicted to scraps called Carolina Chain. I had the blocks done in April.  I use them as a ...

I attended a sleep in your own bed retreat this weekend and there was a free table. I haven't had a chance to count what came home. ( I was really really tired). Unfortunately, the table was on the way to the restroom, and, right next to the food. I remember, I found purple, and florals which I was looking to add to my stash. My table buddy was a good girl for her stash, but, kept bringing me fabric she thought I needed. haha

I can always use neutrals

and blues

Stash report June 13, 2021

Fabric Used this ...

We had a sleep in your own bed retreat yesterday and will have one today. My main project to work on was my ode to Joey quilt. I worked on piecing the rows and joining the rows. I plan on using it as a visual aid for Church class on Sunday. I made the words according to the color of the month for rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy. It is a rectangle the wrong way, so, I need to figure out what I want to do for the top and bottom.

someone was taking pictures

I have 3 quilts ...

 I have to say that I was a bit distracted yesterday. Thanks to everyone who scrambled to do some research, and we have TWO retreats booked. I had planned on four retreats for this coming year, and I need to book at least one more later in the year, but with all the prep that I had to do yesterday, I could only manage to deal with two of them. A lot of e-mails went back and forth. 

I'm happy to report that I'm EXCITED about the new places and well, I can't wait to get there ...

Our guild had another open sew Saturday. I took what I had done on bonnie Hunter quilt zuckerwatte from her book string fling, and, decided to see how far I could get. With just 20 minutes to spare, I had the center top finished. It was a great boost. I had started at the beginning of January with only string blocks made. I cut a gazillion  HSTS - ( half square triangles ) ... sewn a bunch together, and made  rows. and blocks. 

Now that we have a new month, it is time to refocus on another set of goals. My one monthly goal ...

 I went to a two day "sleep in your own bed" retreat this weekend. It has been awhile that I have had a chance to just keep after a chosen project. I had this snoopy quilt that just needed a few blocks and assembly. I think this will be a great quilt for a new Grandson coming in May. I need to find a back and give it a good press. 

snoopy wiggle time

I needed a back for a rainbow quilt, and I found this great polka dot. Polka dots are just so fun.

Stash report  January 24, 2021

Fabric Used this week:  9 yards - pink flannel baby quilt

Fabric Used year to Date: 31 yards

I didn't ...

I haven't retreated from blogging~ although it probably seems that way. I don't know how I get so busy with things that time slips away, but I do. The weekend before last I was lucky enough to spend some of that ever-elusive time retreating with a few friends, we commandeered the craft room at a local camp, set up our sewing machines and got to work. The first flimsy finish is this three block

I haven't retreated from blogging~ although it probably seems that way. I don't know how I get so busy with things that time slips away, but I do. The weekend before last I was lucky enough to spend some of that ever-elusive time retreating with a few friends, we commandeered the craft room at a local camp, set up our sewing machines and got to work. The first flimsy finish is this three block

Coming home from a quilt retreat is a challenge to unpack and get back to normal. I crammed a lot of projects into my weekend, and my bags. I wanted to pull them out, one by one, and, make sure everything is taken care to put where they belong.

The first project I worked on, was the big easy Christmas. This was my one monthly goal for November. I had it quilted before I left. I used the big tables at the retreat to trim it, and, then, I attached the binding by machine to the back side of the ...

One of our guild members is a site manager for Indiana Wesleyan University at Kokomo. She hosts a "stay in your own bed" retreat a couple times a year to benefit IWU scholarship fund. We have a  huge room, our own table, a huge cutting table, ironing boards, snacks, and fun companionship. We can even leave our machines overnight. We couldn't have more than 25 in our retreat due to covid, but, with the uptick in cases, we only had 14.

Shelley made a memorial tie quilt for a relative

many quilts were basted with the large tables available ...

Two more presentations under my belt for this week, and that leaves two for today. I'll stop talking about the internet connection since everything seems to be good! Yeah! 

I listened to a webinar last night from a library (Wheaton Public Library)somewhere in the US. How cool is that? Normally, I wouldn't have been able to attend this author event, but because of the wonderful world of COVID, I could. Boy - when things go back to normal, whatever that is, we are going to miss a whole lot of these kinds of events. The author was Mary ...

So far, so good!  I headed out Thursday, along with some of the other Essential staff wives, for a retreat/conference in Dallas, Georgia; Cultivate 2020.

It was a LOT of fun!  I love road trips in and of themselves, but this retreat was really intended to pamper and encourage the participants and a great job was done of it!

I mean, wow!  Our lunch Friday was served in high—tea time—style! Each of us got our own tiered tray, that then went home with us. We went home with a ton of swag, including the gorgeous (and yummy ...

I don't know why it takes me so long to try on something new or use something new that I've purchased. Those new running shoes have sat on the kitchen table for two weeks now. I finally got myself together and tried them yesterday. They fit perfectly! I LOVE them. They are Sketcher's, and I bought them at Mark's. 

The old and the new

Back to normal - what exactly does that mean these days? We're now able to go to the movies, eat indoors at restaurants, meet in small groups, and a whole lot more. But wearing masks and social distancing is probably with us for a long, long time.

I'm OK with that. I think, as a society, we're a whole lot healthier because of it. I haven't heard many sneezes or hacking coughs. People are either too afraid to do either in public, or they are just healthier!! Which goes to show that if you're sick, you ...

Good day everyone. Hope you’re doing well.

The Autumn 2020 issue of Quilter’s World magazine is out in print. I love working for Quilter’s World; they approve my idea and then let me run with it. That’s truly the best way to work!

My piece is entitled, The Abiding Appeal of the Quilt Retreat and begins on page 66 of this issue. As with all my writing, I’m so very fortunate to engage with some wonderful people. For this article, thanks go to the following ladies: Angela McPherson, Vivian Sergeew, Donna Bonn and Alvina Saliken ...

I'm back!! At home, that is!  Even though it was nice to get away, I have to say that I was thrilled to get home. We've been in the same routine for months, and well - I like routine!

I did snap a couple of pictures of what people were working on, and I'll try to find those. I needed a wee cat nap before I left. I just do NOT function on little sleep, and well - I was a bit agitated with what had happened the night before, and when I'm agitated, I don't sleep ...