Time for a Retreat Review

What a fun time I had last week-end!  I had been looking forward to the quilt retreat again ever since I heard about it a month or so ago.  I made preparations (too many!) --- quilt projects, clothes, food and snacks; cleaned my machine and had everything (too much!) packed and sitting by the front door when my daughter-in-law arrived Thursday about 1:30.  She had to work until noon in order to also be off on Friday, but that's okay.  The other attendees had arrived at the retreat at 9 AM, and were already unloaded and set up, and sewing.  That made it easier for us to get unloaded and set up.  We had a 75 minute drive from my home, but we were sewing by 3:30 PM.  Just so you know, the temp was 104+ degrees every day, but the building was cool enough and had ceiling fans in every room also.  In fact, most of the time I had to wear my little denim jacket.

Eight of us had been there last year, and seven of us were there two years ago also.  The relationships were close.  Me and my DIL; a set of twins and their older sister; two ladies in their early 60's who had been college roommates many years ago and hadn't seen each other in several years; the owner and her younger sister, and one lady, recently widowed, who was a good friend of the owner.  The two new ones (one of the college roommates---a new quilter,  and the friend of the owner) had both lost their husbands in the past year.   Both twins had new health problems since last year.  One had a stroke a few months ago, and the other had serious back surgery 3 or 4 weeks ago; both were lucky to get to come, but got along very well for the most part.  Then there was the old crippled lady---me!

One roommate came from Gatesville in South Texas; the other roommate came from Slaton, near Lubbock in West Texas, both quite a distance away.  The twins came from the north, a 3-hour drive near the Red River; their older sister came from the west, an hour's drive away, and my DIL and I were an hour's drive away from the east.  The others were in the general area of the retreat.

You can see pictures of the beautiful home of the retreat here .   I'm not receiving any benefit for recommending this place, but if you are looking for a beautiful place, with clean rooms, plenty of space to sew, and a wonderful hostess (who is also a quilter and a good cook), this is the place to be!  We all enjoyed every minute there, and indeed we have enjoyed all three years we have been there.  The Flying Needle Quilt Shop is in Stephenville, just a few minutes away, and they have everything a quilter would need and all kinds of beautiful fabrics.

After DIL and I got settled and started sewing, I noticed the "widowed roommate", who had never pieced or quilted before, had gotten quiet, and I mentioned it to her with a giggle.  She stood up, put on her serious face, and announced that she is a "functioning Introvert", and explained that she had become a homebody after the death of her husband.  Of course, we all accepted that, and she went back to sewing and stayed with it until she got her star wall hanging completed.  At that point, she jumped up from her machine, waved her star in the air, and did her happy dance and song!  I just could not resist:  at that point I stood and announced to the others, "Ladies, let me introduce you all to our "functioning Introvert"!  We all laughed, and from then on we openly called her our Introvert, which she definitely was not. We had so much fun laughing together until some of us almost created a new Trail of Tears, if you can imagine what I mean.  *giggle*.   She definitely was our Class Clown!  The one from last year didn't get to come this year; if she had been there too, we would have never had a serious moment all week-end.  What fun we had!

In spite of all our fun and laughs, we all did get a lot of sewing done.  I think everyone made progress on their projects.  Of course, we did gain a little experience on ripping too from time to time, but not too much.  We also played a game, and the other new widow lady won the pile of 30 fat quarters!
Incidentally, my DIL had won the FQ's last year, and she showed the wall hanging she had made with them.  (She gave it to her mother, but she almost has finished quilting the one she gave me last Christmas; her job really cuts into her quilting time.)  Everyone loved it!

She named it "The Presence of Presents".

This year she started another difficult pattern from an old magazine I gave her, with some curved seams (new to her), and colors graduating to another color, on the diagonal.  Everyone said they would not be braves enough to try it but she jut said, "I love a challenge!"  We all agreed she has one, but she is fearless.  She didn't have time to get it all figured out and cut before we left home.  She did an awful lot of studying the fabric changes until 3 AM two nights, and got only three 12" blocks finished, but now she knows where she's headed with it, and it will be beautiful, with a lot of different fabrics.  I told her if I had known she had planned something with the curved seams, I would have loaned her my Curvemaster foot.  We forgot that when she brought me home.  Oh well, she's figured it out now.

Moe colors to blend, across and down.

I had all my 5 " blocks cut, lined out, and numbered, and also the sashings for two sides before we left home.  I didn't want to have to concentrate all the time, so I just did a simple layout for fun, using 30's reproduction fabrics.  I got it all together, but when I got home, I decided to add a checkered border all around it; I've been working on those 4-patches today, and will add them soon.  Double click on my picture so maybe you can read the 12 blocks with words.   I ordered them from here .  Saw them at a quilt show and just had to have them!  Each one is so true!

" Quilter's Quotes", all so true!

I also took my Blue Stars to hand stitch the binding down on the back, but never got to it, and still haven't.  Maybe tomorrow night.  I did get it all quilted before leaving home, thanks for the encouragement from all of you.  I'll show it again when its finished.   I also took my little 5" scrappy crazy block project and got a few blocks made.   (Sorry one flag block is turned wrong in the layout.)   I'm using some thin cheap white fabric for a base (what's the word I'm looking for there?! --- Foundation; that's the word!)  These are just a fun and easy way to pass time and use scraps.  Don't know when I'll call it quits; I have LOTS of patriotic scraps, as you would know!

Little 5" patriotic Crazy Quilt blocks

 I also took but never got around to working on these 16 paper pieced blocks I had gotten at that flea market a while back.  The paper is till on the four center blocks, and whoever made them was an excellent seamstress.  The back of the blocks is as neat as the front.  One row, 4 blocks, was together. I had cut all the rest of the sashings and little 3" cornerstones and 2" blocks for the star points in the sashings, but decided instead to make the little patriotic blocks above.  This crazy bunch of ladies were having so much fun, it was hard for me to stay focused, and I knew I'd have to concentrate to get those sashings just right, different colors on each end of some of them!  I still can't believe I got (almost stole) those blocks, and enough matching fabric for the backing; all Thimbleberries fabric at the flea market .  I've just got to get this one done!

Picture taken at my home before Retreat; blocks on a white sheet.

We got back to my home last Sunday about 1:30 PM, both worn out, but happy to have had such a good week-end with other quilters, who after three Retreats together, have become good friends.  I'd love to show pictures of the group, but I promised not to.  Most of us were sewing in our pj's from about 7 PM to whenever--midnight or 3 AM!  Then again from 6 AM to 10 AM (some of them; all of us weren't up that early! ).  (Guess who!)  *giggle*

I took a nap Sunday afternoon, and again Monday afternoon.  Most everything is back in place.  I've just got to get myself busy around here so I can sew without guilt!  Had to go to doctor Wednesday  morning for my annual physical.  Several things to follow up there in the days to come, but none serious that I can't live with!  No telling how the blood work will come out after eating all that chocolate for three days and nights!

If you're still reading this, I know it's too long, but I wanted to get it out all together for my record.  We've set the date for July, 2019,  already, and looking forward to it!  Anyone want to join us for a fun time?

---"Love"