retreat #3

Kim working on her "Eureka" Quilt while Mary Frances stitches on her little featherweight. You can see what a neat space we were working in. There is room enough for 10 of us to be sewing. Nicd brick walls and hardwood flooring. They had 4 kitchen table set up and then a grouping of 3 molded tables in between. The dining room is upstairs in the same building and is also a neat spot with antiques, tin type ceilings.

Here is Vangie working on a chenille baby quilt. You can see a bit more of the room set up in

this shot. The cutting island is huge and is directly behind her with a pressing station to the left--there were two areas set up till the big board got sold to one of the girls who could only come for lunch. (Patti was hand piecing a double wedding ring while she visited.)

I apparently did not get a picture of Betsy's "Nantucket Sailboats" or her at the machine but you will when the quilt is finished. She was very close to done with it so we may pin it tomorrow.

I got the abandoned block top done with some minor changes in positioning. Hurray! I had arrived at the retreat about 10 on Friday and most of the girls had a jump start on Thursday night. I found a couple fats at the quilt shop and worked till about 1:30 in the morning stitching up the flying geese section but didn't actually join the rest of the sections I had joined waiting for the geese filler till Sunday. I'm not crazy about that floral filler I used but it is what it is---top done.

Here is what I did Saturday and Sunday. I only stayed up till about 11:30 Saturday night and left for home a little after 4 on Sunday. The blocks are a BOM from Joanne's that Nancy sent a few months back that have been waiting in the basket for me. They are a block of the month project from Joann Fabrics and the pieces are all pre-cut. I didn't get to the last block. Nancy already had the first three months done but I will not make near as large a quilt as the BOM showed. Stay tuned, LOL. I had called DJ about 2 to tell him that I was going to stitch one more block and then leave in about a hour or so. He asked "why"--I was having fun and was not ready to quit just yet. Later I thought I should have said that I quilt for the same reasons he chases a little white ball all around a cow pasture because I love it.

I may show you my quilt shop purchases later. I had birthday money to spend and that is exactly what I did. Nessa and Mamie gave us a 10% discount in the shop and I was pretty conservative there. A few fat quarters, something for borders for my fall round robin medallion and so forth. BUT the fun began later.....all around that big cutting table is shelving and we were told we could have anything we wanted for 2.50 a yard but we had to cut it ourselves. Hey, no problem!! There was some good stuff to be hand and who doesn't need a reasonably priced quilt back? Debora is getting a tally from the other 4 quilters but the 5 of us left sewing on Sunday were up to 230 some yards. I own up to 35.5 yards purchased over the weekend and I didn't begin to be the leader, trust me.

Nessa took good care of us in the food department. Delicious entrees including (steak on Saturday night) and desserts plus she shared her recipe for peanut butter cake and a sugar free peanut butter pie with us. Might not have been a cake with a candle in it but who cares about that? As if that were not enough, they invited us to their house after church for leftovers. We knew it was good stuff so you didn't have to ask us twice--more money for another bit of yardage. (Norma, it was something I think I can use for the stacked 4 patch posie)We could sew a bit longer since the original plans were for us to pack up by 12 and head to a town 30 mins away for lunch. Because one of the girls lived in the opposite direction, she could eat with us after all.

No way was I going to get on the scale today or all week for that matter. The Belles are having a potluck lunch for me tomorrow to celebrate my birthday. The spoonfuls to taste everything add up.

Today I was back down to earth---walked, grocery shopping and trying to clear up a few things on my desk and so forth. I found my "lost" rail fence sections when I was on a search for something one of the Belles needed so that's good. Still need to pack up my stuff for the meeting tomorrow so best close......