Retreat Report

It doesn't seem possible that three weeks have passed since I was packing up the car and heading to St. Louis for our annual Clara's Quilting Cottage Retreat.      It was so great to be able to spend some time with these lovely ladies, most of whom I met online over the last ten years or so. 


It's been difficult to break down the 300+ photos I took and decide which of them to share with you, but here goes!  We were asked to wear animal prints on Welcome Night as a special salute to Faye who loves all things leopard (and giraffe, and zebra, and snakeskin and............ Well, you get the idea!)  












Debbie really got into the spirit with her pedicure!

Rilla came to Retreat prepared to "deal with it!"

Julie came prepared for.......well.......I'm not sure what!

It was great to see my roommate, Faye, again.  We have been roomies since 2005 except for last year when she chose going to her daughter's wedding over quilting with us!   I know, Right?? She gave me these awesome gifts!  Don't you love the purse she made for me?

Show and Tell involved some great quilts and also some great stories.       Like Gayle's.......

.......and Eve's.

Some of the gals played "strip poker" with Julie again this year, and she won ALL the fabric strips, as usual.  They should know better by now.

In addition to all the fun and shenanigans, some did actually sew!

Faye made a great start on her "Swoon" quilt.  You can read more about it HERE.

Next time -- the Black and White and One Other Color Challenge and some of MY sewing!

Searching for Inspiration (Or WHERE has my mojo gone??)

This week it was brought to my attention by my #1 Fan (that would be you, Faye) that I have not blogged in three months.  Well, that is because I have not been in my sewing room in 3 months.  I have completely lost my mojo!  Or maybe I have just been busy with other things.........

Being near my grandchildren has had a serious effect on how much time I spend sewing.  But I am having a great time! 


In March Hubby and I took our grandsons to see The Harlem Globetrotters.  

We also went to Seattle to visit our son for a few days in March.  I was able to visit a few quilt shops while we were there.  This one was Esther's Fabrics on Bainbridge Island.  Of course I HAD to buy something so I got fabric to make pillowcases for Children's Hospital in St. Louis.  

In April I went to the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah and this is ALL I bought!  I didn't even break out the credit card.  

One day when the boys were here I taught Gavin how to bake bread.  He LOVES kneading dough!!      

We've been to Aidan's ball games........

.......and Noah's ball games.

We get to take the boys out to eat once in a while....

....and to the park.                           

I did a lot of volunteering in the boys' classrooms.  That was SO much fun!  And I got to see Gavin's Chorus performance....

....and Aidan's Kindergarten program.

Now that school is out we have been to the pool a few times, too.

I am worn out just writing about everything that has been keeping me from my sewing room!  

SO!  I am leaving in the morning for a quilting retreat with some very special friends.  I have projects cut out and ready to go.  I will have no excuses if I don't get any sewing done this week!  Hopefully, I will have something quilty to blog about when I get back.  (But, really, doesn't it look like I've been having fun!?!?!?)

A Special Request

When someone asks you to make a quilt because the last quilt you made for her is completely worn out, it is easy to say, "Yes!"  I love it when people actually use the quilts I make for them.   I had made a Double Pinwheel quilt for my sister, Dee Dee,  back in 2000.  It was one of the first quilts I made once I got back into quilting after putting it on old to home-school my sons for over 20 years.  

It may look pretty, but it wasn't well made.  I learned from my mother and grandmother back in the 60's so I used inexpensive fabrics leftover from garment sewing to piece the top, a bed sheet for the backing, and store bought bias tape for binding.  It's no wonder it started falling apart after only 11 years!  Not to mention I never told Dee Dee to wash in cold water with a small amount of mild soap and not to wash it too often.  I've learned a lot since I made this one!


I had some Pineapple Blossom blocks from a group block swap I was involved in last year.  I only had 24 blocks from the swap and I needed 121 to make a king size quilt.  (I know.  I should have made a baby quilt with these!)  

This is another one of those quilts made from stash and scraps that "didn't cost anything" to make.  (I still haven't convinced Hubby of this logic.)  


The money I saved on fabric (ahem...) I spent on having my friend Angela from Quilted Joy do the quilting for me.  She always does a gorgeous job.

400 inches of binding takes  awhile to sew on.

But, it looks pretty all stitched down.


I don't have a design wall (or design floor either!) large enough to get a good photo of a king size quilt, so I threw it on my guest room bed to take a picture.  

It turned out well and I hope it lasts Dee Dee a long time.  Really!  I hope you are listening, Dee Dee!!

Wordless Wednesday

Design Wall Monday

This is what is on my design wall today.  I started it at Jeanne's 50th Birthday Party Quilt Retreat in January of 2011 and only completed four blocks that week.  This is definitely a UFO I want to finish this year.  

The pattern is Root Beer Float by Hyacinth Quilt Designs.   Here are some of the fabrics in the running for putting it together.  We'll see how it all turns out.  Now that I look at them, though, I think I need to throw in some more blues and greens!

Love Seeing Baby Quilts Being Used

I was so happy to see this photo on FaceBook this morning!  

I told you about the quilt I made for Naomi in this post.  I am happy to report that Naomi's daughter, Katelyn Anne, has arrived.  She went home from the hospital covered in her quilt.  I am so glad I didn't wait until she was born before mailing it.  How special that she is using it her very first day out of the hospital.  Quilters love to see people using quilts instead of "saving" them!