Quilting Retreat or Marathon?

I have returned from our quilt retreat but the name "retreat" is a bit deceiving. You might picture our quilt retreat as a laid back, slow paced event where we sleep in late and get to bed early, but no not us......



I guess the prospect of 5 uninterrupted days of quilt time turns us all into quilt maniacs. We get up kind of early, some earlier than others, then head over to our studio in the woods and start right in on whichever project is in progress at the time. We break for lunch and get right back at it. Then some may take a power nap or a walk, and then right back to quilting until dinner. Then it's back to quilting until the wee hours (for some) and then we start all over the next day. But boy do things get accomplished. Sandra was frantically finishing the had quilting and binding on her star quilt to get it entered into our local guild's quilt show coming up in February and she got it done and it's gorgeous! Fran made this sweet Valentines wall quilt and then made some matching placemats too. She was also making paper pieced cranes for a large quilt called the "Peace quilt" it is going to be quite a project but beautiful. Fran loves a challenge.

I finished up my feedsack mini quilt that is going to be auctioned during our quilt show for breast cancer research and it may be a small quilt (10" x 13") but it has a painfully long name thanks to too much chocolate and not enough sleep I think. It's the "phenomenal frilly feedsack four-patch frolicking through the fern-filled ephemeral forest. " What can I say other than I did have help with the name. I also finished the new pillows for the family room, they were fun to make.

I also designed a new applique quilt and got it all cut and basted .


My friend Cathi has been wanting to dive into making a quilt in the style of Melody Johnson, made with all beautiful clear saturated solids and so she finally dove into her treasure trove of solid fabrics she's been collecting and just started making all sorts of wonderful elements that she then stitched into this stunning quilt at right.
I think Melody would be proud to have inspired her.
Check out Melody's blog at www.fibermania.blogspot.com






My friend Karen was doing a 9-patch marathon for a new quilt she just started.
It's a pattern from Minick & Simpson called the Chippewa 9-patch.
It's all done in beautiful blues, rich reds and soft neutrals
Needless to say from the stacks of 9-patches you see, she was getting tired of 9-patches by the end of camp.
It's going to be so beautiful when finished.



Barb and Jessie both purchased kits of a fabulous Kaffe Fasset quilt "Jubilee" while they were in Houston and they both finished piecing them, and both ended up with stunning quilts. It will be fun to see how they each quilt them. They both did a great job and with all those diamonds - oh my - how they also must love a challenge! Fran is posing behind an adorable quilted top that Bonnie made for her second granddaughter.

So goes another quilt retreat and naturally we can't wait for the next one! Quilting and laughing among friends is a treasure to be cherished and repeated.