Day Three at Retreat

This one is a great scrap buster, I love doing it in the fall colors which also sorta makes it antique looking. But it could be done in any color really. It's a pattern in a booklet from Calico Printworks, called Cornerstones. 

Next up was this Starstruck, it is a tutorial from me which you can find under the tutorial heading at the top of this page. Quilting will happen at home for all three of these projects. 

Then I moved on to piecing a new to me pattern. Three yard free pattern called Bravo from Material Girlfriends. However I obviously forgot how to count when I was cutting as I was short four white squares for the star corners and didn't bring the polka dot fabric with! Hate when I do that. So after I get home I will cut and sew the last star to make another row and then add the three borders.

I still had lots of time to chat with my fellow quilting friends in between the sewing. Wednesday was my team of 4 preparing the two meals, french toast with saugages for brunch was a lighter meal than Tuesday. And then for the evening meal we did a baked spaghetti dish with salad and breadsticks. Sorry I forgot to take pictures of any of it!  That evening the three at my sewing table spent a lot of time laughing so hard we couldn't even tell the others what we were laughing at! Do you ever do that?  And then if you try to retell it to people it isn't so funny and they don't get it!!

At any rate since I sewed the first runner with scraps I am linking with Oh Scrap! 

Retreat day 2

We take turns making meals here, Tuesday's team made blueberry french toast and sausage for breakfast! YUMMY.

I was so full I had a hard time getting some sewing done.  But I managed to get these two GE Designs table runners pieced. 

In the afternoon evening time I appliqued and bound my Gnome runners. I forgot the pink thread for their noses so that will happen at home. 

For supper that night they made us Chicken Cordon Bleu, here are the leftovers!

And a cherry pie filling jello.  The apple crisp didn't even get touched as we were all so stuffed!

Linking with our Friday parties, Finished or Not Friday, TGIFF, Beauties Pageant

Retreat day 1

A beautiful morning for a drive to quilt retreat. There was no nearby interstate or four lane for me to take. I had to go over the Mississippi river and was it ever foggy, I couldn't see the river even! Fifteen minutes past the river the sun cleared the way. I saw a pair of Eagles having their breakfast of squished racoon. My path took me past lots of farms including a few Amish ones. After two hours I arrived at retreat. This is the same place I went last year, it is perfect for the 12 of us. Six bedrooms with twin beds, four bathrooms and two large rooms that are connected for sewing in plus two kitchens. We take turns making meals, a team of four each day with two meals a day. Don't worry we didn't go hungry, there is always the snack table!

Lots of projects were brought along in various stages.  I finished the applique on these two buffalo plaid snowman runners plus binding them and sewing on their button eyes. The quilting and the stenciled snowman were all done at home prior to retreat.  

After that I moved on to the applique and binding of two of my Tilting Trees runners. I still need to bury my threads in these four as I forgot my self threading needle. It won't take me long to do that when I get home. Once again the quilting was done on my longarm prior to retreat.

Don't worry there was plenty of time for socializing and munching. The first day we were on our own for meals. But watch out for the second day! 

Accuquilt sales...Fall Flash Sale - Free ground shipping on all orders  ends today 9/26/24  No code needed.

Linking with NTT

Getting ready and a finish

Off and on all week I have been cutting and kitting up projects to take to retreat. I leave on Monday for five days. This retreat is the same one I went to last year in Wisconsin. Here is my stack of what I have ready so far. Several table runners in various stages and one donation quilt. I hope to cut another donation quilt and also throw in a jelly roll and background fabric in case I get through all the other items.

In between prepping for retreat I whipped up two of these table toppers using the maple leaf Accuquilt die. 

Proof that I really did make two, these are the two backings. They finished at 23" square.

Within 15 minutes of listing the first one it sold!  So I quilted up the second one and got it listed this morning.

Hope you all have a great weekend. I think mine will be busy! 

Linking with NTT, Finished or Not Friday, TGIFF

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Estate sale

Many of you encouraged me to go to the fabric estate sale last week...it's all your fault that these followed me home!!  This batch is for my business sewing.

And these are for some donation quilting I will be getting at soon I hope!

I arrived just a few minutes before the sale was to start, several ladies beat me!  The doors opened promptly at 3 pm.  This took place in the quilters home, I learned her name was Elaine and that she was a prolific quilter and entered her quilts in shows. Although I didn't know her I am sure she will be missed.  Oh the amount of fabric was astounding! Several shoppers were commenting they were overwhelmed with the amount, me...I was in my element, LOL.  The fabric was displayed in rooms according to the type. One room was floor to ceiling shelves lining it and tables full in the middle, this was flat folds.  One room was all kits and FQ's, one room of partially done quilts. One room was kits. As you can see by my photos I went for the flat folds. They were selling the fabric for $6 per pound. What you see is 10 pounds. It makes me sad they she didn't get to use all the wonderful fabrics. But as one lady said it feels like we are honoring Elaine by taking some of her stash and adding to ours in hopes of using it. 

Want to see my newest finish? Recently I sold a stitchery wall hanging so it prompted me to finish up another.  

The hand embroidered block was stitched late last fall and I never got around to finishing it.

Even though I made it as a wall hanging with a sleeve on the back I like it just sitting on a small table.

Linking with these Monday linky parties, want to join me over there?

Design Wall Monday, Sew and Tell Monday, Monday Musings

A Friday Finish

Another finish this week feels great. Sometimes it feels like I get a lot done and then others there are no finishes and it feels like I haven't accomplished anything. Two of these were pieced while camping this summer and put in the to be quilted pile. That way I can quilt and bind when they are needed.

I like that this square table topper can be set on point on your table or set straight.

This was a Primrose Cottage pattern that I changed up a teeny making my gingham squares a different size. I also made my flying geese into trees and omitted the stars in the four corners. 

All over hook swirl quilting makes this an easy finish.

Okay back to kitting up projects to take to retreat. Have a great Friday the 13th everyone!! 

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Linking with 

Finished or Not Friday

Peacock Party

TGIFF

Off the Wall Friday

Pumpkin Stack

I was lucky enough to pattern test for Karen at Laughyourselfintostitches for her new Pumpkin Stack pattern! It is so adorable. You saw me working on it in an earlier post, but here it is all finished.

Mine looks a bit different from the pattern because I added a border but also there was an 'oops' in the pattern and my pumpkin/crow stack is taller than the sunflower. So I fixed mine by adding a piece of the background fabric above the sunflower. The pattern has been updated with the correction on Karen's website.

 If you are not familiar with Karen's patterns you should take a look, she's got some really cute ones!  Thanks for letting me test it Karen!!

Linking with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, NTT and Put Your Foot Down

New table runner

After getting done with the three items that were on my to do list last week I looked through my pins on Pinterest and decided I needed to try making Connie's Nox table runner. I tweaked it a bit to make it longer. Choosing three batiks were harder than I thought it would be. I don't have a good selection of  purple, which needed to go with my main choice. And then a funky yellow green was a bit hard to find. But I think I pulled it off. 

This was a fun and quick one to make. I might try another in Christmas colors sometime.

Here is another Scrappy Jack that I needed, yes he looks a whole lot like the first ones. A few of the oranges might be different as they are just scraps. He is a Buttermilk Basin pattern.

The other project that made it to the finish line is one of my Welcome Sunflower wall hangings or door banner. You can find this pattern in my Etsy Pattern shop.

This week I want to finish the little wall hanging I showed you in my last post and then I really need to start cutting/kitting up projects to take to retreat in a couple weeks. I have had a really hard time deciding what I want to work on there this year. Last year I knew and had things ready by now.  I did finally make a list over the weekend. I really like to have everything cut but I might not have it all done this time.  Some of the items needed to be pieced and quilted before I go so I can bind and do the applique while there.  Wish me luck!!

Linking with Sew and Tell Monday, Monday Musings

Leftovers

These two runners are for my Etsy customer. She saw one in my shop but wanted two of them for her end tables. So I made two new ones identical for her. She was happy with that and they are now on their way to her home. The pattern for this is called Leftovers and is from a book by Calico Printworks.

These use up a lot of scraps, but there are always more as you all know!  I just heard about a fabric estate sale 1/2 hr from me this week, should I go? Do I need more, no I do not, but it is hard to pass up a sale! I don't know the prices which I wish I did as that could be the deciding factor.

A new project was started this week...I'll tell you more about it after I get it quilted.

 

Linking with Oh Scrap! Monday Musings, Design Wall Monday and Sew and Tell Monday.

Fall sewing

 Whoa September where did you come from, you sure snuck up on me!!  Are you all ready for the new month? I am sorta I guess, mixed feelings for summer to end, but at the same time I look forward to decorating for fall! One more panel made up.

This is almost an exact duplicate of one I have done in the past which makes for a pretty fast make.

A little bit of a glamour shot;)

With a wall hanging that is not to big I like to attach a split sleeve so that one only has to put one nail in the wall.

Friday one of our grandsons came over and he and I made nine more potato chip blocks and then I sewed them up into a flimsy. I had stacks of 2.5"x4.5" bricks cut, he loves picking out which ones go into a block. I also taught him how to press, we make a good team!  After we were done he and grandpa enjoyed some time together.  After dinner we played some games and we took him home Saturday. 

This week I have two table runners to make for a customer, finish up another leaf runner and make another Scrappy Jack I hope!  What all do you have on your list for the week?

 

I am heading over to link up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell Monday and Design Wall Monday. 

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