Since I came home from my trip, I've been to a 3 day quilting retreat, and what a treat it was!  My guild sponsors this event every October and this is the second time I've gone.  We have capacity for 24 quilters and this year 3 of those slots were taken by guests.  Only one lives close enough to consider joining the guild but I wish all 3 did because each one would be a great addition to the group.

I haven't laughed so hard in I don't know how long!  Everyone would be industriously sewing away and suddenly, one corner of the room would burst into giggles.  After they settled down, more quiet sewing time and then another corner would erupt in laughter.. It was like this all three days! And into the night as well! One woman was working with 2.5" strips, sewing them together end to end.  She laid them out the length of the room in order to figure out where to cut them.  Someone in my corner asked her what she was making and she replied, a baby quilt.  I burst out laughing and said, must be a pretty thin baby!  She cracked back that she could add WIDE borders!  I laughed so hard during the day that I had a hard time falling asleep, thinking over all the funny things that were said and done.

I even got some things done at retreat.  I quilted this harvest table runner which is for my Etsy store, Jolly Ruby.

I also quilted this Halloween table runner. The Friendship Star blocks were part of the 60+ blocks I won in Block Lotto last fall. The others went into quilts that I took to Bulgaria but I saved these 3 for myself. I couldn't find the same fabric for the border but I did find this black with autumn leaves, etc fabric which I think works pretty well. Anyway, it's for me and I like it this way!

I also made 5 Christmas table runners but haven't finished them up yet. Out of scraps, I made this little pretty pad which is finished and is listed at Jolly Ruby.

I'm on the guild charity projects committee and we decided to make a queen sized quilt and donate it to a local music group to raffle off as a fundraiser for themselves.  We've planned out the design of the quilt and will be going to a "fabric warehouse" in the Cities on Tuesday to shop for fabric.  I've never been there but the others say there are bolts of fabric floor to ceiling! I hope I don't get a heart attack looking at it all!

Tomorrow, I have to spend outside finishing up the last of the gardening. I have a little weeding that needs to be finished before the snow flies and I have a lot of pruning of old growth off the day lilies, hostas, irises, etc. If I get it all done tomorrow, I can spend hours in my quilting room, guilt free. Yea!