I can't believe the last 3 days of my life! An amazing journey in quilting, unlike anything I've experienced before. Three days on retreat with about 20 members of my guild--Ah, life is good.
We stayed at a northwoods resort on Lake Holcombe an hour's drive east of where I live. We were all in one room with our machines whirring away, irons steaming, Ipod playing great tunes, and a "special" table spilling over with delicious snacks. A quilter's heaven! We all worked on projects that we had brought from home as well as a charity project. We each sewed a dress for "Little Dresses for Africa"
http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/ and we'll send them to Nancy's Notions
http://www.nancysnotions.com/ to be shipped to the organization. I hope the girl who receives my dress enjoys wearing it as much as I enjoyed making it.
We played a few games, had drawings for door prizes--I won a book of seasonal quilts and a little table to keep near my sewing machine for pressing little blocks or to hold quilting supplies as I sew--and talked/laughed/sewed/ate until the wee hours.
I finished the applique on Lily's D 4 Patch quilt.
I also did most of the flannel owl baby quilt for my friend's expected new granddaughter. (Thank you to whoever put this fabric in the Traveling Stash!) I created this quilt as I went along and decided I needed a bit of green flannel for a narrow inner border or flange before putting on the main border. When I packed up to leave on Sunday, I headed for the shop where I'd purchased the rest of the flannel to get the green. I also decided to make prairie points instead of flange.
Other than the tremendous amount of camaraderie, stitching, and sometimes reverse stitching that occurred, there were 2 highlights for me.
1) We took a trip to a new-to-me LQS about 20 miles away and they had some very cute things. I couldn't pass up this fat quarter bundle of Xmas prints (Can you believe 8 FQ for $12.50???) and I also bought this bag pattern which I'm wanting to make up RIGHT NOW! and 2) On Saturday, I took a 2 mile walk in the afternoon (which I normally don't do because of knee pain when I walk) and NO KNEE PAIN afterwards! Hurray!
All in all, it was a wonderful retreat for a first timer and I'll definitely return next year. As Lily would say, "Aww--Do I have to wait an entire year for the next one? Not fair!"
