Even More Retreat Pics

As promised, here is inside the cabin, 5 sets of bunk beds.

We take the mattress off the top bunk and put it on the bottom bunk. Those 4" foam mattresses just don't cut it for any of us. We are all spoiled and like a little cush for our tush. And we need somewhere to put all of our stuff.

The dining room where the yummy meals are served. Everything is served family style. Ron, the director, is trying to get round tables for the dining room and then will ship these tables up for the sewing room.

This is my day 1 completed project. It is September's BOM for the Carol Doak Yahoo Group. I have always wanted a pink and brown quilt. Now that there are more and more choices in these colors, I have a pretty good collection and will use it for this project. October's block is already printed and will go with me to the next retreat unless I find some time to work on it before.

Now I am going to go finish cleaning up my cinnamon roll mess. I tried a new recipe today for the sweet dough. Oh my gosh, it melts in your mouth. It's from the recipe book that came with my "big red mixer". That would be the red Kitchenaide Artisan Mixer. I think I am going to read that little book again and see what else is in there.

More Retreat

Here we are in all our glory, the September Cast of Characters. In front is Chris, in the middle row is Crystal, Cheri, Marion and Jo Ann, and the back row is Judy (me), Sonya, Michelle and Sharlene. Crystal is pretty smart and knew how to use the timer on her camera--I think she might have been the only one that knew how. She's way smarter than me about alot of things!

This is a picture of our cabins. I thought I had uploaded an inside picture but I didn't--I will cuz you have to see the beds. I've been coming here for 7 years and I still love the cabins, the trees and most of all the quiet. Crystal and I went for a walk one day and I asked her to pose in this old tree.

She did! What a goof. I keep thinking that some of these old maples are going to fall over but so far, they are holding on. I can't wait for the next 2 retreats--hopefully it will be dry and we can walk down hill and kick the leaves. That is always so much fun.

We found this view when we walked farther up past the cabins. Just 26 days until the next retreat, and then come home for 3 and go back for another. After that, I think I need to stay home for a while. That is until another retreat is planned. Hmmmmm, will I have to wait until May?

Retreat News

Someone has a sense of humor. This is the sign on the outside of the big horse barn. There is a room off the back side of the barn where we sew, laugh, eat, laugh, sew.... Sometimes there are several horses in the barn but this past weekend, there was very little activity. There was only one class held so the horses were outside.

I got to the camp nice and early on Thursday so my dear, dear friend Sonya could go to the sale at a quilt shop that is closing it's doors. We expected people to start arriving around 9 am but no one showed up until after one. People started to arrive and the chatting and sewing began.

Before everyone got there, I had a nice long stretch of time to sew. It's amazing how fast time goes by when you get to do what you want to do without being interrupted.

I spent my time working on my pink and brown BOM from the Carol Doak Yahoo Group. It took me most of the day but I like how it turned out. After that, I worked on more paper peicing. Then on Friday, I worked on a flannel quilt I had all kitted up and when those blocks were done, I finished putting together my black and white circle/star quilt top from the November retreat.

There was a lot of dah, tah, tah, dahs going on. Show and tell was fabulous. I am always amazaed at the different styles of quilts and quilters.

It was great spending time with Crystal--thanks Mike for being an awesome person/husband/dad--doing something that we both love doing.

I have lots more I want to say about the retreat but the laundry is calling .

Happy Anniversary To Us

Has it really been 35 years? Are you sure? For real? When did we get that old? I don't feel that old, not today anyhow. Aren't the roses beautiful. One for each year and one for the next. He's pretty sweet isn't he.

I wanted to go to the beach but it was a nice day and we had things to do here so we stayed home most of the day. Hubby worked on tearing down the old barn and I worked on quilting this top. Then we went to Costco (I needed to have a car seat there---rude people beware!) and out to dinner with Crystal and Mike and Elliot in their new vehicle--is it a car, van, Mommy Missle--what do you call it.

The barn is almost gone (I forgot to take pictures!) and the quilt top is now a quilted quilt with the binding sewn on and needing the final stitching. It turned out pretty darn cute, I think. I love the paisley border and used Not Quite Paisley pantograph by Jodi Beamish. I told you I love her pantos and of all the designs I have, I use hers 95% of the time. If you click on the links, they take you to my favorite shopping center. I love buying from Columbia River Quilting. Great service, speedy shipping and pretty good prices.

This is the Four On the Road Quilt that I started last November at our retreat--it isn't that old of a UFO--and now I can take it this year as a completed quilt. YeeHaw! I have a second quilt loaded and one row has been quilted. It was also in the project bag and will be a donation quilt. I used scrappy 9 patches set on point with quarter square triangles. The back is scrappy 10" squares and I am using up all my mismatched bobbins. I used my odd colored bobbins when I pieced the top so it is truely scrappy.

The final picture is hilarious. One boy, an old bike helmet, a brand new toy. The helmet is more fun than the tape measure. I should have sent it home with him.

Catching Up

I made a promise to myself to post a little more often and every time I think about it, I find something else to do. The past couple weeks have been tough for me. I'm on the up hill side now and I'm seeing daylight and getting some stuff done.

I participated in an online block swap after several years of not playing. We make blocks that represent Washington state. My block for this year made me crazy. I have had this block in my brain for several years (I'll post a picture after the blocks have been sent out.) and I finally drafted it out and made my sample. It's a nine patch but each part is pieced......know what I mean. I couldn't get my blocks to measure 9 1/2" no matter what I did. I pressed, I steamed, I starched and steamed, I swore and pressed some more. They wouldn't budge.

I ended up taking every block apart and starting over. My 1/4" seam was off just a tinsie tiny bit and it threw every thing haywire! There was lots of naughty words and noises coming from my sewing room. After calming myself over and over and talking nice to myself, I finally got my blocks made the right size and sent off. Before the deadline too!!! And I love how they turned out.

I stopped at my favorite quilt shop today to buy some batiks for another swap with the same group and found the perfect border fabric for my Four on the Road quilt. I hope to get those on in the morning and then get it loaded and quilted. I want to have binding on by tomorrow night so I can sit and stitch it down while I watch TV. And have something to show at the retreat I'm going to next weekend.

Today our friend was here at the house doing some Home Improvement Projects. I got my hall lights done--one fixed and a new one added and new kitchen light installed. Tomorrow the new fan goes up in the living room and some electrical work will happen in the bathroom.

Remember hubby isn't a fan of the HIPs. But last Saturday he finally got a sink put in my laundry room/back porch. I only had to wait 20 years but now it's done. Pretty soon I won't have anything left to nag about. Maybe I should start a nag list.......

It's My Turn

Aflter spending my recent sewing time on obligations, I am taking time to sew for me. I finished quilting the purple split nine patch and I'm waiting for the binding fabric to dry. I kind of had an accident (not that kind!) and spilled on the fabric so I had to wash it. Needless to say, I am a bit embarressed about being clumsy but the dogs didn't laugh at me.

I got the quilt done about 10 this morning and then started doing things on my to do list--gotta have the list or things don't get done. I've been that way my whole life and I don't thing I'm going to change anytime soon. If something has to be done today, it needs to be on my list. The only thing left to do is to fold clothes and they can wait until we watch our movie tonight.

I watched Oprah yesterday and they repeated the bedbug show and I had the creepy crawlies so all the beds were stripped, matresses vaccuumed, bedding washed and all beds are remade. Then I vaccuumed up all the DJ hair and the threads from the sewing room. Now I am going to take my turn.

The middle photo is my project bag. I have a UFO box that is almost full. I decided that I need to pull a few projects from the box and put them someplace handy so I will work on them. I am going to start the oldest project which was started last November at our quilt retreat. It's the Four on the Road from quilters cache. It just needs borders but I ran out of stash background fabric that I wanted to make the inner border out of. I decided to use a different/similar fabric and get r done. It's aged long enough.

I'm having a hard time not picking the quilt sampler project but I'm saving that for the next retreat. I want to get these almost finished tops done. Then I am going to finish the black and white one. Better get to it.

Pomeroy House Quilt Photos

My Simple Life

Now that the Labor Day weekend is over and Ernie and Mike had a successful road trip from Arizona, it's time to get back to "normal". The moving truck is unpacked and Crystal, Mike and Elliot are settling in to their new home. I am ready to get back to my simple life.

This photo was taken at the Pomeroy Living History Farm last month. The Pomeroy Living History Farm is a non-profit educational museum depicting 1920's agrarian life in Southwest Washington state. The farm is open to the public the first full weekend of each month, June through September. Over twenty-five staff and volunteers dress in period costume and utilize living history as an interpretive technique to provide many hands on experiences for guests.

The pile of fence posts made me think of my childhood. Dad had a pile just like this somewhere on the farm. If my memory is wrong (which it is sometimes), then he should have.

Every year they have a Quilt Festival the first full weekend of August. Sonya, Gloria and I attended on Sunday. There were old quilts and new quilts. This years theme was Redwork. Well, needless to say, I had to jump on the band wagon and I have a Christmas wall hanging I am now working on. I love this place. I saw old friends and new friends and lots of eye candy. I even have an entry form for next year when the theme will be butterflies. What to do, what to do. (I tried editing this post to upload photos of an old quilt and a grouping of new redwork but blogger doesn't like my dial up.)

Today I will stay at home and work on a customer quilt. Its a purple split nine patch with a flannel back. I am using my newest pantograph on it with purple variegated thread. It's my first time using Maxilock thread on the long arm and it is working great. Not once have I shredded or broken thread. Oh but I'm only a quarter of the way and that was last night. It's time to see if the thread remains nice to me today.