Working on Wednesday - Packing for Retreat

Today I didn't have much on my social calendar so I am packing for this weekend's Stash Busting Autumn Quiltaway.  This is my fifteenth year helping with the retreat by either being on the committee or being the chairman.  I have so many memories of these retreats.  I think of quilting as a life-long learning project and I am a sponge absorbing all the information and tips my brain can hold.
At a retreat you learn so much by just being around other quilters, hearing their stories, watching how they work and participating in the problem solving.  To me it is so much fun to help each other problem solve on color choices or a difficult technique.  I have resigned as chairman and think new blood with fresh ideas will be a good change.

For this retreat we are trying to use up stash.  I pulling out coordinating fabrics for the Machine Caddy.  This will be a mat that lays under my sewing machine and has a group of pockets hanging down across the front.  All your gadgets  go in the pockets for easy organization.  When packing to go home, flip the pockets up onto the mat.  Fold the top of the mat down over the pockets and roll up the mat to one side and tie.  This neat little bundle is easy to transport all your gadgets to and from sewing retreats.

My friend, Cathy K., and I bought this fabric a few years ago to make the Machine Caddies but never got around to it.

Mostly I am taking WIPs with me.  If you read my Design Wall Monday post, you know that I have four projects on it.  I will be taking three of the four.  I will also be throwing in the Log Cabin quilt for my friend, Kelly.

It is easiest to work on this quilt if you have a large space to layout the blocks and then chain piece them together.  This quilt has mostly been worked on at retreats, because my studio doesn't have enough space to lay it out.

 

I hope today you are whipping through a project!  Today I am linking up with Freshly Pieced.

 

Yours in quilting,

Terry