A week ago I attended our church quilt retreat. It was so good to be with my quilting sisters again. There was a lot of catching up going on as it was a long winter and we had not seen each other in sometime. Thanks to Corry for all her planning and communicating through email to get all the arrangements made. I will tell you there's not a bad cook in the bunch. We have done meals in two ways. The first method is everyone signs up to participate in preparing a meal and the group for each meal communicates, purchases and cooks the meal. The second method is the planning committee chooses the meals, sets a fee for each meal, along with buying the food, then a group of quilters cooks the pre-purchased food. Our retreats are free except for the participation in the meal costs incurred by either method.
We have also done the retreats with classes and without. This retreat was without classes. We are quilters with many UFO's. The great part about the retreat is we have many talented quilters and we help each other with difficulties. So here we go with the picture show.
First is Joy's quilt.
Below are Nyla's projects on her embroidery machine.
This is Elisha's fractured quilt.
This is Kay with her pink beauty.
Kay was also working on these bright quilt blocks putting her own spin on the pattern.
Sue-Sue was working on a scrappy quilt using her Christmas fabrics.
Barb joined us with her crochet project for her son.
She also spent a lot of time in the kitchen making yummy food.
Karen spent time using up her mom's stash making dresses for African girls.
Corry, our retreat planner, was very busy filling the walls with her super quilts. This is her never-ending UFO of an old Thimbleberries quilt. She hand-painted the pictures in the center of each block. She is working on piecing the rest of the blocks. Notice in the lower right hand corner the snack table. We will never starve at one of our retreats even if we get snowed in! Haha!
Corry started and finished this top at the retreat.
This was my little corner. I was working on piecing my 2014 Country Threads BOM. I didn't have much energy and didn't accomplish much. I have been fighting off an upper respiratory virus for three weeks. My energy level was low and I was chatting with everyone, playing catch-up.
This is Sally's quilt.
Below are Kathy's Quilter's Garden 2015 BOM.
My apologies to those quilters who I didn't get a picture of your project. I know I am missing several.
Did you notice that every wall is a design wall in the room? It is my favorite place to have a retreat . We start the weekend with an empty room and by Sunday the walls are full. After church, the congregation comes for a visit to admire all our hard work.
Today I am linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times, Nurdan at Hug-a-bit Quilts, and Beth at Main Crush Monday@Cooking Up Quilts.
Yours in quilting,
Terry
What a great facility! And wonderful projects, too.
ReplyDeleteOur friend, Corry, was on the building committee and planned the facility so it can be used by quilters, i.e. design walls, good lighting, lots of electrical plug ins, circuits for irons.
DeleteI love retreats, yours looks like a lot of fun. I was amused at Sue-Sue's project because I am using the same quilt pattern. The variety of quilts reflects how individual we are as quilters.
ReplyDeleteHelen
The variety of quilts is what I love about all retreats. Ten people can make the same quilt but each is so individual according to color and style. The price is right on this retreat free except for helping with the cost of a meal.
DeleteLooks like a productive retreat!
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Rene, its so fun to see the walls fill up with a display of projects.
DeleteAll of your quilters look very talented with the looks of what they are making. The retreat center sounds wonderful. What state is it in?
ReplyDeleteWe are in Illinois, right off Interstate 80.
DeleteWhat fun you all had! I wish my church had a quilt group like that. We just have a group of much older ladies who meet once a week to work on quilts for Lutheran World Relief, and they are "quilts" made of chopped up musty draperies, bed sheets, and whatever odd fabrics are donated. Crooked "squares" and half inch seams -- I tried to join in once but my inner quilter revolted at the ugliness and sloppiness. I know it's for a good cause, but it seems to me that even a charity quilt deserves a decent effort. Hope your sickness leaves you soon so you can get back to your quilting!
ReplyDeleteI understand that "inner quilter". Piecing is my favorite thing. I also love helping the beginning quilter.
DeleteHow great to have a place for such a fun retreat! This sounds a lot like a scrapbooking retreat I used to attend, and we always had so much fun. Thanks for sharing such great projects. I hope you start feeling better soon! Thanks so much for linking up to Main Crush Monday. :)
ReplyDelete