retreat week

Well, my week of retreats is over. I spent the weekend from Friday afternoon until Sunday 3PM at our local guild's fall retreat. We stayed in dorm style rooms at a resource center here in town. Nonetheless, I was very careful to pack everything I needed so that I wouldn't have to leave once there. That way you really feel like you're away. It was so wonderful to spend the weekend int the company of other quilters of all ages and walks of life who all share a common interest in quilting. Our snacks and meals were announced so all we had to do was get up from our machines and go eat. On Saturday night many of us put on our pajamas early. It is quite the picture to look around the room at all the women sitting at their machines in pajamas! I retired by my usual time around 10 each night but many stayed up till around 2AM.
Here are some of the women at work.
I was so happy to have finished the machine quilting and get the binding on my Winter quilt. It is a quilt to which my quilting friends each contributed a block. In return I did one for each of their quilts. This was a few years ago so it is about time to get it done. It will be so nice to have it out on my sofa this year. The only left is to hand sew the binding and add a few embroidered details.

Then I machine quilted my seashell wall hanging. When I needed a break from the machine, I was able to start some of the embellishing. I didn't get a picture of it yet. Night time doesn't work well for photos. I'll take one tomorrow.
On Sunday, I started working on a quilt that will be a gift, so sorry, once again I am unable to show it.
I do have a few pictures of retreat quilts.
The first two shown below were done by the same lady, one for a son, one for a daughter.

This Dresden Plate quilt is made by my friend, Wendy, using men's shirts. I did get a picture with all of the sashings in place but the color was better in this one. Even so, it doesn't do it justice; it is such a soft and pretty quilt.
This next quilt was done by Yvon. She arrived with each block done and layered with batting and she completed it as a quilt as you go quilt (each block) over the weekend. She sewed down all of the tiny sashings by hand. Amazing!

We already booked the weekend for 2012.