I'm baaaaaack!

What an awesome time I had while I was gone!

First, I got to spend a few short hours with my grandbabies. The GS was so happy to see me and we had a good time reading and playing. The GD, at 3 months, is getting so vocal. She 'talks' and smiles and giggles whenever you talk to her. Holding her while she sleeps is just about heaven!

I got to the camp for our Cut, Crop and Quilt Weekend at about 12:30 after stops for gas, coffee and deodorant (the one thing I forgot to pack) and a quilt store I had never been to. I got all settled in and got my machine set up, etc. and then got started on that bag of 1 1/2" strips I got at the garage sale over Labor Day weekend. I cut some neutral strips and added them to the mix and put together 35 log cabin blocks using spruce green kona for the center square and making them as big as I could with the fabric I had. I got those together before my sister and I headed to bed at 2:15 am. In the morning I added a strip of the green around the blocks and then put together the rest of strips in Rogue River Log Cabin blocks and added them as a border and had my first project finished! A very short time later I had the top of a doll quilt done using the leftover border blocks! I think I will add a green border to that and will use it for DQS5. I have some fun ideas for the quilting.

The program director at the camp who was a big part of getting these retreats started had twins just a week or so ago - a boy and a girl. One of the quilters bought some fabric so that we could all work on a quilt for each of the babies. The quilts turned out so great as you can see and one of the grandmothers said that the quilts suit each of the baby's personalities perfectly! We were treated to a "Stroll by Viewing" on Saturday afternoon. We all kept our distance so as not to pass on any germs but it was hard!!!! I am looking forward to the next retreat in February when we might just get a chance to hold them!

I did three blocks for the ducky quilt and one strip for the bright quilt and then got to work on my scrap pile. I ended up making forty-seven 6 1/2" scrappy log cabin style blocks and my scrap pile did not seem to shrink at all! I am thinking that will be my project for the next retreat also if I don't get back to them here at home!

The room we use for quilting is in the process of undergoing a huge change. Each time we arrive for a retreat there are changes and improvements. The project is nearing completion and it is just beautiful! One of the first changes occured a year or so ago when they took out the old drafty fireplace and put 3 sliding glass doors on that wall so we could enjoy the view of Lake Coeur d'Alene. When the project is done there will be a patio outside the doors.

Here is the new alcove that houses a new efficient fireplace with lots of cozy seating hand sewing, reading, visiting and naps!

This last picture was taken after some quilters had already left and while others were packing up. We had the group of tables right next to the fireplace alcove. There were two 8 foot tables in the center that were raised up for cutting. The round table was used for laying out quilts and was used for the quilting on the two baby quilts. I think we had a total of about 30 ladies working in this room. Mostly quilters with a few scrapbookers too.