It's Sunday ;-(((((

All good things must come to an end???

We're still stitching away but soon our time will run out at retreat. Fun has been had by all. Our theme this year was orientals and hopefully you can see that quite a few did work with orientals and have made some very nice items. Also we all wrote Haiku to sign in each members journal,

Red Green Blue and Orange

Contrasting Colors Brightly Shine

Consistently My Choice.........Okay so I'm not a poet ;-)

Is it time for bed?

Well we're all still up working away? Before I hit the sack here are a few more pics.....

By the way I think I got my gift stolen about 4 times and finally in the end stole someone else's then traded her back when it was over for her kit item from joggles that she ended up with. ;-)

Quilt Retreat!

So a weekend of quilting and fun! What could be better! Right now as I type we are playing our Chinese gift exchange, which in our guild is dangerous! Right now I am sitting here with a beautiful Laura Burch bag but will be pure luck if it does not get taken. Whoops update...I've had 3 gifts stolen so far!

We've been sewing all Friday evening and all day today. Another treat for us is at each meal we are surprised with little gifts made by our members such as a quilted luggage tag, little quilted coin purse, and a kit to try our own Sashiko, we have two more treats tomorrow so much fun!;-) The best thing is I have almost got the Lehigh quilt top completed! Hopefully my son will not read my blog because I am so proud I'm posting it! Sadly, he will never know how much work it has been. Well off to steal........

Weekend Retreat!

Yeah! Tomorrow evening I get to join my quilting gang for a weekend retreat! Nothing but quilting Friday evening till Sunday!
We escape to a great quiet facility with great setups and sew away! They've come up with a theme but I am going to use it as a finally get to catch up weekend. I am focused to complete some upcoming deadlines. My little secret for the time being...you never know who might be reading my blog ;-) and I don't want any surprises ruined! Here is my butterfly contribution to one of our members who has made a move. We all got a piece of her favorite blue fabric to put in our square and she is a famous butterfly lover! We'll present the squares this weekend. Thankfully I remembered last night lol......... oh well better than completely forgetting! Well got to go finish packing and check my list. A wonderful weekend to all!

It's raining.....

Well rain has been upon us but gave me time to refocus on my quilting. I have been working on the famous t-shirt quilt and must admit it is proving harder to design then my other son's t-shirt quilt. The first one had a couple football jerseys to balance out the two bottom corners and the colors I used were much easier to balance or place where I felt they belonged. This one I had a block about for a while but I am on a roll since the deadline is fast approaching. Probably will miss the first deadline I set for myself but will make the second date for sure. Anyway it's coming along.........
Love my birds by the way........

It's Spring! whoopee????

So it's Spring and I think I am starting to realize why I love the Fall so much! ;-) I enjoy seeing the plants grow and flowers bloom, in fact I love flowers along with my bird feeders...But the blooming flowers and freshly cut grass just do not like me.....my allergies are in full force and headache,running nose season has arrived.......Oh well there will be air conditioning and quilting to get me through....... ;-) lol .......Everyone take time to enjoy your spring!

Whoops.....inexperience showing!

Okay so here is where experience would have helped? I have just had one of those wonderful "learn by mistake" happenings! I am going to someday be completing this really cute pattern of monster's under my bed quilt that has 9 different monsters each appliqued on a square of it's own. So cute my daughter wants it for Caleb. (It's in my pile to do someday) I had started this first square months ago by just looking at the image and semi eyeballing it as I cut the monster out. I figured this is tooooo easy! lol Well sadly I did not realize it really should be fused onto the square then applique stitched around or however one chooses to finish. I didn't want to do it the hand stitched turned under by hand technique so I heard about the fusing part after I had the silly monster cut out (and ready to go in my mind). I figured well heck I'll just get some tear away and sew it down anyway loosely without worrying about the fusing part lol lol....well go figure lol lol........now I know there is a reason for the fusing and NOT using tearaway! So this can go into my whoops "I just learned" this pile so onward and forward marching I go! ;-)

What a week!

So we got back to VA and wow! what a week.......it's amazing how time zones can screw with your body and energy! We made it through the week and finally TGIF and weekend! Sunday I finally get to set up my machine and get back to the semi norm I hope. I'm excited to try out my new free motion bobbin and go along foot to see if it makes a huge difference for me. I had my machine cleaned before I left for Hawaii and am anxious to see how much of a difference it will make since I know it had some invisible thread in places it never should have been.
I did complete one goal this week, actually should say I have completed my two goals I had set for the year regarding my quilting. I have entered and completed a challenge competition. My challenge was connected with the Artful Quilter in VA and we were given 10 different pieces of silk duponti along with a silk tie that we used to create an original art quilt. I discovered not all people who enter complete the challenge so I am proud to say I did! I also enjoyed the journey. The second goal I had set was to enter a SAQA Exhibition. Well I sent off slides for my first official entry the other day. Deadline for entry is April14,2008. Wish me luck.....So both goals completed and now time to move forward and set some new goals ;-) Tomorrow's goal lol is get back to my t-shirt quilt that has an impending deadline fast approaching!