Quilting Retreat part 2

Here are two project that I finished at the retreat. The picture below, the large quilt at the back is a workshop I took last year and all I had to do was sew on the final boarder, now its all done and can be machine quilted. The table runner in the front is the pattern that you quilt as you sew and is made with christmas fabric, all I have to do now is sew on the binding and it is done....yea!

The picture on the top is my three convergence quilts done. From the back on the left is my pine tree convergence called sunset, the quilt on the right is tequila sunrise and the one up front is my halloween punkin quilt. Now to get them quilted. I will do the small quilts and have my friend D quilt the large one.

The pictures were taken outside on the deck. I did not spend enough time out on the deck as I was inside sewing. Maybe next year some of us will sew outside on the deck.....there is a electric outlet on the wall outside.

Quilting Retreat part 1

What fun we all had on our retreat up in Twain Heart. This cabin (house) is the perfect place to have a retreat. We have already booked it for next year. I took lots of pictures and will share some today and some tomorrow. We all got lots of sewing done, and I taught the converence quilt and finished putting on boarders on my three unfinished converence quilts.

I learned how to make a pillow case with all the seams inside and hidden......so cool and finished three pillow cases while at the retreat. I even made one pillow case for me out of flannel. I'll have to take pictures of the pillow cases as I didn't when I was up at the retreat. One pillow case has been given to one birthday boy but the other won't have his birthday till next week.

The pool table in the house was used as a double cutting and layout table. One of us even used the end of the pool table to sew on. Next year we need to bring up one more table so we don't have to use the pool table. The lady who ownes the house is a quilter and had plywood covers made for the pool table. It made a perfect cutting table. With irons and sewing machines using the electric the only time we blew a fuse was when we had the TV on at the same time. More pictures and details to follow tomorrow.

Sonora Quilt Show part 2

Here are a couple more quilts that I took pictures of in Sonora. I like the way the quilter used these cool pictures of motorcycle gals. And I really like the converence quilt done with fabric that is african inspired. I love the way she used the fabric.

Today is my last day at work before my quilting retreat.....YEA!! I need to pack tonight and get ready to go in the morning. We can get into the cabin at noon......so we will be sewing in the afternoon.

I plan on taking lots of pictures with my new camera. I'm really happy with the way it took pictures at the quilt show so I sould return we lots of pictures of the gals sewing and their projects. I will try and post on Monday when I get back.....stay tuned.

Sonora Quilt Show part 1

Saturday's weather couldn't have been better for the trip to Sonora and the annual quilt show. It is a wonderful quilt show and this year did not disappoint. The vendors were wonderful and I found the fabric for the gordain knot workshop that I'm taking next month. Here are some pictures of quilts that I liked from the quilt show. The VW Van and Woody quilt is so cool....this quilter really took her time and did a good job showing different van's and woody's. The other quilt is really quite simple....it would be easy to do.

It's Friday!

Where did the week go? Seem like Monday was only here yesterday. Looking forward to tomorrow as I'm heading up to Sonora for the quilt show. I haven't been to a quilt show for a few months so I'm really looking forward to this one. They have lots of quilts and wearables.....and of course the real reason we all go to quilt shows......VENDORS!!! Oh I just remembered.....they have a wonderful shop where they sell stuff make made by the quilt guild members. Better hit the ATM.

I plan on taking lots of pictures with my new camera.....so stop back on Monday. The rest of the weekend will be spent going through my many UFO's and deciding what to take to the quilting retreat to work on and finish.....I hope to get lots done. A couple of the gals going want me to teach them the convergence quilt as they were unable to take the class I taught.....so that should be fun.

The weather here has turned cooler......fall is in the air.....or should I say as much fall as we get here in central California. The almond farmers are busy harvesting, walnuts will be next and I've allready seen the corn choppers at work (making silage for the dairies to feed the cows in the winter). I wore a tee shirt to work this morning as a tank top seemed to cool. Have a good weekend.

2007 Opportunity Quilt

The 2007 Opportunity Quilt for Manteca Quilters is quilted. Last Tuesday night at my sewing group, the member who machine quilted it droped it off to the chair of the committee. The binding has to be sewn on but you can see what a beautiful quilt it is. The beautiful machine quilting does not show up on these pictures, you really need to see it in person.

The weekend of September 23 at Alex Anderson's quilt show, Quilting in the Garden at Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore, members will be selling tickets.....so some lucky person can win this quilt. I will miss Alex's quilt show this year because of our quilting retreat. Next year we are going to make sure the quilting retreat is on a different weekend so we can go and help sell tickets and see the show. If you get a chance be sure and go to this wonderful show. The quilts are hung on ropes between huge valley oak trees. Alden Lanes is a wonderful nursery and every time I've gone I come home with wonderful plants you can't find here in the valley.

Sandy's Quilt

Last night at my Tuesdays stichers group, Sandy used the floor to lay out a wall hanging from a kit that she had made. These blocks are paper pieced and I love the colors. Can't wait to see the finished quilt and I hope she puts it in the quilt show in March.

Eye Candy

Last week I purchased a new digital camera, a Canon Power Shot SD700. So I've started playing with it as Saturday is the Sonora Quilt Show and I want to be able to take pictures. What a little camera this is......I have to get use to the size as my last digital camera was so much bigger. This camera does so much more then my old camera. So I've taken some pictures of one of my crazy quilt projects. These two pictures are of my Christmas stocking that I've been working on for a long time. I think it needs more stiching.......because I like lots of stiching on a crazy quilt. I really need to finish it. Enjoy.

TGIF

It's been a short week but I'm glad its Friday! Today I'm showing you a picture of the workshop that will be given in October by my Manteca guild. I'm allready signed up. Its called The Gordian Knot. One of the vice presidents has allready taken the class at a local quilt shop and said it looks hard but is very easy. You only need 3 different fabrics a yard and 1/4 of each. The lady who made this quilt said it would have looked better if she had used the dark fabric as the background. It will be an interesting quilt to make and she said we will finish the top that day in class. Should be fun!

Quilt retreat

Last night I met with 7 other quilters for the final plans for our annual quilt retreat. We've been doing the retreat for 2 years, this year will be the third year. We rent a cabin in the mountains, this year the cabin will be in Twain Heart. Each year we have rented a different cabin, its hard to find the right cabin as we need lots of electric outlets (for the sewing machines and irons) and lots of room to set up the sewing machines. Last years cabin had way too many steps to climb and lug heavy sewing machines, all the fabric we took and of course the suitcases. We were wore out before we started sewing!

This year's cabin has no steps up and a hot tub! We've never rented a cabin with a hot tub before. I hope this cabin works out. Its has a pool table which we will use as a cutting table and ironing station. Someone we know has allready used this cabin for a quilt retreat and said it worked out well had plenty of room for sewing so we are all excited.

Last night we talked about the food we are bringing, who's taking care of dinner each night. We take turns cooking someing different. I am the chief cook for breakfast because when I'm in the mountains I like a big breakfast. I cook pancakes, eggs, hash browns and bacon or what ever they all want. We eat a light lunch and then have a regular dinner. Oh....my friend T is bring white wine. We are planning on having a good time and get lots of sewing done.

We are leaving the morning of Sept. 20 and will return on Sept. 23. Can't wait! Now to wade through the stack of UFO's and figure out what to bring to work on.

State Fair and Long Weekend Ahead

Last Sunday I attend the state fair in Sacramento. Watched the cows show for supreme grand champion and ate fair food (was good) and of course checked out the quilts. I took pictures of my favorite....it won a blue ribbon. This pattern was on a Piecemakers calander a few years back. Since I am a lover of crazy quilting and I do have the pattern, I really enjoyed seeing the quilt in person.

At the membership meeting last night I didn't win the BOM. But I picked up the new BOM so maybe I'll win next month. Enjoy the pictures.