Retreat and Back, Texas and Back

It's been so long since I've posted that I had to go back and read my last post to figure out what to share!

Since March 21 I spent four days on a quilt retreat in Luther Springs, Florida, returned home for one day, and the next day (March 27) flew to Austin, Texas, where I visited family until this morning (April 3). My Southwest flight from Austin didn't arrive in Orlando until 11 pm. I was on a flight with the Texas A&M dance squad who were heading to Daytona Beach for the National Cheer and Dance competition. I then road the airport shuttle with dance squads from Purdue and Northwestern!

Anyway, it was 12:45 am this morning until I was back home. But, it was worth the loss of sleep for having two direct flights that cost only $145.

Retreat was fantastic, as always. Twenty quilters working mostly on modern projects, and enjoying one another's company. How much better could it be? (See retreat pictures here.) Personally, I would have liked to accomplish more, but my preparations for making didn't work out quite as I planned.

I thought I was going to lay out and piece my Cascade quilt, the one for which I'd cut out more than 500 curve braid pieces. I quickly learned that it wouldn't happen on retreat. For this quilt I'll need a really big design wall, and lots of time to lay out pieces that will need arranging and re-arranging. This is as far as I got before taking the pieces off the design wall.

The whole quilt will need to be laid out and then each column of pieces is assembled from the bottom up! I couldn't even sew to join the pieces I'd laid out at retreat. Not being able to work on it was a big disappointment.

So, I moved on make the wristlet I'd cut out before leaving home. This is my favorite Dog Under My Desk pattern (The Essential Wristlet) made with a Tula Pink jellyfish print and lime-colored vinyl, and lined with another Tula seashell print. I love how it turned out.

Next I worked on a wedge quilt that I will teach in a few weeks at a workshop with the Jacksonville (Florida) MQG. This is the 34" X 34" quilt top called "Carousel." Two more wedge quilts are in the works so I'll have samples to share. The first quilting stitches are by hand, with pearl cotton. Next I plan to FMQ the wedges.

Luckily, I also took a couple "just in case" WIPs on retreat that are long-term, ongoing projects. I pieced more leaders/enders 16-patch blocks, and made half-square triangle squares for the Sunny Path quilt. Free tutorial and download here.

Following retreat, I spent one day at home, did a quick repacking job, and flew to Austin, Texas for seven days. Three-and-a-half days of those days were spent taking care of eight year-old Austin, and five year-old Luke.

In between school, swim lessons, soccer, a sleepover, and getting haircuts followed by ice cream treats,

we baked fluffy banana cookies,

(Luke was excited about these cookies because they weren't Christmas cookies!)

 

made a road with tape,

made slime (recipe uses liquid hand soap, cornstarch, and oil), 

and played with Legos. I also read to them every evening. We read three Roald Dahl books: The Enormous Crocodile; The Twits; and The Magic Finger. The first two titles stayed behind for re-reading.

DIL Lyn wanted to make a Bowl Buddy, also known as Soup Bowl Cozy, so after a trip to JoAnn Fabrics for Wrap 'n Zap, we followed this tutorial to make two of them for her parents. I'm glad to see her using the Bernina I gave her a few years ago.

Back at home, I found an Instagram giveaway win had arrived, a print copy of the UK magazine Love Patchwork and Quilting. I also learned I'd won another giveaway, and have already received a digital copy of Sylvia Schaefer's new book The Quilter's Negative Space Handbook. I'm collecting quite a few e-books, and love that they don't take any shelf space in my already too-full closet of sewing-related supplies! If there's anything I want to reference or make, I can simply print out only what I need.

I also learned that my "Quilt" entry in Curated Quilts "Well Said" challenge was not accepted for publication. Guess I didn't say it "well" enough. :-) 

Today has been catching-up - unpacking, putting away, vacuuming (Hogan seems to be shedding more than ever), taking a much-needed hour-long power walk, and anticipating an evening in the sewing room. Linda