Retreat Round-Up Part 2

Hi everyone,

I finally got around to photographing the other things I worked on while at retreat!

Life is so busy…it was a whole week before I unpacked my sewing machine after getting back home. I think I was all sewed out! But I have worked on a couple of blocks today so the mojo must be back!

This is a pile of 68 blocks…only 100 to go! I got 50 done on retreat, I started this quilt about a year ago and it only seems to get worked on at sewing days – I don’t look at it at home!

I found this apron panel at Patchwork Angel. It is Kate Spain fabric….I thought when I saw it “Yay, something I can totally finish on retreat”! I lined it with white homespun and saved the little applique images to use on something else.

This is my progress on Hooterville….I have to admit I have done one of the branches since getting home from retreat. A great project to do when watching TV! Do you think the branches are too thin? Not that I can do much about it now, hopefully it will look proportional when I start adding the leaves and owls.

So that is it! It was a great retreat and I got heaps done so I am stoked!

Retreat Round-Up Part 1

Hi Everyone,

If you ever get the chance to go on a crafting retreat…go for it!

I had such a great time, sewing all day and nearly all night! The only time we stopped was for meals, and we were assigned one meal each so most of the time we kept sewing until we were summoned to the kitchen to eat….it was fantastic!

I think what also made this retreat good was the small number of us there. Last time I did a retreat, a year ago for one night, there had to be 20 ladies there and it was squishy and clicky. This time there was only 5 ladies so we were like one group, everyone was included in conversation and I love that!

We stayed at The Circle Retreat in Buderim, near the Sunshine Coast. And way too close to Patchwork Angel!

This is my corner of the table! We had a good amount of space each, no pushing each others stuff off the table!

I started and finished this quilt top! To get this done in a weekend is amazing!

I made a start on Hooterville…this is the branches drawn up on paper ready to transfer onto the black linen.

I have more to share but I will have to take photos first…I was too busy to take photos most of the time.

BTW. My boys behaved really well while I was gone. And the one that I thought would miss me didn’t and the one that I thought was all good rang up crying a couple of times…kids, you just can’t pick which one will cope and which one won’t.

And they only had takeaway 2 nights out of the 3!

Sewing Bag

Hi Everyone!

This week has been crazy busy! But guess what…I am going on retreat tomorrow for 3 nights! Yay! I think I might sleep the whole time LOL

I will miss my boys, I have only spent one night away since the youngest was born nearly 4 years ago! But they will be fine, TP is planning which takeaway they will have each night but I have told him they will not be having fast food every night! (I hope) And they have a Grandma and an Aunty close by too!

I was wondering for all you retreat goers….what is your plan of attack when you go? do you have set projects you want to get done or do you take a few and just go with how you feel?

Before I get going though I wanted to share this cute little bag I made.

I love this fabric range! Do you know what it is? I do…just checkin’ if you know your ranges!

This is designed to be a lunch bag but I am using it for my sewing things.

The pattern is a free one. You can get it over at Pink Penguin. Ayumi is so talented and I have another of her handbags on my to do list! The fabric is Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater.

The only thing I changed with the pattern was to piece the main panel because a fat 1/8th was too small. And I used what interfacing I had on hand – so my bag has a layer of fusible wadding and a layer of fusible woven interfacing.

Well, I am off to cook dinner and then figure out what I need to take tomorrow!

Retreat and a little competition!

Hi all,

Retreat was great! It was soooo nice not to have to wash up, cook and do washing for a couple of days, although I came home to a sink full of dishes.

This is what I started with…over 420 little cream squares and the same amount of blue squares, ready to make half square triangles. Yes over 800!

This is how far I got. About half of the cream and blue squares sewn together and some of the “broken dish” blocks sewn together. This pattern is in the latest Homespun magazine.

I wanted to have a finish to show for the weekend so I put together this Ooshka Boy. Pattern is by The Red Thread, as is the gorgeous face panel. This is the only boy she does at the moment. The boys love him and I will need to make a second because he is causing a few fights. I actually stuffed him when I got home but otherwise he was finished at the retreat.  

This is the sweat shop! Mum is in the front left working on some machine embroidery. There was about 23 ladies and I won’t be able to tell you all their names. Too many people to get to know in one weekend for me – I am a shocker with names!

One of the mini workshops was decorating these travel mugs. The bottom screws off and we used special paper you embroider on and decorate with some flower punches and bling! Which then goes up in behind a clear layer and it is supposed to be water-proof.

Now for a little guessing game! The first person to guess correctly which mug I made will win something…I don’t know what yet but I will come up with something to suit the winner!

Retreat time!

Hi all,

I have been keeping a low profile lately. There has been a lot of sickness and drama in our house for the last couple of months and this has made me reassess my priorities.

I am really cutting down on the time I spend on the computer - which is mostly blog surfing, and I feel like I have gained an extra couple of hours a day! I have made a “must read” folder in google reader and at the moment it contains 16 blogs, which is not many when compared to the 168 blogs I am subscribed to.

I plan to keep my blog updated because it is my creative diary and I am still creating. Actually I am more inspired than I have been for a long time.

But guess what I am doing this weekend….

My bags are packed! I am going on my first ever quilting retreat – I have been on a scrapbooking retreat 6 years ago, how times have changed!

The retreat actually started today but I am only brave enough to leave my boys for one night….I know I have too many things packed but what if I get there and don’t want to work on a particular project? I need to have options!

I will share some pictures of my little adventure with you when I am back and recovered.