Retreat Projects 2011

These are some of the projects we worked on at retreat.  Most of us bring 3-5 projects, thinking we're really going to get a lot done.  Most of us have the fabric already cut out so we can just sew and get them finished quickly.  Most of us don't finish their first project until the last day, and some of us don't finish our first of four projects we brought.  That would be me.  I thought I had more cut out and pieced, since I worked on this last year, too, but hadn't opened the bag until I got to the retreat.  I had a 23" x 30" section done of 68" x 102" for a twin quilt.  I did finish the top today at home.  The rest of the quilts pictured are the tops only - not quilted - unless otherwise stated.

This is my Trip Around the World done in bright pink, orange, blue, green, yellow, and purple. It's laying on the floor by my table.

When I got home, I added the blue inner border, then the piano key border.  I don't know what the binding color will be, yet.  I like to make happy quilts, and this is certainly a happy quilt.

This is Katy's quilt top done in gorgeous fall colors.  Sorry, I don't know the pattern name.

 Jan's scrappy strip quilt top.

 This is only a portion of Reba's Jelly Roll Race quilt.  This is quilted and bound, and she brought it for show and tell.  I love this quilt and plan to make a JRR quilt, too.

Quilters will know what this is.   Non-quilters won't care, and the explanation isn't easy to do and won't make sense without pictures.











Reba made this pastel Jelly Roll Race top at the retreat.  This is the left half.  Her other quilt is hanging over it.

 Jeanne made a JRR top, too, and added little squares between the strips.  Jeanne hasn't felt well lately, and hasn't done much sewing, so we're all very proud of her for getting the top done.  Good job, Jeanne.  Get a border on that puppy and call it done.

More about my good friend, Jeanne, in the next post.














Darlene's quilt top done in different shades of blue.  This is only a portion of it.  I must have taken the picture before she got the other blocks sewn on.  It's a very striking top.

Another of Reba's quilts.  It's an "I Spy" for her grandson (I think).

Rita's batik quilt.  She made it for her pastor, much to her husband's chagrin because he wanted to keep it, and Darlene quilted it.  I don't know this pattern name, either.  Batik quilts are always stunning.

 Lee Etta loves scrap quilts like I do and makes wonderful quilts with hundreds of different fabrics.  She brought several tubs of precut strips and would reach in one, pull out a strip, and sew it on regardless of color.  That's what you have to do with many scrap quilts - disregard the color.  It goes against everything we've spent decades learning about quiltmaking.

 This is Rita's scrap quilt.  Her daughter wanted a quilt made from her daughters' clothes.  In order to make it large enough for the bed, Rita had to call her daughter several times and have her send more clothes.  Every single square is from something worn by Rita's granddaughters.  How special is that!

Jan is working on her top, and I don't know this pattern, either.  I didn't think to walk around with a notebook and write things down.











Ree is making a quilt for the Quilts of Valor.  It will be hand quilted by the ladies of the group and presented to a man or woman who has served for our country. 


I apologize to Joan.  I know I took a picture of her black and red Yellow Brick Road quilt, but it's not anywhere to be found.  It's one of my favorites and the YBR is probably my favorite pattern of all time.  I've made five of them.  In my previous post, you can see a part of Joan's quilt on her picture.





So, our retreat is over for another year, and we're very sad about that.  We live for this all year long.  This was one I know I'll never forget.  You'll hear all about it in my next blog - Invasion of the Sock Monkey.