October Retreat and Other Stitchy Happenings

I had a “Material Girls,” retreat last weekend. We have three during the school year and this was our first of the retreat season. 

I had a fully finished quilt, “Northern Wilderness.” This was a 2009 Alaska Shop Hop design. I worked on it periodically with the top getting done while I was in Paris…2014 or 2015. The top spent two months on my quilting frame…I am not a quick machine quilter. Lots of time spent pondering how to quilt each block 

I have an idea of where I would like to hang this quilt…hope it isn’t too big. 

I started my retreat experience by getting the binding machine stitched  on, “Northern Wilderness,” and then finished with hand sewing. I ended every evening at retreat with hand stitching and slept with the quilt on my bed the last night. I need to remember to bring a quilt for my use at retreat. The B & B that hosts our retreat has lovely comforters that I always find too hot about 2 a.m.

My second task got started on the first night…using leftover HSTs from a previous project. I made a top with all green toned batiks  that left me with lots of scraps so of course I had to make little trees. I was going to alternate the blocks with a chain block but after making one of the chain blocks I decided the size of chain overwhelmed the tiny trees. I used all of my HSTs but have lots of squares for the chain blocks.

 So…more pondering on a design readjustment.

Day two I started a new project… a layer cake design. I used a Hoffman Bali Layer Cake, Sandpiper. The pattern is from the book, “Perfect Ten,” and is titled, “French Vanilla. Two other ladies just happened to be making the same pattern at our retreat.

I plan to add a piano key border with a matching set of 2 1/2-inch strips.

I started my last project on the third day, “Pineapple Cocktail,” I had a fat quarter set of tropical designs from Robert Kaufman batiks that I fussy cut for the pineapple bodies. The pineapple leaves are a little tedious to piece but of course the pineapple bodies couldn’t be more simple.

This pattern is a freebie through Anthology fabrics. The designer is Wendy Shepherd…I have made a couple of quilts from her patterns. She has lots of fun designs. Nice to find one as a freebie.

I had a, “Sisters Retreat,” the last week of September. It was three days but only daytime stitching at my local quilt shop, 10 to 5. I spent the whole time working on a big project that mimics a pineapple block. I was too burnt out on it to take it to a second retreat. I will be slowly pecking away on this one.

I finally got around to making a new thread catcher. My old one is easily 20 years old and made with a white fabric…dogs with black hair always manage to rub against my thread catchers. I used a pattern I found on Etsy, “Sew In Style Thread Catcher.” The pincushion velcros to a subway tile that is cover with a layer of batting and fabric. It worked great for me at retreat.

As usual, I have lots of hand stitching projects to work on at home in the evenings. I need to get two stockings made for this Christmas….almost done with Zack’s.

I finished the Bucilla kit of 12 ornaments, “Partridge in a Pear Tree.”

I got one more cross stitch piece for my 12 Days of Christmas cross stitch series, Seven Swans.

I’m thinking this series might not get worked on for a couple of months.

Here’s the latest visitor…I had no idea moose like to eat iris leaves…now I know! I was very behind this fall in getting my perennial beds cleaned up so I did need a little help. 

He really makes my big perennial bed look so small!

This big guy also did a stroll through my garden and ate the leafy tops of my beets. The beets were unharmed and I successfully canned them all.

Thanks for visiting.