October Retreat

I'm back from a four-day retreat where I sewed on lots of fun projects.

My first project was to add borders to my last retreat quilt top. I have a specific wall I want to hang this quilt on so it needed several borders to make it fit.

Next, I decided to start a row of blocks from the book by Lori Holt, "Sew by Row."

These scissor blocks were pretty challenging. So my next project was simple, mindless stitching. I made 156 flying geese for a Moda Frivols kit. We each received a Frivols kit as a gift at our retreat in May and our challenge is to have the kit done by our February retreat. 

Remember, we all pretty much stop sewing during the summer months, so several of us were starting our kits at this retreat. 

After all that mindless sewing I decided to tackle the charm quilt, Chandelier from the book, "Charm School." This was a super quick quilt to put together, which finishes at 60-inches square. I have some scarps left that might have to become a Seminole border. 

Then Sunday morning I had a few hours before I had to leave so I made the pincushion blocks for the second row of the Lori Holt pattern. 

It was one of the easiest retreats to prep for since I had cut all the kits for these projects a month ago! And I still have two kits cut out that I didn't touch. 

I think I got a little inspired by watching Floss Tube videos by cross stitchers who seem to have lots of kits prepped...almost as soon as they buy a pattern. I looked at my huge stash of fabric...half of which I did buy for specific projects that I had the patterns for so I just started making kits. I'm going to continue with this process. I haven't even made a dent in my stash.

Now if I could just get better about quilting my tops! Loading the quilts on the frame is definitely where the hold up is.

A Finish to Start October

 I am so excited! I finished my second, “By Annie,”  bag pattern,  “Tools of the Trade.”

Here she is…sitting on top of my sewing machine tote. She is large enough to carry my acrylic sew steady table, a cutting mat 18 x 24-inches and a ruler, 24 1/2-inches long.

And the base is almost 5-inches wide so a lot more items can be stashed in this awesome bag.

I also finished a little case for my travel iron…now I have quite the retreat ensemble.

I was thrilled to have a mini three-day quilt retreat at my local quilt shop. The classroom was open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a great space with very good lighting. The tables were custom built so very sturdy…no plastic folding tables that jiggle when you sew at a fast speed. 

One of the ladies snapped a photo of me at my work station. I grabbed the table farthest away from the door as I tend to get cold so that put me closest to the little kitchen space.

My goal was to get all the blocks made for a little fall themed quilt.

I get a gold star…I finished piecing all the blocks and got the rows sewn together.

This is a freebie, “Absolute Autumn,” from the Forth Worth Fabric Studio. I think I found it through Pinterest. Might be the first project I found on Pinterest and actually made!

Just before the retreat I finished a little quilt top for my granddaughter.

I have bought her several “llama-themed,” books. 

Another freebie pattern on the internet.

 It’s on the Windham Fabrics website, “Craft Buddy Quilt & Pillow.

Evening projects are getting tackled. 

I cross stitched a little Mill Hill witch kit, Miranda in the Hocus Pocus series.

And my next Bucilla stocking is a companion to the Mermaid stocking, “Seashore Santa.”

 It is a new kit for this year.

The biggest challenge on this stocking is not to loose the little felt pieces for all the shells that finish out this stocking. 

We had our first snow storm for the season last weekend. The snow was a good two or three weeks early. All the leaves were still on the trees so lots of tree damage due to the weight of the snow on the branches. We had two birch trees we had to cut down yesterday that broke in half. We also had lots of smaller alder trees that were damaged so yesterday was a big clean up day. Most of the 6-inches of snow we got has melted but we woke up to an inch this morning…though most of it has melted. 

The weather is always the main topic of discussion in Alaska. I got my winter tires on a couple of days ago so I guess I am ready for the cold. I have lots of quilting events on my agenda for this winter so hoping to get through it without getting the winter blues.

Needless to say…last winter was difficult…very lonely. I think I called repairmen mainly to have a human being to interact with for a few minutes. My husband flies for Fed Ex and he worked sooooo much overtime last winter. He has a health issue that will keep him home this winter which makes me happy. He’s getting a shoulder rotator cup fixed next week. And my DIL and granddaughter will be in town quite often. I’m not dreading winter as much as I usually do.