Quilters Retreat 2009

The sub-title of this post is "35 Women Armed with Pins, Needles, Scissors, Rotary Cutters and Other Sharp Objects." In other words, don't mess with a quilter on a mission to finish a project in less than 48 hours on a quilt retreat, which my guild held at the Sisters of Mercy Conference Center in St. Louis County Friday through Sunday. The photo above shows a fairly calm room at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. That's my station in the foreground; simple Sears machine, chairs stacked double to get the right height, and a stack of blue and white Bear's Paw blocks to sew into rows.

Our guild does an optional block exchange each month, and these blocks were made about 5 years ago. Each member had the same white on white background and picked her own shades of blue. I won 25 of them, including the one I made, in the drawing. It has taken me that long to figure out how to set them. The block I made is in the very center of the setting, by the way. The rows are sewn diagonally and I had to lay everything out on the floor for every row. By about 10 p.m. on Saturday, I had them all assembled and sewn according to plan. I didn't sew all day. There are frequent breaks for snacks, plus I took one to do my physical therapy home exercises, and another hour to walk on the grounds. (I'll have a post about that up on Thursday's Child soon, but not today.) I didn't even miss my nap, I had such a good time.


On Sunday after breakfast I cut and stitched the borders to the quilt. Finally, just before lunch, it could hang on the stage. Many of the women recognized the blocks they had made by the fabrics. The quilt measures 90 by 90 inches. It is going to be a bear to quilt...: )

Here my quilt hangs with two others that represent the projects other members made during the weekend. A sort of rotating show took place on the stage. The tables are deserted because everyone else is in line for lunch. I'm the last one out of the auditorium, taking my pictures.

The Sunday morning work room view is a lot like Saturday. We enjoyed great natural light and a roomy set up that made it easy to walk around, visit and see what everyone else was working on. I'm told some night owls sewed until 3 a.m. on Sunday morning...wearing their pajamas. I went to bed before midnight which I guess is a new trend for me. Night owl no longer.

Finished tops adorned the stage. This top by Barb B. is a bright version of the Magic Trip Around the World that Lee Etta taught during the retreat. It started out to be pink with orange accents but Barb thinks it turned into orange with pink accents. It's sunshine on a cloudy day, to be sure.




Another treatment of the same pattern is this calmer top by Carol P. She plans for it to be a sofa throw to coordinate with new upholstery in her living room.


I am not sure who made the top on the left. The one on the right is Jitter Buzz, a pattern created by Jane C., who taught it during the retreat. We had the option of taking either of the classes or doing our own thing. I decided to work on unfinished projects this year and I'm thrilled to have completed the piecing of the Bear's Paw top.

Norm said he got along OK without me to watch him at home. I did leave him with lots of left over pot roast as well as the raw ingredients to make macaroni and cheese. He vacuumed the whole house while I was gone! It was good to get home on Sunday afternoon and sleep soundly in my own bed again, though. I can't wait until next year's retreat--I have several more unfinished block sets.