Lutherdale Retreat 2016

Last weekend I went to my annual retreat at Lutherdale Camp.  It's 5 days of non-stop sewing-- well, we stop for meals, but we don't have to cook them!!  I didn't have a large project that I wanted to devote time to, so I worked on completing some UFO's, making smaller projects and started one new project.  It was a fun time (as usual!) and just like other years, I didn't want to leave!

The first project I started with was to make a new sewing tool caddy.  I made one of these many years ago and it was officially worn out! I used a Kim Shaefer fat quarter and added a binding to the top edge of the vinyl.

The next project was to make up a few scissor cozies and an earbud case.  These are gifts for friends and take a deceptively long time to make. =)

Next up was adding sashing and borders to this baby quilt. I stitched the stripey/blue parts together as a leader ender last fall.  (The original post about it is here.)  I plan to donate this to Project Linus when it's complete.

Next up was to "finish" Mail Sack, a tote bag that I thought I had started a few years ago.  Well-- I hadn't started it at all!!  I just had the fabric and the pattern! I first made one for my mother in 2013 (I'm unable to find finished photos of it, but I know they exist!).  This took me nearly an entire day!! There is an inset zipper pocket and some other pockets.  Mad skills!

On Friday night, we had a drawing for raffle items.  One member of the group solicited prizes from different companies and we were able to buy tickets with the proceeds going to the camp.  I made out quite well!!!  

The last project that I worked on was a new quilt!  Woot!  The pattern is Cluck Cluck Sew's Pow Pow and I'm using a fat quarter bundle of Kim Shaefer fabrics and Kona Coal for the background.  I'm having some technical difficulties with this-- I won't go into the details right now.

Well-- this was part of the technical difficulties:

My 1/4" foot broke and the needle got lodged into the foot!  Yucky!!  I had another foot, but it had the "knife edge" and it isn't something I'm accustomed to using.

This is a long post with lots of pictures!  I'll wrap up with some photos of others at the retreat with their quilt tops.

Anna and her jelly roll quilt

 

Mary and 2 tops she completed

I'm practically counting down the days until next year's retreat!!! =)

xoxo

Slow Stitching + Stash Enhancement

It's bitter cold in Wisconsin today.  I hate frigid weather (the wind chill factor was -26 F this morning!!-- yuck!), but I love that it is making for a quiet urgent care clinic.  I work x-ray every Sunday at urgent care and it's usually crazy busy.  Quiet shifts are something to relish!!  I brought my EPP hexies with me and am able to get some slow stitches in. =)

I don't have a plan for these.  They are just scraps that I wanted to put to use.  I'm thinking (but not sure) about ringing each one with grey hexies and creating a mini?  I don't know!  I've appliqued a few onto pincushions.  Maybe I can add them to totes or zippy pouches?  In the meantime, I'm focusing on the process.

My big Lutherdale Retreat is coming up this week.  I don't have my project list fully figured out yet.  Maybe I will start 'Hillside Houses' by Pretty Little Quilts?  Just in case, I put in a big order of Moda Bella Solids! I have a lot of cool blues, greens and purples, but was lacking in the warmer tones. The yellows are remarkably similar-- I didn't have my color card handy when I ordered. =( Whatever isn't used in this quilt will be a nice addition to my stash!

I've been wanting to make a few scissors cozies from SOTAK's pattern.  Last Saturday, I finished one and hope to make a few more at retreat.

Linking up with Molli Sparkles Sunday Stash and Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

Cancer Sucks.

It really does.  And I'm tired of it afflicting people I know and care about.  I made yet another quilt for a friend that is diagnosed with cancer. This is the littlest thing I can do to offer comfort and support and it was a joy to make. 

I had the help of some amazing friends and we cranked this quilt out in 5 days from start to finish.  FIVE DAYS!!!!!

We used a simple but fun pattern (Triplicate) from Jeni Baker's new book The Half Square Triangle. [witing this on my iPad and can't figure out how to do hyperlinks]. http://www.incolororder.com/

Jenn started a blog to journal what is going on and she wrote a post about our surprise for her.

https://jebooblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/15/a-day-full-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-32

I hope to win the lottery (didn't happen this week), but I also hope for a world free of cancer.

xoxo

2016 - The year of the UFO?

Happy New Year! 



I'm very excited to start the year and have a great attitude about the next 365 days.  With the big change of moving last July, I am just now starting to feel settled in to my new home (and sewing room!!).

Project-wise, I'm not in the middle of anything right now.  It's a funny place for me to be!  I normally have something going and something queued up (or started before the prior project is complete!).

I finished Maize Maze in early December and hoped to quilt it over Christmas.  Due to technical difficulties with my mom's longarm, I didn't get to quilt it.  =(

I finished the top for Elephant Parade on the same day as I put the final borders on Maize Maze, so add this to the list of tops waiting to quilt...

Speaking of...  While at my parent's over Christmas, I pulled out two tops that are waiting to be quilted: My bed quilt and a civil war throw.  I didn't have a good picture of my bed quilt (it's been hibernating for years)!! And I don't know that I have any of this throw.  It was a kit that my Aunt Nancy gifted me several years ago.  I put it together super quickly and I have grand plans of quilting it in beautiful all over victorian feathers.  One little problem-- I'm not quite skilled enough to quilt it the way I want to.  =(  It looks like it will make a warm snuggly couch throw, perfect for this time of year.  I'm tempted to quilt it with a panto and 'git 'er done'.

I spent a good part of yesterday in my sewing room enjoying a commitment free Saturday.  I pulled out one of my UFO's, 'Cartwheels'.  I've been working on this for a few years now and I'm hoping to get the top complete.  I added the outer filmstrip border and just need to do one more border of lime green.

 

This list of quilts is just a portion of my UFO's and I'm hoping to finish more than I start this year.  All People Quilt is challenging us to make progress getting things complete and I'll use their chart, but I'm not sure I'll take part in the contest.

Thanks for visiting!  I'll wrap up by sharing a cute picture of Finn from yesterday.  The sun was pouring in the sewing room and he was very happy to sunbathe!