Quilt Retreats are The Best

A few weeks ago I was invited to a quilt retreat at a quaint secluded spot about an hours drive from my home.  The wonderful thing about retreats is that you are given the time to just quilt and be with a  terrific group of like minded women.  Your meals are prepared and when they call you for meals you sit down to a delicious array of food.  I knew a few of the women there and the rest I got to know over the 4 days that we were away.  It was a great group with lots of chatter and friendships made.  I took a few pictures and wish that I had taken more.  

The room was set up with 3 to a group of three tables.  If you wanted to be closer to friends you could but most of us used our full table.  We blew a few fuses to start with and then settled for three irons on the go instead of everyone using their own iron.  We all shared and just took turns.

A beautiful appliqued wall hanging

It is hard to see the strips of colour in this tote but it was made with beautiful batiks.

The beginning of a beautiful quilt.

Some different squares that were being worked on.

A makeup case started.

  

Tiny squares that went into a lovely baby quilt or teddy bear quilt.

Magic nine patches.

Paper piecing to be made into a quilt.

 

I made three quilt tops over the 4 days and brought them home and quilted them.  They are all lap sized.

Click on any of the pictures so see them enlarged.

What a wonderful 4 days we had; we even had a snow storm while we were there but didn't really care because we were inside surrounded by friends and happily working away on our wonderful hobby.

Peggy

Naniboujou Lodge

This past week-end I spent 4 days with twenty four quilter at Naniboujou Lodge on the north shore of  Lake Superior.  We had the lodge to ourselves since it is closed for the season and only open to groups.  The weather cooperated so we were able to go for walks along the shoreline or just sit on the swing and watch the surf on the lake.

Everyone was really ready to spend the days quilting.  I forgot to take pictures of the end results of the week-end but I took lots of the work being done.

And lastly my Sock Monkey which I finished today and will post the final picture tomorrow,

I used a tablecloth for my design wall.

This was the fabulous room that we quilted in.  There's Pat waving to me as I snapped the picture.

Next year I will remember to take pictures of the finished quilts.

Peggy

Going on a Quilt Retreat

Tomorrow I am off to a quilt retreat at a Lodge on the north shore of Lake Superior near the town of Grand Marais Minnesota.  The Naniboujou Lodge is located on 3,330 acres of land 125 miles northeast of Duluth, Minnesota.  

The Lodge

One end of the dining room

A larger view of the Dining Room

What a beautiful place to spend time with friends for the weekend quilting, enjoying some fresh air and not having to cook meals for 4 days.

We will be there from Friday to Monday and hopefully get lots of quilting finished.  I have packed quite a few projects and know that I won't get them all finished but it gives me lots of choice for the weekend.  There are no phones, televisions or WiFi in the rooms at the lodge.  I will have to find a house phone to call home when I get there to let others know that we arrived safely.

I also hope to take lots of pictures and will post them when I return home.

Peggy.

Retreat Time And Some More Blocks

The Quilt Therapy Group needed a little bit of therapy so we decided to have a 3 day retreat.  It was held in Joyce's beautiful sun room this year and we all accomplished a lot of work and even went shopping one morning for more fabric.

Pierina was working on making pumpkins.

Four delightful Pumpkins

Three more and a little bit of decoration on 2 

of them.

She also made placemats to match but

I didn't get a picture.  I will

on our next therapy day, next week.

Joyce is making a purse.  The fabric could be summer or fall so it isn't too late to get started on it.  She picked up this beautiful fabric in Duluth when we were there in late May.

Lovely fabric

Joyce is quilting the inside of the

black flowers with black thread,

and then filling in some of 

the lines around the white and black

areas.

Maria has made 6.5 inch squares that she will

add to a wall hanging.  They will

become pockets on the wall hanging for 

baby essentials.

She appliqued a heart on the top.

This wall hanging is for a niece who is

expecting her first child.

I was working on some doll quilts.

They came out a little larger then

I thought but they will be great.

Doll Quilt number 2

The borders are different and that will also

be the backing and binding.

These little doll quilts are for Toys for Tots

 and are given to less

fortunate little ones for Christmas with a

Teddy Bear wrapped in them.

I have also made up more blocks from my BOM quilts.  I'm a little behind but catching up slowly.  Summer is such a busy time that it is hard to keep up, but with summer winding down I will be up to date in no time.

Morning Glory Designs

Letter N and Nostalgic Nine in Nine

Letter O and Old Oak on Point

In Colour Order August Block.

Home from the Quilt Retreat

I arrived home yesterday from a wonderful 3 days of quilting with 3 wonderful friends.  We took time out to eat and have afternoon tea and we even enjoyed the hot tub.

My vehicle was so loaded down.

It didn't take us long to get the machines

set up and get to work

on our projects.

Joyce was making a Bed Scarf and

she had a nice screen room to

do use for cutting.

Still cutting.

Ready to be sewn together - 96 inches.

Maria is making a cushion cover

for her nephew who is

a fireman.

All finished.

Maria working on her mystery quilt.

  

Pierina is working on a table topper

that had large sunflowers on it

and around the border.

I finished sewing together these 10 inch

squares that will be made into

a twin sized twister quilt.

I still have to add a border before

I make the twisters.

I also completed my Christmas Wreath

in the twister pattern.

I think I have gone twister crazy.

All together

We did take time out for tea in the sun.

The back of the cabin (resort).

So peaceful.

Peggy.