Retreat projects.

Were does the time go.  I had planned on posting the items I worked at retreat later in the week, and before I know it a couple of weeks have past.

Anyway here is what I worked on that weekend.  I started a new project.  there nothing more fun than staring something new. I know some people would say finishing, but if you look around my sewing room I defiantly like starting better. 

 This one will be a wedding gift, but I have lots of time the wedding not until 2014.  I knew that the bride loves green and white so decided to make a modern square in a square quilt using 4 greens, 1 blue and 1 white.  I completed the blocks but think I will put this away for a bit.

I also took a few Farmer wife blocks, I had per cut but this didn't work the best for me as I had made a couple of cutting errors so only finished 2 blocks at retreat.  Once I was home I able quickly finish the cutting I needed and finish 2 more.

I had a mental block on my flower quilt, I think it had sat in the same state for over a year.  I got a block on the applique border. So I was able to add the plain border that goes before the applique one, and then with a little help for one of the ladies get past my metal block and start adding the steams.  Not sure why this was such a block but am happy to be past in now.

I have not done much sewing since I have been back, the last couple of weeks the weather turned nice and I have been busy outside.

Borders

So many of my project just seem to come to a stop when I get to the border.  It's not that I find them hard, I just find that I want to move onto the next project.

So this week when I found I had a bit of time to sew I decided to be good and I added the simple boarder to two projects tat had been sitting for quiet some time.  I started by adding this black border to my jungle quilt, I think this frames it nicely. DH is really liking this one so I may have to give it to him once I'm done. I have a plan on how I want to quilt it, which is very usual for me. I found a large multicolour batik in my stash for the backing.

Then I move onto a much smaller project, this table topper. I had planned on making a checker board border, but I made hexie out of the left over charm squares - oops.  So just added more background to make the blocks float and will add simple binding in the rust.  The brown fabric will be the back, more fabric from the stash.  This I think I should finish quickly as its not very big and I'm sure I have a piece of batting I can use for it.

I still find myself thinking of a new projects but hopefully I can be good long enough to get at least one of these finished.

Jar Table Runner

I had decided that I was going to go some simpler sewing. This translated into finishing a project that I had stopped part way through the quilting.  Normally I stop prior to adding the border or before quilting, so not sure why I didn't finish this.

Super pleased with how this turned out, so bright and fresh

Last weekend was DH birthday. Can you guess what his name is LOL.  We decided to include the kid -so we when bowling, then prime rib buffet for dinner, then back to friends house for cake.  DH is a big Dr Who fan and had been asking for a TARDIS cake. I baked the cake and a couple of our friend's decorated it. They have not see Dr who so was going of a picture. He loved it.  It was a great day, everyone had fun, we will have to do it again.

Hexie

I have been seeing a lot of hexie - English paper pieces around.and decided I should try it too.  Little Miss was gave me a solid charm pack for Christmas, so decided that would be nice to try with.

These are small, 6 hexie from one charm.  I think I will do light grey between these to make a pillow. 

Why try on one project when you can try on 2?.  These are a lot larger. Each hexie is made out of one charm square. These charm are left over from a small project, and there was just the right amount for the table topper I want to make.

And there was Shopping

As this trip was about a family vacation I wasn't planning on getting much quilting related shopping done. I was planning on 2 stores. Now things didn't go to plan and I didn't get to any store on the way to Seattle. DH may have felt a bit guilty and made sure I got to 4 quilt store.

 The first store I visited was in the Seattle area.  I didn't know much about this store except a friend had told me about how much LM would enjoy the shopping area it was in (see last post). 

It was Keepsake Cottage Fabrics.  I have to admit from the outside I wasn't sure that I was going to find anything, they had a lot of country fabric outside, but once I was inside this store there was lots to choose from. It was packed with different fabric selections. I picked up some fabric for my Farmers Wife and a pin cushion with tread garbage attached.  I had been planning on making one for at least the last two year. I thought this one was cute and the best part, no assembly required.

The next store was The Quilting Bee in Spokane. This was a large store with tons of fabric. It would be very easy to decide that you wanted to do a new project and buy all that you needed while at this store. I was good and stuck to my list of fabrics I needed for current projects. I picked up more of the pink I'll be using as first boarder and binding in LM quilt. As well as a possible main boarder fabric.  OK the magazine containing the kit for coaster was not on my list, but everyone needs something to read when you're on holidays.

The third store was in Bear Paw Quiting in Coeur d'Alene. I picked up a lot of notions at this store. I think I could of picked up more if my little helper was not being so helpful.

A while ago I picked up "Salt Air" charm pack and instead of making a small wall hanging or pillow I decided to make a lap quilt, so I found a background at a LQS but wanted more fabric from the "Salt Air" line for the boarder and binding. I thing the flowers will be the border and the strips will make fun binding. The best part about this store is I found the last of the items on my list.

So I could look just for fun when we stopped in Bonners Ferry at Alley Fabric Nook.  This seemed a little strange after making myself be faithful to the list. I did pick up another candidate for the boarder on LM quilt.  I am planning on piecing the back so the one not used as the boarder will end up in the back. 

I was still good a pick up a charm pack, with a couple of fat quarter so I can make something out of it.  I not big into the traditional Christmas fabrics, but like this line. I think it more transitional, as it not really modern or traditional. Not sure which Christmas I'll use it by as I have to come up with the right project first.

All in all I was happy with these stores and would happily go back to any of them. I was very pleased that I could find the items on my list, so now I won't have to wait to find fabric for some of these projects.  I am also happy with myself as I could easily have picked up fabric for lots of new projects.