Friday, June 25, 2010

retreat recap


1. flock block progress, 2. checkerboard, 3. it's a sham, 4. red color study

Trying to write a recap of the retreat last weekend is difficult. It really was oh-so-wonderful, just like everyone says it was.

I got a LOT of sewing done. I only had one project that I took that was left untouched. That surprised me. Of course if I would have slept a little more, things would have been different. I was too excited to sleep! It borders on pathetic, I realize, but it's true. :)

The group of women I was with was incredible. Quilters are wonderful people. Bloggers are wonderful people, too. Quilt bloggers, well, they are the cream of the crop.

I had met Victoria last year, so I already knew how lovely she was. It was fascinating to watch her work. I may or may not have fondled her bin of scrap fabrics more than is socially acceptable. She has a fun (albeit messy) approach to quilting. Her stars are beautiful! She brought her kitchen sink quilt for show and tell. What an impressive work of art. V also brought her Accuquilt Go! cutter so we could try it out. Talk about a slick machine! I'm not normally a gadget girl, but I think I may need one of these!

Heather sewed with us for a few hours on Friday. What a humble and genuine woman. There were bolts of fabric that she designed sitting on the shelves at Gruber's, yet she was still hanging out with us normal folks, sewing quite unassumingly. She is also very generous. She donated a box of scraps to share...and my are they lovely! Thank you, Heather!

Mary is sweet and kind and I secretly hope she adopts me as her 3rd child. Her authentic quilt is stunning! As is her Hope Valley quilt. Her and I had a chance to talk while everyone else went to the MN quilt show, which was lovely and comfortable, despite the fact that we had just met. She's the best quilt model I've ever seen, what a ham! Thanks to Mary, I'm now working on my applique project with the highly acclaimed straw needles. It's amazing how having the right tools helps so much!

Shelly P. has a great sense of humor and she is one persistent quilter! She makes beautiful large quilts with teeny tiny pieces. Then she will say, "it's only a rail fence quilt." No only about it when the pieces finish at 1" wide. Her quilts are very impressive! We got to meet "her cowboy"...they are an adorable couple. I appreciate Shelly because she gets why I don't want my face plastered all over the internet without any explanation whatsoever. Thank you, Shelly! ;)

Shelly S...well she's a HOOT! You gotta love Shelly because you never have to wonder what she's thinking! She may be slow to pick up on teasing, but she's lovely all the same. Just don't smack talk against her beloved batiks or you may end up with your very own bag of scraps to take home. It was fun to pick her brain about machine quilting and to see her amazing work in person.

Rene is sweet and kind and generous. What a wonderful woman! She makes a great roomie, too. She may snore a little bit, but she is dainty while doing it. (Sorry, Rene, I shouldn't be picking on you!) It was fun to get to know her better and we had, as she put it, some interesting discussions about quilting and blogging. She was working on a quilt that had me distracted. It's definitely going on my "to do" list.

Terri is a fellow Wisconsin girl and she sure cranked out the quilt tops! Her fabric choices were gorgeous. She made us laugh! (If you ever lose your bindings, check your quilts!) I loved hearing her approach and thoughts on blogging and weight loss. So inspiring. It was fun to see her cute purse in real life, too...it is even more ADORABLE in person.

Toni is a hoot, too! It was nice having another woman there who has small children at home. I could relate with some of her stories all too well. This woman is AMAZING! She didn't buy fabric for a YEAR AND A HALF!!!! I can. not. imagine. She made up for it over the weekend, but I don't blame her one bit. Gruber's DID have one good sale going on. She was also a wealth of information. Did you know that laughter is good for the health of your liver? That's what I hear, anyway. :)

Doris is a great dinner companion and one meticulous quilter. I could learn a lot from her! Her applique pieces are so precise! Plus, she has great taste in fabric. She made an adorable little baby quilt that made me swoon. It was seriously cute! Her and I are planning to do a little swap on the side that I am excited about. (In contrast to the batik challenge that I somehow got roped into. Sorry, Shelly, I can't stop picking on you!) Doris and I live close enough that we may have a quilting weekend together in the not too distant future. Woo-hoo! You can tell that she is a retreat veteran...she had the slickest little setup with everything she needed right next to her sewing machine.

Last but certainly not least, there is Andrea. What an all around pleasant woman! She celebrated her birthday over the weekend with us. She was my other roomie and my Saturday morning running buddy. Thanks again, A! She told the BEST inappropriate stories and was kind enough to retell them to those of us who missed them the first time. She also dropped some great one liners. What a funny girl! She brought fabric and chocolate to share with all of us. Thanks Andrea!

Other highlights of the weekend included meeting up with my long time friend, Linda, for dinner at the Mexican Village. Yum! Both the dinner and conversation were so very wonderful. I also had the chance to take my dad out for dinner on Father's Day, which was great...I don't get to see him often enough.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my wonderful husband. What. a. gem. When I got home he and the kids were happy. The house was CLEAN. Plus, he didn't even flinch when I brought in my huge bag of new fabric. I love that man.

27 comments:

Shelly said...

I'm seriously covetous of your checkerboard quilt. What a creation! I'm so happy we got to meet live and in person; we HAVE to do it again. When I got home, my house was NOT clean, and I have no one to blame but myself! Keep in touch!

Meredith said...

So much was accomplished. I am glad you gave us links to all the ladies. This post makes me want to go on a quilt retreat

Linda said...

Love that flock block quilt! It was sooo good to see you over the weekend! I've missed being able to spend time with you.

Vickie E said...

great post! thanks for linking to the bloggers. There are blogs I didn't know existed.I am always happy to find new ones :)

Terriaw said...

Your recap just made me cry! Seriously! What a wonderful recap and description of each of us. Couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, I want to print this post and pin it up on my bulletin board above my sewing machine for inspiration from my wonderful new friends! I really loved our conversations about sewing, quilting, fabric, blogging, reading, husbands, dieting, and all the laughing that those talks sparked. My liver is feeling so healthy this week! Oh yeah, you go Kevin!

Jessica Christensen said...

It's a good man who can admit defeat to fabric. I told my husband that I was taking an extra suitcase in the car with me when I go on vacation just for all the fabric shopping I was planning to do. He laughed and said he didn't care as long as there was money for it. Silly, because he should really be concerned about the lack of room for it in the house. Sounds like you had a BLAST at retreat. Now I have retreat envy. And just what is wrong with batiks? I love them! :)

Jocelyn said...

What a wonderful retreat! And I am visiting all these ladies you mentioned. Great group of gals. Glad that you enjoyed your time away. Sounds like you were able to get a lot accomplished.

Jocelyn

Trisha said...

So glad you had a great time. Nice to come home to a clean home and happy family. Thanks for introducing us to your quilting buddies from the retreat. Some new to me blogs that I will have fun visiting. Love seeing the projects you worked on.

Cathy Hutton said...

LOVE the colourways in the Flock Block! It really works but I would never think to put the lime, teal and brown together with the blues! Well Done!

Rene' said...

Amanda, what a wonderful post!!!! Can I just copy and paste it onto my blog? ;-) It's funny because I was thinking the same thing as Terri...I would like to print your post and keep it on my studio bulletin board..actually I am going to do that....when I get back home. I really enjoyed meeting you and being your roomie (again, my apologies for the snoring). I had the best time. I love the progress you've made on your flock block quilt. We definitely need to retreat again...I didn't get the pillow sham lesson ;-) Take care and keep in touch!

carol said...

You sound so relaxed and happy...it makes my heart sing! Quite a difference from a few months back. Glad that you re-found yourself!

beth said...

Loved reading the recap of your weekend away. Sounds like you were in such GOOD quilty company!!
You got a lot done too! Woo Hoo!

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

Great post Amanda - you are so sweet!
And you are very blessed to have such a great husband. He's a keeper!

Needled Mom said...

Wow...how amazing it must have been for all of you! We all need the motivation of seeing all of that gorgeous work.

To come home to a clean house....the topping on the cake!

Cheryl Arkison said...

It all sounds so fantastic.

Cindy said...

I've never been on a quilt retreat. Sounds like a blast. How fun to have that many hours to socialize and sew at the same time.

Clair said...

I like the checkerboard quilt.

shellysquilts said...

Hey Amanda, It was indeed an amazing weekend. I'm still smiling (and my house was not that clean when I got home). How are you coming with your batik scraps? Have a fabulous week, my friend and happy sewing!

Thimbleanna said...

Wow CrazyMom -- it sounds like it was an amazing weekend. I personally think you should travel the country (well, at least the midwest) and go to blogger quilt retreats in each state. Heck, bring your little angels, we don't want them to be neglected. ;-)

Quilter Kathy said...

What great fun! And how lucky are you to have such a great DH...clean house AND happy kids!?!?!?

hook and needle said...

Sounds like your husband is a real keeper!

I absolutely love the red quilt, so vibrant and lovely. Makes me feel warm just looking at it.

tarabu said...

Oh, that's pushing me even closer to scheduling my own quilting retreat (even if it just means taking my machine to a hotel for a few days of quietude!)

The Fat Kid said...

I would love to know to know how you made the sham. That is soooo cute! ~ Lisa E.

AnnieO said...

It's a good thing, for moms and quilters alike, to get away from home and play with other adults. Sounds like you had a blast and got some fun sewing time too! Going on a quilt retreat is on MY bucket list :)

pratima said...

what a sweet post on your quilting retreat, Amanda :) So glad to know you had the most fabulous time with old and new friends! And you got to work on so many lovely projects... that's great!

Toni said...

With Terri and Rene - I cried and printed it out! Just the thing to read to kick my own (bleep) and get some sewing done (and BLOG)! I had a fantastic time - don't forget me when you and Doris have that weekend (she basically has to drive by me to go your way!) - or I'll host as long as you're prepared to sew with a kid on your lap! ;-)

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

ALL BIG CHHEEKY GRIN, all the way from NYC...
lovely recap... Boy did we have fun!
So great to see and sew with you again Amanda!!! hugs!