retreat sewing

I spent the weekend at a retreat near Walker, Minnesota with a lovely group of women. I made/worked on a bunch of little projects throughout the weekend....I may have had project ADD! I was one of three teachers at the retreat. I love teaching, but I love to learn new things, too. It's fun when I can do both!

Jen taught an English paper piecing hexagon class. I've made a few hexis in the past, but it was nice to learn some tips and tricks. This was my first time using the pre-cut paper pieces and I really liked them! I used part of a mini charm pack in 30s prints...a perfect match for this pattern. I love it and I will probably turn it into a pin cushion. Shocker, I know!

Kandi taught a few classes....one of them was a fabric painting class. We painted Osnaburg (a linen-like fabric) with fabric dyes. The next step will be free motion quilting to add the finer details. That will be a stretch for me, but I'm hoping for the best! It was fun to get out of my comfort zone and try something new and completely different.

I taught scrap management and I turned the slab that I demoed at class into a mini mat almost right away...binding and all. Finishing feels good! I usually make mono chromatic slabs, or full on scrappy slabs, so this two toned slab was a fun departure. The quilting is a concentric squared off spiral. Quick and easy!

I did a little sewing for fun, too. It's been awhile since I made a thread catcher and I love the patchwork version. I used a Carolyn Friedlander's favorites mini charm pack (are you sensing a theme here?) that I was hoarding for this project. Felt great to use it!

It was nice to have this on my desk while I was sewing. It was a good place to collect those tiny scraps and triangles that I should throw away, but I keep them anyway!

One more mini charm pack project...I started making a small baggy pouch, pattern by Aneela Hoey. I LOVE these little pouches. So cute and such a great size. It was nice to get the patchwork pieced and quilted. Whenever I get back to this project, the assembly should be quick. Perfect for a last minute gift!

And one last thing to share. My table mate gave me this portion of a vintage quilt top. Isn't it gorgeous? It's plenty wonky, but it needs to be used. Perhaps I could turn it into throw pillows? I'm not sure. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Retreat sewing is fun, but at the end of the day, it's all about the people. I'm so thankful that I was able to be a part of a wonderful weekend with such lovely women! A big thanks to Rhende for all her hard work to make it happen! And of course, it's always good to be home. Sick kids and all.

Happy Monday to you!