Quilt Retreat March 2014

Presents quilt by Joni

     This past weekend was my annual quilt retreat.  I meet several of my friends up in Hillpoint Wisconsin at Homestead Quilt Retreats.  We have been doing this for several years.  At first all the meals were cooked for us and man they were delicious.  The past couple of years though we have been on our own for food.  No one contacted me to contribute this year so I wound up just providing meals for myself.  I was only there for two nights though while the majority of the women were there for four nights.  On Friday night Nancy made a delicious vegetable soup that she shared with everyone, me included.

Honeymoon quilt by me

     I got up there around 2:30 on Friday afternoon after stopping at Patched Works in Elm Grove WI and Millhouse Quilts in Waunakee WI.  I left there on Sunday just before 2.  I spent the entire time sewing except for a quick 8 mile run on the hills on Saturday morning.

Another of Joni's quilts

     The first day I pieced blocks from a kit I had bought about 9 years ago.  I had cut all the pieces at home and by the end of the evening the blocks were all sewn.  They went together much quicker than I thought they would.

Nancy and one of her scrappy quilts

     The next day I worked on the honeymoon quilt for my daughter.  While they were on their honeymoon she collected fat quarters from various shops that reminded them of their travels.  She is not a quilter but does a great job picking out fabric.  I had cut and pieced the blocks at home and then took advantage of the large design wall to lay them out.  Got several suggestions for moving a few of them and then I started to put them together.  By dinner they were all together.

Quilt by Lori

     After dinner on Saturday evening we had a little ceremony to remember one of our fellow quilters that had died recently.  Things did not go quite as planned.  We wound up laughing so hard.  We figured Denise would have loved it just the way it turned out.

Looking good

Aloft!

Oh no it hit a tree!

     I wound up piecing together the blocks I had put together the night before before going to bed.  That meant I had no other projects to make.  I had even pieced a block for Eileen for her block of the month quilt.

Lori's house quilt

Book used for house quilt 

     The next morning I cut the fat quarters I had purchased before to make a Turning Twenty quilt for the last niece's high school graduation (which won't be for a few years).  Afterwards I cut out 6 pillowcases for my grandson.  I am making him one for every holiday.  I didn't sew any of them because I need to embroider his name first.  Just before leaving I decided to get the borders on the honeymoon quilt.  I was going to do it at home where I have a larger cutting table but I didn't want to waste my time there.  I got the borders on and then it was time to quickly pack everything up and head home.  I wish I had had more time but with all my teaching classes I couldn't get away any earlier.

Chevron quilt

Detail of chevron quilt

     I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the quilts that were made that weekend.