What A Wonderful Weekend!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, I just had a very busy week last week and was out every night, then on Friday morning left for a weekend quilting retreat. I was lucky enough to be invited to a retreat with a group of gals that have been getting together twice a year for a retreat at Crieff Hills, just about 45 minutes from home. To say it was wonderful would be an understatement. Unfortunately, I didn't get very many pictures, but I will share the ones I did get with you.

Here is Valerie modelling all the Fat Eighths she has received over the years at the retreat.

I think she's looking for Vanna White's job!

Then we have Bev who insisted she was reading, but I have my doubts:

Jean finished up a quilt she's been working on for a long time and was happy it is finished:

After Bev woke up, she finished this beauty:

Bev also loves to paper piece and she was working on these miniatures for our Quilt Show tombola.

Lee whipped this up in less than a day - it's gorgeous!

Laureen was working on the cutest little doll beds that are then attached to a top - I wish I had taken a picture of the pattern but she has made all the little dolls and the quilts for the tops of the beds:

I made more scrap blocks.

When I got bored with that, I started sewing my Blue Rover, from Mary's pattern Red Rover. I seem to have more blue in my stash than anything else (other than florals and we won't even go there) so this is my attempt to use some up.

What would a retreat be without a little shopping expedition. A few of us went to Greenwood Quiltery on Friday afternoon and when I saw this quilt on the wall called Birthday Presents, I just couldn't resist.

Actually, I did manage to resist on Friday but by Saturday when someone else was going, Nikki had managed to talk me into getting one of the two remaining kits - she bought the other one!

Finally, I finished the binding on this little quilt. This quilt gave me more headaches. I've frogged the quilting twice on it and I'm still not happy with it, but it's as good as it's going to get. I am convinced there is 'something' in the backing causing my tension to go off intermittently. When I applied the binding on my domestic machine, the tension was off on the back too, so it wasn't my longarm. I wish I had known that before I spent hours....and hours...and more hours frogging it. I managed to snap this just before my little quilt inspector plunked himself down in the middle of it.

Here is a close-up of the quilting - I used my Circle Lord Swirls which has quickly become my new best friend.

It was a wonderful weekend, but now it's back to reality. The laundry is already calling my name.