Retreat Show and Tell

We are still at retreat this morning.  We've been fed our breakfast and walked out to the work room to spend the day in the sunlight filled room working on our projects. Some of us get up and stretch our legs from time to time with a walk.  The Inn is on over 130 acres and there are piney woods, a labyrinth, ponds, country roads to walk.  Lots to choose from and I usually try several paths as I walk around off and on during the day.  It's such a beautiful place to be.

 The morning had a layer of hoar frost on everything.  It was beautiful.

 And here we are, the Gate Crashers.  The name of the inn is The Inn at the Rustic Gate and we named ourselves the Gate Crashers the first year.  Some of our group couldn't be here this year so we were just nine.  But usually we are twelve.

Saturday night is show and tell.  We've had two days of sewing by then and take a little break after dinner.  These are mostly what we created from our buddy blocks from the year before.  We gave each person a fat eighth and they created a 12.5 inch block for us using our focus fabric.  There were nine returned to us and we were charged with coming back this year with a project completed from those blocks.  Some were more complete than others!

 Marilyn struggled with what she wanted to do.  Her focus was the brown floral and after getting her blocks back she knew she wanted to lighten the load a bit.  It took awhile for her to decide but the red and green blocks are just perfect. 

 Last year at retreat she made this storm at sea. Well, she made the pieces.  This year she assembled it and added the border.  It's gorgeous in real light.

 Sally didn't do the buddy blocks but she did finish this BOM top.  I don't know how many months are in your year, but she has way more in hers!  I guess a year with that many months would be the year I would want to be 29 again.

 After dinner and show and tell on Saturday night we play a game called LCR (Left Center Right) and use fat quarters for currency.  Winner takes all.  Last year Janet won the red/black/white color scheme that was chosen and she made this quick throw.

 This is what she made from her buddy blocks. It's really striking!

 Our friend Karen passed away last February.  These were the buddy blocks we made for her and this is the quilt. It will go to her mother or sister.

 Barb wanted a Christmas quilt.  She made a few more blocks so it would be bigger.She did this as a quilt as you go.

 This is Lisa's top. Lisa is new to quilting and does beautiful work for a newby.  But she's smart...she asks a lot of questions.

This is mine.  I added the little basket blocks because I, too, wanted it bigger.

 Nancy was working on this little quilt during the day using a very different technique for adding the sashing.  It was quite different and very easy.

 Here's a bigger quilt she did using the same technique.

 

Janice had a couple of t-shirt quilts to share.  The little sampler below is very sweet. I wish I could do little.  Maybe in my next life!

Sadly, by Saturday night we're all very aware that we have to pack up and leave by Sunday afternoon. There were some marathon sessions to complete projects started years ago, some new things begun,  and there I was, working still on quilting the same quilt I was working on the last time I was there.

This one.  Usually the quilts for me are on a back burner while I try to finish the things I do for everyone else.  This has been to a couple of retreats.  I'm close.  But not finished yet.