Retreat finale

Home from retreat.  When I drive through these gates my heartrate slows.   The three women who own this inn have created something very special and I know I gush about it every time I come home. I don't even care if I sew, just to be here.  

We are in true summer here. A 5 day hot spell is coming starting tomorrow and it's going to be brutal.

 I'll start with some photos of what the others were working on.

Joyce used this book to choose 25 stars and foundation pieced them. 

She laid them out on the floor and we all offered suggestions on what should go where.  

She and I spent the most of Wednesday tearing off the paper from the backs, she took it outside to shake off the bits and you can see the color better.  She is a batik girl and definitely teal, turquoise, wine, purple for colors. It is a beauty.

Lisa was working on a big foot quilt for a member of her family

Jan was helping a grand daughter make a puffy quilt by doing half of it.

Barb worked her fingers to nubs to applique her vine quilt.  There are 13 rows, thousands of leaves, miles of vine, and it's stunning.  

Everyone was busy (except me) but I want to focus on Sally's project because it astounded me.  The patience of that girl. I can't understand why she doesn't go blind.  Sally works in itsy bitsy piecing. 

This is a pattern for courthouse steps that will FINISH at four inches. Each step measures 1/4 inch. It's absolutely tiny.  It took her a whole day to do this block because she was figuring it out and ripping out.

Now, being a new thing and being that she was in a room with other people she was distracted a lot so had a lot of angst as she ripped out tiny seams.  This piece above was going into the waste basket before I took it and said it would come home with me.  There are two mistakes in it.  One is very obvious and I'll fiddle with it but the other is almost impossible to spot and I know where to look.  But Sally is persnickety and so if it isn't perfect it isn't perfect.

These three were finished, declared good and went home with her. 

So. Every year we take a photo of our group and this time we wanted the innkeepers/friends to be in the photo.  From your right, Innkeeper Marcia, behind her, innkeeper/chef Sharon, Barb, Jan, Sally, Joyce hiding in the back, Lisa, Innkeeper Pat and me. What a great photo.  

When we go back they won't be there but they are moving to Grand Rapids so I can and will see them anytime. 

The torch is being passed to nephew Ryan, his sister and her husband. We know we will be in good hands but it will be very strange not hearing Marcia's laugh.