Awesome Retreat (quilt photo heavy)

We couldn't have better weather on Saturday. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday it rained on and off but we saw the sun every day. It was the best weather to stay inside and sew, sew, sew! 

The Fall decorations were out. She always have such a lovely entrance. 

Let's talk sewing! 

Francine (on the left) was able to finish sewing the blocks and assembling this big beauty made from her scraps. Her sister, Françoise is holding the right corner. 

Hélène, the third sister, took all the leftover fabrics, cut them up in strips and sew them together like a jelly roll quilt. This is the backing for the quilt she made last year with those fabrics. It looked better in person. 

Lucie worked on her Highway 401 Stars quilt. Do to a mistake in the pattern, she has to undo all the little stars or risk losing points. The little star block is bigger than the big star block. Argh!! 

Francine, Françoise and Lucie worked on this Snow Friends kit. This is where Lucie was at the end of the retreat. The big panel is the centre, so lots of little blocks to go. It is so lovely that I asked Lucie to buy me one if she sees it again for sale. I love snowmen. 

Mary had such a wonderful quilt but I can't find the photo of the top. :(  This photo only gives you a very little glimpse of the beauty to come. Sorry, Mary. 

Nicole worked on a baby quilt for her first grandchild. She started the quilting on Tuesday morning. 

  

Sylvie, our prolific quilter, added the blue border on this one. Then, she quilted and bound it. But that was just her first item on her to-do list. 

This one got quilted and bound too.  

Then, she cut and sew lots of red and white strips. And cut lots of batting strips and sew them together. Curling them up together in a bias tape fashion, she stitched a curvy line in the middle. 

Look at the size of that batting roll!! 

It's getting smaller. 

The end result. The "twine" will become a Christmas tree skirt, (in a rope basket fashion) but that was for another day, another retreat. 

She assembled part of the snowman kit. Hat, mittens, scarf, and many more other blocks to go. 

Sylvie brought some prizes for us. She pull my name out of the hat. I'm so happy. This little pouch is so cute. It was wrapped in a fat quarter. What's not to love? 

Josee was mindful of our health so she gave each one a zero calories candy and a nice soak for our favourite laundry. 

Josee also brought us some puzzle and games. It was fun. You might be able to print this one if you wish. 

That's all very lovely but 

What did I sew? 

My machine needed a spa day long before the retreat but I was too tired all the time to take it anywhere. So, I sewed slowly. 

The layout of the light border started on Saturday morning. By Sunday, I had decided it was okay, so I sew it up. 

Photographed on Wednesday, right after the retreat. It's a better picture than the one in the sewing room on a rainy afternoon. 

Friends' Favourite came along and much progress was made on this one.  (not the final layout)

Someone suggested that I add a border between the blocks because "it is very busy". Yes, but I like busy, I like scrappy quilts, and besides, this border will make it harder to align all those little white squares! But I gave the idea a try anyway.  ... It's not agreeing with me. 

Back home! This big guy is not leaving my side, spying my every move to make sure I am not packing to leave again. 

 

Although, it looks sunny on the deck, this morning was anything but warm. Part of the landscape is missing.

It's very humid and cold (+4 Celsius), as I set the blocks and quilts on my deck to take pictures.  

I had brought (to the retreat) a big bag of flannelette square that was given to me a long time ago. Each bag, in the big bag, was of a different size or a different theme print. I got out all the snow ones and then some, to make this little centre. Back home, I trimmed it with a red flannelette I had in my stash. It will be bordered again with the light blue and white fabric you see here. Easy peasy, little baby top done. (well, almost) 

It was so much fun to work with flannelette, that I continued for a second one. All these blocks were the same size. I cut some up to make a horizontal sashing as the bag was running out of variety and I couldn't make more 4 patches. I like it this way. 

Looking in my flannelette stash, I found this cute heart print that matches the colours of the quilt. So, it will be used in the border. 

Also in my stash was this yardage print; the exact same print as in the quilt. What are the odds? It will serve as backing. Yay! They weren't on my to-do list but slimming down the big flannelette bag was, so I win! 

I also worked on Stained Glass. I added a few triangles. The ironing boards are far from the sewing station so I abandoned this as it was too much walking. It will be much faster to do this one at home. The girls loved that one. 

 
I also looked at a few (pronounce many) magazines for inspiration. 

Sometimes, life is hard but someone has to do it. ( Wish I was still there. ) 

Enjoy some sewing, my friends. 

;^)

Joining these talented ladies this week. 

Angela at So Scrappy

Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts

Cynthia for Oh Scrap

Alycia for Finished or NOT Finished Friday

NinaMarie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever

Happy ... Not Happy ... Happy!!!

I have survived another week without my co-receptionist. I deserved a reward for that, don't I? Haha. 

Of course, it's fabric. What else could it be? 

Black for Shoreline, Cream on White, because why not, and the others were on sale, so Yay! 

I got 2 meters for $35 which is very cheap because around here, a meter is between $22 and $26. The blue one is more expensive but it's blue. With cats! Cats! You know? Anywho. I can afford it with all the overtime I did lately, lol. 

I love your comments so much that when you said, in my last post, that the right block in the third row could go in the border, I just had to go and check it out. This is the block in question. 

It might not be as light as it came out in the photograph. Hmmmm ... I'm thinking .... 

Playing with Google Drive is getting a wee bit easier, not faster ... yet.  Although I am not happy with all the changes it made, especially with Microsoft Office programs, it brought me an UNEXPECTED bonus. 

The little white box (a.k.a. router) needed somewhere to sit. So, DH made some shelves. Now, look who has shelves in her sewing room. Insert "Happy Dance" here. 

Okay, they aren't the best looking shelves but with a few (lots) of scrap baskets, they should be fine. Anywho, I can always paint them or cover them up to match my chair. 

That's all very nice but did I sew last weekend. Let's see. 

I worked with a crazy brown print. It makes my head spin, haha. The left is made with 1.5" squares; the right one with 2" squares. What a different!! The big one was added to this quilt.

Framed 9 Patch got a new row, on the left side. How about some close-ups? 

Now, I'm happy with it. The lighter border will bring it up to a good size. Talking about the lighter border, I did work on that too. 

I am not happy with top right and bottom right. The 9 isn't showing enough. Should I take them apart or just start one from scratch? 

The usual 9-patch blocks. Only 3 this week,  

but I also did another Shallow Pond block. 

When I say that I can't sew one without the help of the seam ripper, this is what I mean: 

The little unit is wrong. See how the long pieces in it aren't going in the same direction as the others in the finished block? That's my problem. 

Of course, if I turn the unit to make the pieces go in the right direction, the green "line" is going in the wrong direction. When all the blocks are constructed the same way, with the seams all spinning in the same direction, it is so much easier to iron a top. Out came the seam ripper ... again. 

Anywho! I'll stop complaining and enjoy the fact that I can sew and I can buy fabric and I can go on a retreat. WHOOHOO!! Yes, I'm going on a retreat again this fall with the same lovely group at the same wonderful place. We are leaving next Friday. Can't wait. If I finish all the blocks for the Framed 9 patch, it will come along, so will Shoreline. 

Have a wonderful week everyone. 

;^)

Joining these talented ladies this week. 

Angela at So Scrappy

Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts

Cynthia for Oh Scrap

Alycia for Finished or NOT Finished Friday

NinaMarie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever

I Played Volleyball

We lost. I'm alive. Period. 

My beautiful co-receptionist is sick since Wednesday, 18 of Sept. I am so tired. Not only do I have to answer all the phone calls, but also all the people coming in, the emails, the snail mails, every payments, lawyer's assistants' requests, cleaning of every room after each client, etc., but also work half a hour longer because she finishes 30 minutes after me. I'm beat!

So, what did I sew? 

(We change our Internet from cable to fiber optic. Yes, it's wonderful. Nothing works the same. Not even the TV channels are the same. (Sigh!) I can't use Microsoft anymore because they want me to pay to have access to my files. I did pay to have the  Microsoft Office package but that was on the old system, now they think I'm a new client and I need to buy the stupid system again. So greedy!) (I am now working with Google Drive which I never worked with before. So, on this beautiful funny Saturday morning, I am learning something new.) (But I don't want to learn. I'm tired!) (Stop whining!) 

Anywho, Framed 9 Patch came out to play last weekend. 

This is the original top but I find it small. The plan is to add a "border" of lighter blocks all around. The second block on the bottom row (the navy blue) will be remove and will go in the "border". It is so light that it will make the light border look weird. So, out it goes. 

It is replaced by this red one: 

I have also done this one which is too "dark" to go in the border. Maybe I'll find another light one to remove and replace. 

This is one of the lighter blocks I did but not liking the black bears on the right top corner. Too much black in one spot. So, an emergency operation was performed on this one. 

 It looks so much better in the group photo after its full recovery. Look! One of them is brown! 

Still lots more to do for the border. I plan to sew some this weekend. 

Yes, I did some 9 Patch blocks too. Also finished a second grey Stained Glass. I'm not doing any in brown though. 

That's all for now because getting these photos prepped in Google Drive for the post is draining my batteries. Also, I want to enjoy that sunshine while it is still here. 

Have a great weekend, every beautiful one of you! 

;^)

Joining these talented ladies this week. 

Angela at So Scrappy

Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts

Cynthia for Oh Scrap

Alycia for Finished or NOT Finished Friday

NinaMarie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever