Girls weekend at the cabin

I have a group of women that get together once a week or so to do crafts together.

One of them, MC, has a cabin that she was willing to share with us about 45 minutes away.

One day she randomly asked if any of us were interested in going up with her one weekend.

OF COURSE!!

I replied back with the date that would work best for me and a bunch of the others also said that weekend worked and it was set!

We went this past weekend. yay!!

MCs 2 puppies came with us

Tina, Judy, Sam

There were 5 of us Friday night and 4 saturday night. 

I managed to get 2 of the 3 projects done that I brought as well as going quilt store shopping with Judy.

I finished and trimmed 100 Half Square Triangles and this bag for MC

 and the fabric:

if you could only feel this fabric. It said 100% cotton and we were not sure so the people at the shop even took a small slice and took it outside and burned it and it is cotton! feels like rayon or something else soft and flowy! It was in the sale rack so I can try this pattern I found.

some new cotton

I think my mom would like this! We were looking for something like this a couple weeks ago- oh well!

We got a lot of relaxing in!

 Great sun rise to a sunny day on Saturday

Saturday night we stayed up til 2 and then woke up to rain Sunday morning. 

loved this tub- and I got a bath in it!

main bedroom

living room and dining room

Loft area

Such a nice cabin!!

Great weekend. 

Thanks MC!!

I had a blast!

Quilting Retreat Sept 3013

Thanks to Abigail weaning and mostly to +Dave DeBaeremaeker for being so awesome! I was able to go to my quilting guilds bi-annual retreat! 

so here are a few photos and below is an album with all of them. 

enjoy!

So I left Friday morning about 9:30 am getting to the retreat center at 11 or so. (some construction traffic too)

 We stayed up in the mountains near Banner Elk, NC. It was fairly chilly up there when I got there. But it felt so good to sleep with the window open.

We had rooms to stay in and this great room to quilt in. 

On Friday night we got to play Strip Poker. 

Everyone brought 20 holiday themed strips of fabric. 

there was a dice that had: 

C-put one in the center

L-pass one to the left

R- pass one to the right

*- take the whole pile

X- skip a turn (there were 2)

(apparently these dice were from a game called Left, Right, Center I think)

We also added that as soon as the center (kitty) was empty everyone put one in. 

and then we just played in clockwise order. 

Once you were out of strips- you were out. 

We also decided that one of the loose a turns should be "take one from center" for the next time we play this. Which should be at our christmas dinner. 

This could be used with any strips theme- red, white, blue or florals etc. 

^^ Winners ^^

We also had a Challenge for while we were there. Everyone was given the same 10 floral fabrics and had to use all of them in creating something. anything. 

Since I was there for such a short time- i created and made something that seemed fastest and easiest to me. 

I only used 2.5 inches of the sample bits for my "English Garden" doll quilt. I was only there for one night so I didnt bring much with me so the yellow/beige is one fat quarter as well as the green. the binding I got from someone else. 

here is my basket that I made as one of our little projects. 

I made the small little basket from the scrap of the big bag. THAT was a pain to make that small. 

The doll is a challenge project from someone else. 

Group Photo

By clicking the photos below you can see more of the challenge projects and more of the quilters. 

End of Year Teacher gifts

Another school year is done. 

and that means End of Year Teacher Gifts. 

I wanted to have something that Zeke made AND something that I made - not just store bought. 

I got Zeke to paint and decorate some frames for his teachers. 

I tried to get a good smile photo as his teachers (and anyone else) have a hard time getting him to smile. 

I know I smiled a lot

 So Zekes teachers got a decorated frame, a smiling picture of Zeke, and a tea towel.

I took a regular tea towel and did some special stitches around the outside as well as putting a piece of fabric (that Zeke picked out) across the nearish bottom. 

I got a thank you note that said it was the best present. I will choose to believe that was just for me and not on every card :)

and the picture I put in the frames. 

Car bag

when we travel we keep a box of toys for Zeke to play with. in the box we have a bag for cars and books and other small toys.

The baggie that we kept the books in was getting a bit ratty so I decided to make one for myself.

here it is. no measurements , just from the top of my head.

Amanda's Apron

When I was in Canada I bought some cheap fabric to make a quilt. 

You can read all about that adventure here

My sister came over for a visit and was asking me if I thought I could make an apron for her. 

She wanted one that would fit her plus sized figure AND cover her boobs. 

I have never made one and I told her so. 

She was ok with my lack of experience. 

we had just one problem.

it was sunday and I didnt know about any local fabric places let alone if they were open. 

luckily for her I had bought some fabric for the previously mentioned quilt AND she liked it. 

The next step she showed me some of the ones she saw online that she liked. 

I cant do that!

Well maybe.... something like that.....

SO we started thinking and I started cutting. 

I did no measurements. 

I held pieces up to her and asked do you like this here or there, this long or that long.

She wanted a pleated front, with a rounded bottom and a sorta gathered top

holding it up to see if it would work

Details:
darts in the top

Apron strings

Sweet little bow

Rounded bottom.
that a wrap

Hope she gets a lot of use out of it :)