Thursday, March 31, 2016

Let's Quilt

We're here and we're quilting. Counting me there's 10 of us this retreat.  We've been waiting patiently for this day since last fall. We come from all directions and distances. In fact this time we have a new retreater all the way from .......  We have 2 Donna's and 1 set of sisters and 10 friends. Without these gals and others before them there wouldn't be a retreat. We work on our own projects, we share ideas, help, inspire, cook and crack each other up. I can't thank them enough. I started organizing my first retreat in 2013 and we have 2 a year since. I find games we can play and hand out prizes for the winner. Some times my retreaters even donate prizes. 
Here's Mildred trying out the layout of her quilt top. She is cracking out those blocks. Her sister is standing back observing and providing direction when needed. 
Sandy is the first to complete a quilt top. Again. This girl always finishes off a quilt the first day. Yes she came with it partial done but she finished here at retreat. There's always a great place to take pictures of our quilts. And Margie had a new prop. An old washing machine. Love this quilt.

Now one of the retreaters stood up and said "Who want's to play a game? Oh let's see maybe Carla should play this game by herself." So Donna Marie brings me a picture of each of quilt blocks and asks me to list who made each of the blocks at one of our 5 past retreats. The pressure was on! Oh Boy! Well I only missed 3 of them. Not bad I think. So then she goes "ding ding what does she win ladies?" and she brings back this rather large bundle wrapped in fabric and all the ladies start gathering around me. Okay I'm like what have they done and what's up? So when I open up the fabric I see this quilted wall hanging. OMG it's awesome!!!
Donna Marie had asked the girls who had the time and could to send her a scaled down replica of a block they made during one of our retreats. And she made this wall hanging for them to give me at this retreat. It was their way of thanking me for organizing the retreats. Even Margie provided a block. I feel very honored and humbled by these ladies. I currently have it hanging in my office cubical
 The label on the back Donna Marie took a picture of each block and labeled who made it.
 The Easter Bunny came early one night for dinner. Margie cooks dinner for each night and loves to set up the table to fit the evening/meal usual. And since it was Easter week she brought out the Easter decor. Too cute. 
Here's Donna Lynn trying to show Sandy how to use her automatic machine threader. It really got funny later that evening when Donna Marie the gal on the right found a video on how to use the automatic threader. OMG. The guy speaker sounded just like Forrest Gump I mean just like Forrest Gump. We started laughing so hard we couldn't stop. My sides hurt and I could hardly catch my breath.
Don't you just love the colors in this quilt top? Donna Lynn even started quilting it on her machine there at retreat. Wow and she did awesome. 
She even had a smile for me.
One of my quilters was stressing over a quilt top she was trying to make and decided to revert to her child side. She will remain nameless. hehehe
I might of had my usual glass of wine or two in the evening. I promise no fabric was harmed. In fact I had already completed my first top by the time I took this picture and it was squared up. Yahoo. Hopefully this one will be too. Well I should it is. I completed this top too. They must have taught me something right at this retreat. YAY



Here's Donna Lynn working hard on that crown royal quilt top for her nephew.  Margie helped her find a way to put the bags together without extra fabric per her nephews request. And it turned out great.
 
Here's Mary Jane's beautiful Stack N Whack quilt top. She's got the setting triangles in there and now she's deciding on borders with her sister Mildred's help.




One day we took a field trip to a quilt shop in Sweet Home Texas. The shop is called Sweet Home Stitching Post. It's just outside Halletsville. It's a cute shop with lots of fabric to look and touch. The shop owner and help were very helpful and sweet. The owners baby girl is really sweet too. 

 A sunset at the retreat. Just beautiful.

 Here's Cindy working hard on her Little Red Riding Hood block. Right before we left she was adding prairie points around the edge.
Similiar to her Aunt Joanne's hexagon log cabin here.

Here's Sandy's 3rd quilt top she's worked on at retreat. There's 4 more rows to go. She won't have to water these flowers. And she did finish before we left. This girl produces quilt tops when she comes to retreat.
Here's Mildred unsewing a boo boo that she and Mary Jane found on her disappearing 9 patch. They're sisters. I'm not sure how you find an error in this pattern but they did. It's a queen size quilt and it's really pretty in person.
Meet Margie the RR-Retreat owner.  She's the hostest with the mostest. She is a great cook, a woman of many talents, and the energizer bunny.  I'm not sure when she sleeps. 
This quilt is a 16 patch top that Donna Lynn finished before we left. She was quite productive this week.  This quilt, the crown royal and if I remember right she was working on another quilt. Now where is that picture......   
Here's the Retreat #6 Gang 
being ourselves.
I hope our two newbies had fun. We definitely enjoyed Joanne and Linda. Glad they got to join us.


Check out this early morning photo shot. That's the city of LaGrange in the clouds. Pretty cool huh? 
 

 Took this the morning we left. Some how and for some crazy reason I was up every morning between 7 and 8. Totally unusual for me. Hard to leave such a beautiful and peaceful place but home was calling.

Oh and if you're wondering... I can't post pictures of what I worked on until they are in the hands of the intended. Soon very soon though I will be posting those pictures.

Well we'll have to wait until this fall for our next retreat of laughs, more project completions, games, silly door prizes and quilting friendships.

Until next Blog post...A Lifetime's not too long to live as friends and a quilt is not too small to sew them in.







Tuesday, March 29, 2016

A Quilting I Went..

Before I went quilting I got to go to a baby shower of a young lady that used to babysit Pamela. Wow and now she's having a baby of her own. She's very pregnant, beautiful and having a little boy.

One of the games we played was placing the sperm on the uterus. Then the Momma to Bee pinned the egg on the uterus. Kinda like pinning the tail on the donkey. LOL The winner was who ever was closest to the egg she pinned on the uterus which happened to be me. I won a cute little wooden box with a saying a a journal. Very funny. Oh and another game we planned was where they dropped an ice cube in your drink then when the ice melts and the baby is free you yell 'My water broke' and you win.
This is Megan the sister who I think help create these games like giving each of us a wash clothe baby and if you lay it down someone else can pick it up. The person with the most babies win. Megan won.  LOL

 Rhonda got some of the cutest gifts like this giraffe. Or like these cute socks in her hospital bag. Love them
This is the cutest family.   Sister Megan  ... Rhonda..... and their mom Joanie...

Lilley (mom) and Sophie( baby)
After the shower I ran home packed the car, grabbed Lilley and headed toward Bryan. Pamela had a trip to Ft Worth planned and I said I'd come up and stay with Sophie for the night. David had gone to the farm on Friday so he was gonna meet me at Pamela's and stay the night with me and the girls. Lilley and Sophia have so much fun together. 
On Sunday I got up helped David with a little bit with few projects he had going and fixed a bite of breakfast. David was surprising Pamela with some shelving in the garage. She was surprised too when she got home Sunday night! Anyway I kissed him and the pups goodbye around 12:45 and headed toward LaGrange for Quilt Retreat. A week of sewing, laughter and friendship.

First stop is Las Fuentes Mexican Restaurant in LaGrange for an early dinner and a margarita with the gals before heading out to the Retreat House. What better way to start the week and start catching up with everyone.  And by 6pm we have arrived. This is our 6th quilt retreat....  Let the fun begin.

Okay I'll keep you in suspense for now. But my next post will have a weeks worth of quilting fun with my seamy scrapy friends. The Material Girls.
Until next blog....





Saturday, March 26, 2016

It's definitely spring in Texas

It's definitely spring in Texas. Everything is blooming. 
David said some of the bluebonnets are blooming he planted last fall at the farm but the clover is so high you could hardly see them. Hopefully they'll seed and we can plant more this fall and just maybe next year we'll have bunches of bluebonnets. 
It's a start anyway



While at the farm David completed the  hand rails and rebuilt the bottom step and he's now happy.  Looks great. Can't wait to go back and hang out on the deck. Maybe with a glass of wine this time. mmmm



Well this is not a very flattering picture but my nephew in Missouri thought it necessary to capture my reaction to my first shot of Fire Ball. No more words are needed.  
 



Last week 
while home during the day Pamela walked outside on her Patio and found this big orange cat sleeping on the cushion of her patio bench and Sophie paid the cat no attention. Pamela snapped these pictures and sent them to me. The cat just raised it's head like 'oh someones home. oh well' and went back to sleep. LOL
The 2nd day the cat was back. This time Sophie noticed her. She kinda grrr'd a little then went off to explore the yard and the cat went back to napping.
Sophie went to get groomed and got her picture taken and was ready for Mardi gra
 
I need to find a weekend to take Lilley back to this groomer. She did a great job and for a good price.

Things are blooming nicely at home too. I forget what type of
yellow rose this is but it's beautiful. It and another bush was growing in a flower pot and David decided to put in the flower bed along the side fence it's got big ole blooms on it.....





Saturday the 19th I have a baby shower then I head up to Pamela's house to babysit little Sophie for the night while Pamela hangs in Ft Worth for the night. I'm taking Lilley with me and David is gonna meet us at Pamela's for the night after spending the night before and day at the farm. Then on Sunday he and Lilley will come home and I'll head off for my quilt retreat. 

Yep It's quilt retreat time. I have several quilts to work on. I'll be happy to complete at least 1 maybe 2. I'll be taking one with me to hand off to Donna of Donna's Lavender Nest for sure. Just have to complete the borders.  YAY! It will be nice if I send her home with another one or two to quilt.  My project list is never ending and it actual seems to grow. But lets hope I'll get to cross off a couple after retreat is over. We'll see.

Well I was suppose to finish this blog and have it post while I was gone but that didn't happen so here it is now. I scheduled it to delay post but forgot to hit publish. Oops. I'm back from retreat now but have to go finish the taxes but right after that I'll be sure to blog about the quilt retreat fun and all the awesome quilts that were created while there. Stay tuned.

Until next blog...“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore”  - Christopher Columbus