5th Annual Crafty Friends Retreat is over

I had a wonderful time at the retreat! My time and schedule was my own except for meal times which are scheduled. I ate too much!

My first completion was one block from my BOM Civil War Tribute. It was BOM 3 and took much longer than I expected. I had to figure out the finished size of the HST in order to get the block to overall size.

The second completion was a set of patriotic pillowcases for my GS. I will get them to him in time for voting day in November.

My third completion was a standard bed size reversible fleece blanket. It will be a Christmas present for MIL. It is black on one side and has white flowers with a black background on the other size. It went very quickly.

I have signed up for next year's retreat. I still have to find out exactly what dates.

Have a nice day.

21 hours until the Retreat

I have added an additional two projects to take with me. One is a double sided fleece blanket for my MIL. It is in black and white. The second is a project from my LQS that will be a table cover.

Yes I am counting the hours, minutes and even seconds.

I know I will arrive too early tomorrow morning. Check in is at 10:00 A.M. I really want to leave the house at 8:30. I would get there around 9:00. Maybe they will let me bring in my machine and projects or maybe not. I have a great book to read and will sit on the porch that surrounds the building where we have our retreat. The weather is supposed to be in the low 80's all weekend long and sunny every day.

I am so stoked that I have completed several projects at work this week. I am on a streak.

Have a great weekend.

5th Annual Crafty Ladies Retreat

On October 7 I leave for retreat. I cannot wait!

I have three projects chosen. The first is a BOM project that is a year old. The second is some more pillow cases for my grandson. The third is my current Breakfast Club project Cherry Cobbler.

More later.

Tonight is Friday Night Sew In

Right now everything is still packed up from our very recent second trip to Gatlinburg. I really don't want to unpack because I have Saturday Breakfast Club to attend tomorrow, so I will just have to do something other than sewing.

I am leaving in two weeks for the 4th Annual Crafty Friends Retreat starting October 1. I am really anticipating a great weekend with many successes. I haven't decided what projects to take with me. Last year I had several and left all that I wasn't working on in the car and only went out for another project when I had completed the first. It was the most productive retreat I have ever been on.

I am leaning on my paper pieced BOM Crystal Reflections. I started one block during the first trip to Gatlinburg and I feel that I am getting the hang of it. I would really like to make a major dent into that project during the retreat.

Have a great day.

Sewing Studio update

I have started to make progress in my sewing studio. You no doubt remember my moaning about it in several past blogs. Well it is finally getting the attention it deserves.

Last weekend I started going through all the "trash" that has accumulated in the family room. I have only made a dent; but a good dent at that. The recycle bin will be full next Monday. I may even stack several boxes of paper on top of the bin.

Once I get all the paper out and move the garden pots that have accumulated (I think they multiply like rabbits) then I will start to see more possibilities.

Last year during the back to school sales I purchases two or three book cases. They are waiting patiently for me in the garage. I cannot wait to put them together and use them for the magazines and books about sewing and quilting that I have gathered together over the years. How exciting to be able to go to a book case and pull out the very pattern I want. As I put things into place I will also be creating a database of title, pattern and location for each. Then I can go to the computer and say "I want a pattern with the Ohio Star" and find all the various books and magazines that use it. How exciting!

The other thing that I am so looking forward to is my sewing machines. Yes. I have many. Three or four are in the garage also. Mostly Singer machines, but also a treadle machine. I am going to get that treadle machine in working order for the next time we have a power outage. I will not be deprived of my quilting where there is no electricity.

I leave for my October retreat early this year. They had to change the date to September 26, 27 and 28. I so look forward to the friends I have made over the last retreats. I will be looking specially for Maureen. I haven't seen her since last year and I miss her kindness and gentle spirit. Some of the others just make me want to burst out laughing. They are a great group of women and I love them all.

Enough for now. Talk to you later.

Charity Quilts Donated

At Guild last night I turned in the two finished quilts and the two finished tops for the Alaska Maternity clinic. I returned all the fabric that I had intended to use for additional quilts for the Alaska Maternity clinic as well. I am sorry that I will not longer be able to make quilts for this worthwhile charity. I love making the small quilts and thinking about the newborn babies that will have a blankie to love.

My membership in Guild has been renewed. I was not able to stay for the entire meeting, but my main goals were to turn in the charity quilts and pick up the Sew to Win block for the November meeting. The winner of the October Sew to Win was so excited when her name was called. I was very happy for her. Even if I didn't win, I know how to make the blocks and can make one for my self. That is the advantage of being involved in the Sew to Win process. The November block is a pine tree with HST along the edges. Thangles were included in the package.

This will be another learning experience for me. I use the method of adding 7/8" to the finished HST and making a grid of 3 by 4 square the enhanced size. Then I sew along diagonal lines between the squares and created 24 HST without having to sew on a small piece of fabric along the bias. The HST do need to be trued up to the correct size and there is some waste, but the finished project makes the loss of fabric easier to accept.

This last weekend I made 240 HST triangles for "Navajo Tears" along with socializing at the retreat in 1 1/2 days and started putting the blocks together. My next learning experience will be making QST (quarter square triangles). My heart almost quakes.

I have the NICU quilt top layered and basted. It is ready for quilting and binding. My deadline for this quilt is Sunday, October 19. We will be making another pattern for the NICU. Wonder what pattern they will choose to teach us.

After guild I continued to unpack from the retreat. I have almost everything stored or in place to continue to work on my projects. I have so many projects that are scheduled for Christmas gifts that I will be busy all the time.

Have a nice and blessed day.

Daily Report

Last evening before the sun set I spent some additional time with a flash light in my sewing room trying to organize things and find two BOM packages that I want to take to my retreat in October. I found the packages and put them in my work satchel for the retreat.

We are still without power after 70 hours. I look at pictures of the aftermath of Hurricane Ike from Texas and know I have it easy compared to them. Still the thought of a shower or a clean set of clothes (Sunday is laundry day in our home) is really foremost in my mind. Our daughter got her power back yesterday and has invited us to her home for dinner, showers and a load of laundry. I am definitely planning on accepting this invitation.

DH is having difficulty dealing with the power outage. I hope that visiting our grandson will help him.

Have a great day, Karen

I keep finding things

Yesterday after work and before the sun went down I went into my old sewing room with a flashlight (yes, we still don't have power after 48 hours) and started rummaging around. I found several of my BOM packages that I plan to take to my quilt retreat. I also found another Kid's Komfort that needs layering and quilting.

It was really too dark after supper to do much. I don't see how our ancestors did any needlework with light from an oil lamp or a candle. How did they do that?

The dogs are adapting to the lack of lamp light. Although I think that they think we have gone crazy with the flash lights and oil lamps. I even am using a different alarm clock and they haven't figured it out yet. I get extra sleep time. Yeh!

DH is trying to adapt an inverter from his truck driving days to recharge his cell phone and laptop. Then he is going to try to get the refrigerator a little colder. We may be able to save some of our groceries.

Well, have a great day, Karen

Update

Last night was spent organizing my quilting supplies with the goal of being ready for the Crafty Friends 2nd Annual Retreat in October. I found the hiding place of several of my supplies and organized them with the retreat in mind. I also labeled some of my mini storage boxes so I know what is in them without opening. A simple solution to something that has driven me to insanity from time to time.

I am on countdown to the retreat. With DH health declining so rapidly I do not think I will be to many more retreats in the near future. Until he is so ill that he cannot be left alone and must be institutionalized, by primary role with be caregiver. I don't know how I will juggle work and caregiver, but with each passing day the definition has become more clear and even with rapid changes, I seem to adapt. God says He will never allow something in our lives that we are not already prepared to handle. I am leaning on the promise with all my belief.

Today I completed the minor pick up of clutter in the dining room. I moved the knick knack cabinet that my MIL gave us to a corner that is a little more out of the way in case DH falls in that room. Then a quick dust and put back with crystal that is stored there. I also moved one of the extra chairs in the dining room to a more convienient place so that DH can walk around the dining table with ease. Just a little thing to make his day easier. The other extra chair is where I lay my purse and carryall bag when I get home from work. A few things had piled up and I sorted them and put them were they belong. My mother always said a place for everything and everything in it's place. I am trying to apply this more and more to my daily life.

This afternoon I will be running some small errands and then home to more straightening. If I get all my goals completed I will allow myself all Saturday evening and all day Sunday for quilting and piecing. Now that is what I call a reward and there are no calories involved.

Have a great day, Karen