Keswick Quilt Guild Retreat

Last year, during The Gathering of the Guilds ( held every 2 years), Woodstock Quilt Guild were given a Sister guild.  That sister guild is Keswick Ridge Quilt Guild.  Last weekend they had their annual retreat at the Villa Madonna in Rothsay.  I was lucky enough to be able to go.  There were 13 of us in the basement and had our very own quilt shop in the next room.  There were about 43 of us all total.  I always have a great time and it is always easier when I am not hosting.  Here are some of the pictures I took and some of the little stories that go along with it.

I talked Joyce R into going on her first retreat.  I think everyone should go at least once, or like me go twice a year.  So here is Joyce sewing in her pajamas!

Susan H was working on a couple gorgeous projects.  Because there was only 13 of us "Cellar Dwellers"   I really got to know everyone better.  I did no know Susan spoke french!!

Janet M was working on her mystery quilt and a monkey quilt.

Joyce and I  have a friend from Newfoundland that we meet on our online Facebook group.  We meet her last year and she gave us both a bottle of wine.  We had decided to drink it together, so here we are.  Marie's picture is in the frame behind us. 

Sue laid this out and we all flocked to it!!

Darcy was quilting this weekend.  Love it!!

                                                          I made a couple Farmall bags

 Joyce and I saw a picture of a table runner and decided to make it.  I bought the spring looking fabric at the quilt shop.  I was surprised to notice as I as cutting it that some of it is the new Sandy Garvis and the other Vintage Modern from Moda.  Joyce made hers from the jelly roll strips that I have talked her into swapping.

Janet M as working on a monkey quilt.  Darcy started hers that weekend too!

Kathy bought one of my patterns.  She bought some beautiful fabric to make it, and probably helped me sell some more patterns :P

We had decided that we all wanted to make this new pattern.  It was in the Fons and Porter mag, designed by the Heart to Art designer (Nancy H).  Here they are.

 Janet M got the center of her mystery quilt done.

 

And Shell got a ton of work done on her block of the month. 

 

Until the next stitch!

Guild night

I had quilt guild last Monday yes last Monday.  I took pictures before the meeting so I could blog about it, still have not.  Now I have been on retreat and still no blogging.  So I thought I had better get my faithful blog readers updated on the projects I have been working on.  In fact I am quite excited because not only have I been stitching up a storm, I have crossed off a couple projects as totally finished!!!!!  I find it so easy to start a new project but very hard to finish.

I am on program this year at guild.  As one of the challenges that I decided to do, we were all given a box top.  The directions were easy, make something.  This is what I pulled out of the bag. 

 

I hung it on the design wall and I looked at it.  Circles.  What in quilting is circular??  I have been appliqueing a pillow with round flowers on it.  That was all I needed.  I decided on a farm scene and googled farm coloring book pages.  I have been investigating truponto lately.  So I worked away on it, labeled it and finished it in no tie flat, after I decided what to do.

The clouds, fence, tractor, barn and flowers are double battted, so they are puffy.  It is a very easy method that gives so much definition.  Here is a picture of them side by side.

 

So off to guild I go.  We put numbers on all 18 entries and the guild voted on what one they liked.  We had a double tie.  We had a tie for first and second, and a tie for third and fourth.  We drew numbers to determine the winner.  

  So I tied for first and won second place!!  I was very impressed.

My friend Joyce Richard made me the cutest wall hanging.  I just hung it in the sewing room so I can see it all the time.

 

Last month Shell did a demo on how to turn style applique a daisy  using your jelly roll strips.  I do not listen well, but I took the concept and ran with it.  I decided to trupunto the flowers, machine applique and then machine quilted the crap out of them.  After I had 4 blocks finished, I used Leah Daye's demo to use sashing strips to connect them together.  Then I decided to make borders for it.  I quilted them.  The corner blocks were thread painted.  I had read an article from Leah Daye on how to paint a flower, so I did that twice and then chose a simple one for the other two blocks.  I put it all together and did a reverse binding on it.  You sew it on the back first then machine stitch it down on the front.  I did have problems with this.  I changed stitches and had a better time after I took off my walking foot.  A label and a hanger and it was finished.

I will try to blog again very soon as I have more to share.  Until the next stitch!