Quilt Retreat

Last week I spent four wonderful days with friends at a quilt retreat. This is my eleventh year. We started as a small group of about 12 as I recall, and now we are at our limit of forty-five.  If you have never attended a "quilt retreat", please give it a whirl!  We have such a good time.  The best part goes without saying really---just being with friends that understand your passion for this crazy love of cutting up fabric, sewing it together and calling it a "quilt". Who else understands this except your dearest quilting buds!

We have a really special place for retreat. Unique, beautiful and peaceful. Located in the beautiful secluded hills and valleys of Healdsburg, California. No cooking! No cleaning! No classes! ---just rest, relax and sew. If you don't want to sew you can hike, read, swim and soak up the quiet or take an afternoon nap. The weather this past week was so nice. Sunny days with warm evening led to lingering evenings walking with friends after dinner, or sitting on the veranda enjoying the view.

The green valley and flowers are so beautiful this time of the year.

I actually did some sewing. Not as much as planned. I always try to take three projects, knowing that if I complete just one, that is a major achievement. (lots of time visiting, walking about the ranch, and eating!)----- I wish I could bottle the energy and inspiration that is shared and bring it home! It's wonderful!

A finished this string quilt top I had started at home. 

I cut and pieced another Double Slice Layer cake and started putting it together. Riley Blake layer cake.

I also started sewing on Sally's Bionic Bag I had cut out, but lost my way on step #2. I did manage to put in the zipper though.  Now that I'm home and I can concentrate quietly, maybe I'll figure out the remaining steps this week. It's a cute bag I want to make for all my travel machine do-dads.

Here I am at retreat trying to finish sewing on the last few inches of binding.

Showing Easy Street ---Finished!