A Quilt Retreat

Although I sew at home nearly every day, it is nice to get away and sew in a different place. In January, I had the opportunity to go with my best sewing friends to Canmore, Alberta and spend a few days sewing with them in a beautiful mountain location.

This was the view outside our window. 

We set up 3 sewing machines on the dining room table.

and sewed. . .

 and painted fabric with Shiva paintsticks. . .

 and did sashiko and hand applique. . .

 and pieced tiny pieces together into beautiful designs! (These strips are just 1/2" wide!)

Getting together with friends is always great time spent and when you share a love of something, be it quilting or something else, it just makes that friendship even more special! I'm already looking forward to next year's get away!

--Ann

PS - these are all creations from my friends!

Quilt Retreat

I spent the past weekend in the foothills of the Alberta Rocky Mountains with my sister and a lovely bunch of women. I can't show you what I was working on, but this is the quilt my sister finished. 

And this is the quilt top she was madly sewing on until the last minute. It's completely out of scraps - isn't it lovely?

This weekend was also the first snowfall of the season and I stood quietly under the trees and listened to the snow falling and the smell of the forest. And it took me back to a memory of our family spending time at my father-in-law's trapping cabin for New Years. The smell of smoke from a wood stove, the silence of being so far from civilization that you could hear the snow fall - and being able to fully be with the people I was with - no electronics to distract. 

What's your fav place to retreat to?

-Ann

Quilt Retreat

It's been a sluggish Monday morning for me - but that's pretty normal after spending a weekend quilting with friends at a quilt retreat. From mid-afternoon Friday to mid-day Sunday, we had no responsibilities and could sew to our hearts content. I'm just sorry I didn't take more photos to share with you!

Penny's quilt in progress

 I did some sewing on my sweet grand-daughter's quilt. The layout will not be the Sudoko-style layout I showed you earlier, but I think this one will be a little calmer with a little more white through the quilt.

Plan C - pattern by Carrie Nelson

 This pattern is one that I marked off to try from Carrie Nelson's book "Schnibbles times Two". The pattern is called Plan C and this is the smaller version of the quilt. I had some coordinating fat quarters I had picked up at a quilt show earlier this year and used them rather than the 5" charm squares called for in the quilt pattern.

Triple Irish Chain - FOR SALE

This one was the triple Irish chain quilt that I have totally fallen in love with! The colours are just beautiful and the fabrics are so pretty! I sewed the binding on the quilt, thinking I would hand-stitch it to the back when I got home, but my good friend, Imogene, picked it up and finished it with her beautiful hand-stitching! Thanks so much Imogene!

Do you take your projects on the road? Or have a group of friends that you can share your hobbies with? I love the way friendships grow from shared activities!

--Ann