Camp Wannamakeablankie

I just got back from my local quilt guild's fall retreat, Camp Wannamakeablankie. We hold the retreat at a local church camp, about 20 miles out of Omaha, Nebraska on the Platte River.

Our rooms and sewing area are located in one building and we walk to the camp dining hall for all of our meals.

Our surroundings are so lovely,

and it is so nice to get away in the fall,

but what it really is all about is...

the fun and sewing!

I worked on my Ladies of the Sea quilt, doing some machine applique. I also had my latest Civil War Bride block along so I could take it around with me as I visited with friends. There were 86 members from the Omaha Quilter's Guild, with 6 friends from my small group.

I know I rebelled against the sewing of Halloween lounge pants a couple posts ago, but we did have fun (I am the one with white hair - funny how it is always white in pictures, I still see blond hair when I look in a mirror).

There was some wonderful piecing going on:

Some even got their entire quilt tops completed - the over achievers.

I will end with showing you Pam's beautiful log cabin made with Kaffe Fassett's fabrics.

All in all a wonderfully relaxing weekend. I have a couple days of work this week and then DH and I are off to Texas for a couple weeks at the beach in Galveston, some time with the cutest grandbaby in the world and his parents, and International Quilt Festival where I have included in my visit a lecture by Kaffe Fassett.

Happy Stitching all,

Cheri

Prepping for Camp

Woo Hoo, it is that time of year again, next weekend is my local quilt guild's fall retreat. YEA, 48 hours of sewing with my best friends. And the name of this little adventure - Camp Wannamakeablankie. I am spending this weekend getting projects ready to take to camp, mostly applique projects

I just finished my 12th block on CWBQ, the animal block.

I feel real momentum on this quilt, I have three more blocks prepped - patterns traced on the back and all the fabric chosen and cut.

I also have been prepping a couple blocks for Roseville Album. I am doing a machine blanket stitch applique on this quilt so today I have been tracing applique pieces on the fusible material and "windowing" (cutting out the center and leaving only 1/4 inch of the fusible material on the edge of each applique piece).

I have discovered a great method for stems when doing blanket stitch applique. Instead of tracing the shape of each stem individually onto the fusible, I iron a rectangle of the fusible material onto the back of the stem fabric on the bias. Then I rotary cut 1/4 inch strips off the fused stem fabric as I need them, remove the back paper and lay it on the fabric.Because it is cut on the bias I can bend it as needed on the pattern. Easy Peasy! Once I have the whole block assembled I will iron it all down and start on the blanket stitching.

I will have a Civil War Bride block for hand work, 2 Roseville Album blocks to machine applique, and I have a paper pieced quilt project all ready to go (actually the paper pieced project is going to camp it's third year in a row-I fondly call it my retreat project since that is about the only time I work on it). Way more projects than I can possible complete in two days but isn't that the fun of it? Sharing what you are currently working on, laughing and visiting with friends.

Woo Hoo, camp in one week!!!

Have a good weekend all.

Happy Stitching,

Cheri

A Few Minutes Here and There

This has been a very busy week and I don't really feel like I have spent much time quilting but I have managed a few minutes here and there on different projects. The above quilt is on the long arm, it was made by members in my local quilt guild and will be donated to the local hospice home.

Another few minutes spent on prep work on applique blocks.
Some pieces auditioned and fused on my next Roseville album block,


and after two tries at needleturn on that little kitty (specifically his difficult ears) on block 19 of CWBQ I am crying "Uncle". I fused on a wool kitty-no edges to turn under- and some ultrasuede feet on the rooster and chicken so I can soon continue on with the rest of the block.


The only part of quilting I really do not care for is making labels. Tomorrow I am going to a wedding and giving the couple a quilt, I have put off a personal label until this evening but have just finished sewing on the label.

So not much time spent on any one project but a little bit of progress on several different things.

Have a good weekend all and happy stitching,
Cheri

Under Duress

I went shopping for two things today, this wonderful pile of Kaffe Fassett fabrics for Roseville Album and the pattern and fabric for scrub pants. I DETEST garment sewing! My local guild's fall retreat is coming up and my small group wants to wear matching lounge/pajama bottoms. Maybe duress is too strong of a word, I have not exactly been threatened and I doubt they would kick me out of the the group if I didn't participate. I hate being a party poop, but I hate sewing clothing also.

I do not even make the cute tote bags everybody is doing because the straps are to much like garment sewing for me. When I purchased my sewing machine a few years ago I sat quietly thru the section on buttonholing and zippers in my new owners class - I could solemnly promise the instructor this Bernina would never make a buttonhole.

So this is my assignment for the next week or two...sew the pants. The fabric is kind of cute, the retreat is the week before Halloween so the fabric reflects the upcoming holiday. And seriously, when did patterns become $16.95 - Good Grief!

Until next time,

Cheri