Left last Friday - October 1st and what fun!! I headed up the coast and got to Bayshore early enough to stop in and see all the quilters at my favorite group! Friday evening 4 of us worked diligently on a lap quilt for our hairdresser who remarried in August. It ended up that 6 of us and 1 husband go to her!! So we organized a nickel quilt "Sunny Lanes" throw for her with everyone contributing blocks and time! We didn't get as far as I'd hoped, but we took the blocks to retreat with us [5 of us were there] and got the top and back together Monday night. We handed it off to our LA quilter with glee!!
Saturday, V and I left for Salem where Quiltopia was this weekend. We both have children in Tigard and had arranged to stay with them Saturday night. We meandered thru the country-side, from quilt store to quilt store!! Ate an awesome lunch at a local burger joint ... Burgerville! When you're out in our area you've got to try it!! They buy locally and change the menu to reflect what's in season! Yummy!!
Quiltopia had a boutique ... oh boy! We had fun there - scraps, FQs, yardage and books and magazines galore. We attended a lecture showing an awesome antique quilt collection. Then headed up the road for our lodgings with family that night!
V had it alittle easier than me!! Her family was out at a party. I was babysitting Mr M while mommy and Miss P went to a birthday party!!! We laughed and laughed about her phone call to me while I was chasing him down! He's a busy boy!! We wheeled everything with wheels back and forth between us. I rarely get him alone so this was a bonus visit.
Here's a picture of Miss P and Mr M with her princess quilt - she's also in her princess nightgown from us too! Notice the other pink blankie to the right ... yep, that's the one that's falling apart! Never very far from her.
Sunday morning V and I headed for the 'mother lode'! Yep, we went to Fabric Depot and enjoyed looking thru their acres of fabrics! Then we found "Cool Cottons" in a funky little neighborhood that we wished we had more time in. But on to IKEA for a lunch of Swedish Meatballs and a quick look-see thru their showrooms. Women on a mission, indeed!!
Made it to the Menucha retreat center with 15 minutes to spare!! I know you're all wondering what made it to retreat ... Mr M's big boy quilt blocks was number 1. I had a kit from years ago - Eric Carle's Brown Bear fabric line. Thought it would be perfect when the time came but it was too small for a twin bed quilt. So revamped it and did the cutting before leaving. I'm happy to say that I got all the blocks made! THEN I found a different Eric Carle quilt in the Fons&Porter Sep/Oct magazine that I like better. Oh well, there are bunk beds in his room ... two quilts from the same fabric could work - for twice the work, of course. How do I get myself into these dilemnas??
I also took the 'Birds of a Feather' hand quilting project and got a few hours in on it. Since the roomies liked sleeping with the windows open - I was glad I brought it, since I used it as an additional cover at night.
Monday morning, I taught 16 women the joys of fabric post cards at retreat and we had a ball. By the time I got the camera out, there were just 12 of us left!! I'd taken a paper ream box full of scraps and the peltex needed for the stiffener and everyone in class made at least one post card! I had also made "Menucha 2010" machine embroidery strips for all everyone at retreat to use in some way over our time together. A lot of them showed up in post cards and labels. I recommend doing a mini-challenge next time you retreat - it was a lot of fun and very little pressure.
Time for lunch ... more news next time!
