Virtual Retreat - Join Anytime

[Lois B.]

Me again. I have been so busy sewing but it's not been quilting. My daughter is bringing her fiancie to visit in a few days. The slipcovers on the furniture in my favorite sitting area were in such a disasterous state that I decided I had to replace them before the visit. Truefully, they were in sore need of washing and I felt that one more washing and they would disintegrate. I moved my sewing machine to the sitting area bc making slipcovers requires much trying on and adjusting and I couldn't carry the chairs upstairs nor would there have been room for them in my sewing room. The job is done. But, I tell you, if any of you hear me say I am thinking of doing a similar job again, please steer me in another directions. This is what has been keeping me busy for the last 2 weeks. Please excure blurry picture. Regardless you get the idea.













Hopefully, I will soon be able to return to my sewing room. Moved the machine back there today. Cut out a bag project.

[Lois B.]

Brenda,
Thanks to your comment we're all having a better day!
May God bless your work time as well as your 'play'time!
Luann

[wendy w.]

Lois your lovely furniture will be good to relax on at the retreat it's so pretty I'm glad you covered it for us :P :lol:

Susan your forest fabric looks inspiring , another technique I'd like to try one day perhaps on a much smaller scale.

Did someone say chocolate :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[wendy w.]

Thank you for the link Luann I've got lots of ideas for fun things to quilt now How's the ice dyeing I hope you show pics as it goes along.

[Lois B.]

Artmama, Good to see you here. You remind me I have some of Ricky's hand dyes to do a convergence quilt. Also been wanting to appliqué flowers from picts from the garden. It's soon lilly time. Hope I have the time when the inspiration hits. I guess the trick is to make the time. How do you do that?

Geneva, Love seeing your work area. I also was inspired by how you turned the upholstery pict into a block. Thanks.

Wendy, I want to make little birds too. They are darling. I have a pattern waiting for me. Now I have to find some woolen fabric.

Happy quilting. Today it's garden work for me. I have someone coming to help me trim my spirea hedge to the ground. It blocks the view of my driveway and I have a bunch of great nieces and nephews who visit my brother next door. They ride their bikes up and down our block and I want clear view for them and for me. It can grow large again when they get older.

[Judith A.]

Lois, Your slipcovers and table are beautiful. And I would rather see children riding bikes than a hedge too.

Judith

[Judith A.]

Lois: Brilliant! Kudos to you! I am so impressed, I just might give slipcovers a try. They've always intimidated me. Hope the fiance is fully impressed. When's the wedding?

[Joanne K.]

LuAnn would love to pop in from time to time. I am in the middle of making signature blocks for my son & his fiance. They chose crazy quilt blocks I am now adding some stitching to the crazy quilt blocks , their getting married in Oct. Also working on an art quilt for a group COF. Love your shibori and your design wall.

Lois wow what a wonderful job you did.

Artmomma love your convergence quilt !

[Catherine S.]

Wendy, thanks for the tea. And, LuAnn the chocolate is wonderful. When I quilted a t-shirt quilt for a boy who was into sports, I quilted balls-soccer, baseballs, footballs, and basketballs in the border. He was also in cross country track so I drew a figure running and quilted it in too. Now if it was for my son, I would have to put if fishing poles, hooks, guns, and animals. He is a hunter and a fisherman like his father. I don't think we get ball games on our TV.
My GS backed out on me today. The other grandma had a day at the lake with his cousins. I can't compete with that. That gives me more time to work on cleaning up my mess so I am happy. And I can finish up the Nora Roberts audio book I am listening too.
LuAnn, he started sewing when he was 8. I have a treadle machine here too that he loves. Other grandma has one in her basement too. She does not sew, but will not give up the machine. I use my treadle occasionally. I am going to use it for my spool quilt when I get time to cut out the fabric. That is on my UFO list for this year. Now I must finish reading the forum, throw a load of clothes in the machine and get to the sewing room.

[wendy w.]

Using the treadle will be fun.

Hello AuntJo pleased you're joining in. Hope you get more sewing done than I have so far.

Lois I've cut up on old cotton/linen skirt to make the birds and am using some wool felt for the wings but you could use any fabric.

[Annis C.]

Retreating is not on my agenda right now, but I am preparing backs for some quilts that will be quilted by check. This is most of what is at my city home right now, not counting the batik fabrics. I did have to move stuff out of the way to take this picture and it looks like I need to go shopping to fill the empty bins! On the left are the quilts that will be quilted by others. They will be delivered soon so will have more empty bins. I'm having the valances made by someone else too. It's hard to let go of something you can do yourself but my time is so limited right now and that's just lots of long straight seams to sew and I know someone that has the right equipment and can do a great job. In the middle are my red and white fabrics. I need 16 more wall hangings and have a stack of layer cakes that will make a lap quilt. On the right are the fabrics for my DGS's quilt. The pillowcase and quilt back are already made. I just need to design and make the quilt front. That has a deadline for November so maybe it will get finished in time.




Then there is a virtual quilt. It is from a workshop with Maggie Ball, Bargello with a Twist, a few years ago. I'm not sure if I want to do the left or right version. I'm thinking of making it a rectangle instead of a square. It will be made from leftover fabrics from a larger quilt so the final version will depend on the amount of fabric I have. I'm thinking this will be a virtual quilt for some years to come unless I get inspired some day or take it to a real retreat.




For now I'm back to bookkeeping, and this weekend I will be turning the retreat center back into a family gathering place for a birthday party later this month and our annual 4th of July celebration. And I might even put a quilt on the frame. I'm enjoying seeing what everyone else is working on.

[Lois B.]

Lois: Brilliant! Kudos to you! I am so impressed, I just might give slipcovers a try. They've always intimidated me. Hope the fiance is fully impressed. When's the wedding?

I didn't know how to make them either, but you know fools rush in…. But I had taken a draping and drafting garment sewing class in college/HomeEc major. I cut out rectangular pieces with 2" to spare on every side for every segment then pinned to fit. It's really not too bad but it would be easier if you could put the chair up on a table for pinning and fitting. This old lady doesn't work so well from the floor. I made them as if they were a maniquin and I were making a dress. I don't want to do it again. This was the second time and I figure it would be so easy. Just rip them apart and you have a pattern. But let me tell you it's hard to remember just how they go back together. It might have been easier the first time. Glad it's done.

The wedding is July 18. It's a second marriage for both with the kids on both sides adoring each other. They believe they are all getting married. I am a happy grandma/mother right now. Small wedding, just parents, siblings and kids.

[wendy w.]

Lovely Lois have a great family time. They are so lucky they get on so well

[wendy w.]

Thursday at retreat I took a field trip. First I went to UPS Store to return a malfunctioning TV receiver, next was a stop at the Ace Hardware Store. There I found these two lovelies, for a TOTAL cost under $50.00. Yeah, still find it hard to believe how affordable these turned out to be!





Once I got them back to the relaxation station, I went for supper at Bakers Pond and Garden Center. Very different here in SC, compared to Wisconsin. There's a little cafe in the back of , well, just about any establishment!!
Now I'm off to guild meeting. Oh, I forgot, I picked up 7 books at the library about dyeing, painting, and embellishing cloth. Not too disappointed that they didn't have the book I was searching for. Oh well,,, maybe I'll bite the bullet and order it from Amazon.
No telling what inspirations will happen tonight, but I'll post you about them.
Luann

[wendy w.]

Deleted the duplicate