Quilt Camp

Last Tuesday my girlfriends and I went for a week long quilt retreat, wow, you can get a lot done when there are no "real world" interruptions. All we did was quilt and eat, I think I put on 5 pounds, quilters are such good cooks!

We rented a cottage, this was our view from our sewing area, it over looks the channel that flows into Lake Michigan.
We watched the birds and ducks all week.

We had this new pattern called Lil' Twister by Marsha Bergren. You start out piecing your whole quilt with squares and put on the boarders.

Then you use this plexie-glass template (by Lil' Twister), position it on the intersections of each corner, cut the fabric around it, carefully move it into a new postition, then resew it all back together.

If you do it correctly, this is what it looks like. Fun pinwheels with a great pieced boarder.

Mary (the over achiever) then took her scraps left over from the pin wheel quilt and pieced them together to make this miniature pinwheel quilt, it's so cute. She also made this beautiful table runner and many, many more projects. She barely stops sewing to sleep!

This is Kay's version done in batiks.

Martha made a small wallhanging. Before

and after.

Deb's pieced blocks (Deb and I wanted large lap quilt size when they were finished so we started with a lot more bigger squares). The finished quilt is about 1/3 smaller when finished.

Debs finished quilt made with reproduction fabrics.

And mine, started out the size of a queen size bed,

And finished a large lap quilt. One thing about me I hate piecing (but love the look of pieced quilts), I would rather applique by hand or do machine quilting, so this was a challenge for me to piece the quilt and then cut it up and re-piece it back together. That said, I love the finished quilt. I did add an extra boarder at the end.

This was our view from our ironing board, I don't think I've ever ironed with a more beautiful view.

We also worked on many, many more different quilt projects, here are a few. Kay pieced this black and white with batik stars quilt as a wedding quilt for her granddaughter. This picture does not do it justice.

Our dear quilting friend is very ill and was not able to come with us, she loves Moda fabrics so we went and bought some and pieced her a friendship quilt. As soon as it's quilted we'll present it to her.

And Deb H. this picture is for you, Deb C. machine quilting! She said she finally has the confidence to do it after taking a class from you! She does a nice job.