Northern Mi. Quilt Retreat

Last week was my bee's annual quilt retreat, we are so blessed to be able to get away for a week to a beautiful log home over looking Lake Michigan. Our views from the sewing area are perfect, the colors of the sky and lake continuously change.

We had some stormy weather which makes staying in quilting all the more wonderful.
The following are just a "few" of the projects that were made.

Over achiever Mary pieced this spectacular Christmas tree skirt.

Kay made a tee-shirt quilt for her grandson with his out grown tennis shirts. Her blocks were so nice and crisp, not tee-shirty looking at all.

My daughter came up for the day (then ended spending the night when a storm came up, which was wonderful). She finished piecing a wool quilt she started several years ago. She's going to add black wool boarders.
(Thank you Sandy for all the beautiful wool!)

Martha pieced this summery piece, it would look wonderful on a wicker chair in a sun room.

Our bee challenge this year was using the left over pieces of fabric from the quilt we made Lillian last year. These were made in memory of Lillian.
Martha made the pillow, Lillian had one in this pattern in her sun porch where we quilted. The buttons were from Lillian's button box.
Kay made the wall hanging on the left (she still had to put on the binding), the block pattern was the pattern we used in Lillian's quilt. She added the hearts and hand-quilted it.
Mine is the middle one, it's called "Gracie". Lillian never had any children and loved her cat Gracie. Gracie passed away a few months before Lillian.
Mary made the next one. Lillian had named our group the Log Cabin quilters years ago, Mary made a Log Cabin Friendship Star, actually a Friendship Star in a Friendship Star.

Some of us made this style purse with purchased handles. Mine is made with flower printed wool I dyed for the main body. I love how the clasp are off to the side.

Kay's with hand-dyed wool.

Martha was this great "black butterfly" cotton.

Kay also did a batik bag. The purse easily come off the handles so you can change the bag out.

We had some visitors peak in our windows.

And stay for breakfast.

Mary, who made the intricately pieced tree skirt also made this apron from a Debbie Mumm panel.

She finished piecing this wall hanging.

I was hunched over machine quilting the whole time I was there, except for the small break to make the purse. My neck and shoulders were sore but I finished quilting my grandson's Christmas quilts (I had them pieced before I came). This one is for the youngest, the center is a cute panel with reindeer hanging out the windows stringing Christmas lights on the tree. I pieced the pinwheel blocks around it. The striping along the edge is the binding waiting to be turn back and hand sewn.

I quilted this for one of the twins, binding still needs the hand sewing.

This one I finished before but I brought it along to put the binding on.
I'm going to secretly put them on their beds Thanksgiving night to start the holiday season, they have no idea I made them.

Mary made this very time consuming purse. It's still was not finished, the pocket flaps need big buttons,

the binding needs hand sewing and the strap needs to be put into the side hooks.
It looked like a designer bag, I don't think anyone could do a nicer job making it.

Kay made this great scrap quilt with lots of different batiks. I love it.

A neighbor Eileen Bien who lives near the cottage (Mary met her at a quilting class back home and became friends with her) invited us over for lunch and show and tell. I love this quilt she designed of different "Suns". The workmanship is beautiful!

Living on Lake Michigan you have a lot of inspiration.

And speaking of inspiration I captured this sunset when the sun was just going below the horizon. They say you see a green flash when it does, did I capture that flash?