"The Retreat" ~~ Finished!!

Way back in July of 2019, I attended a quilt retreat in Baton Rouge with other members of the BRMQG. After I got home, I finished up the top and added it to the bin. A couple of weeks ago I dug through the bin and chose this top to quilt. 

A little blue thread, feathers in the border, and some improv quilting.

I don't know what I did unless I really look at the individual motifs. In other words, I just had fun.

The back of the quilt is this solid blue linen and, because it was too small for the top, a plaid flannel. They look good together but I'm not real sure what's going to happen when it gets washed. 

I took lots of photos of the back so that I can go back and look at those motifs because some are new-to-me ideas. 

		Quilt Stats
	Name:	The Retreat
	Size:	48" X 60"
	Fabrics:	fabric from stash
	Pattern:	my design
	Backing:	from stash
	Batting:	100% Cotton
	Binding:	fabric from stash
	Quilting:	improv with various motifs
	Completed:	2020

BRMQG Retreat -- my projects

Remember reading about the Baton Rouge MQG retreat at the River Retreat House over the July 4th weekend. In this post I highlighted some of the works my friends created. 

Finally, I get to tell you about the pieces I worked on. Admittedly, I played as much as I worked. So the end results won't be much, but nevertheless, here they are. 

I started with the Sugaridoo row that needed doing. I'd packed one basket just for that purpose. Honestly, I didn't like it but once I saw it with the rest of the quilt, I decided it fits right in. Of course I went with the improv option and then improv-ed more as I played. Sometimes I have three white strips, sometimes four. I did make one more to fill in that gap on the left, but for some reason, I didn't get a photo. Isn't the top looking good though? There will be separations between the rows. 

I brought a kit that I'd put together last year. It's as simple as a quilt can be: 8" blocks of various stripes and plaids. It took an afternoon of sewing to slam it together. Of course, I strip pieced it running two blocks through the machine like runner on steroids. I was grateful that the parts to my machine had come in and I had put them in place. Zoom! Zoom!

The plaid quilt was barely folded when I started another. This time I was working with lots of text fabric, some scraps and no one idea in mind. Naturally I kicked it into improv gear and let myself go. I got this far, having decided that I would include small pieces of green to break up the text chunks.

Then Glen decided to mess with me and threw in one of her blocks. I didn't even notice it, according to her, for quite a while. I was in the zone, man! But there was this nagging that something was needed. Boom! I'm not telling her but it think it's that tiny corner of teal that gave me the idea.

As luck would have it, I had a large scrap of teal that looks like it has strips of newspaper on it. Could it be more perfect?

So into the quilt wide chunks went. And basically, I built a chunk and found a spot for it. There was no rhyme or reason. Occasionally I'd look at the whole piece through the camera to get a clearer perspective, but mostly it was simple. 

In the end, I had three long pieces that fit together quite easily. But I do not like that line right down the center. Something will have to be done about that before it can be quilted. I have a few ideas and am open to suggestions. Please share them if you can think of something, anything. 

 

BRMQG Retreat!

Oh my goodness! I had such fun at the Baton Rouge MQG retreat! We stayed at the River Retreat House in Baton Rouge.

 It's a beautiful brick home with a studio area that wraps around the side and back of the home. It sleeps 11 but can accommodate more in the studio if there are some day-sewers who can't spend the night. 

I worked on four projects: my Sugaridoo BOM row, two postcards for my sister, an easy 8" square top, and an improv top using some of my text fabrics. 

But let's talk about my friends and their projects. They are all so talented. Can you imagine coming up with these beautiful tops? Of course, none of these are mine. That's another post.

We all got lots of work done. But...

We also played. Glen brought the quilt people. And they had a bit of a party. And...

These two flirted a while. They met on the top of my machine and decided to hang out there and chat. The fella must have liked that bobbin know because he sat there all day. Eventually he was forced to move along. (I was there to sew, after all, and needed a bobbin wound. Sorry fella.) I think we can find him in my toolbox with the rest of the group.

This happy crew visited on the bed of Glen's machine. They had a grand time chatting and getting to know one another. They returned to their places and got back to work. So let me introduce you to my retreat friends.

Joni and her top that reminded me of "Storm at Sea" quilts.

Yvonne who spent her weekend working on this improv piece that is almost completed.

I won this pretty bag in the first door prize that Brenda contributed.

 That would be the same Brenda who completed this top. I wish I'd gotten a picture of the whole top. It's really stunning.

Crissi finished up this beautiful top. It's paper pieced from a pattern, but I don't remember the author.

Belinda completed this lone star top and then quickly worked on her flag quilt, which is much larger than shown in this picture.

This is Glen's completed London Fog top. Many of the pictures are hers. I snagged them from various social media, with permission, I think. That would be Glenda happens to be Quiltswissy of Quilts and Dogs fame. 

During the first Corona quarantine she hung a different quilt on her front porch every day for over 40 days. Her goodwill was noted in the newspaper and on television, so I count a real celebrity among my friends. She happens to also be president of CCAWS the animal welfare people of Baton Rouge. 

Baton Rouge MQG ~~ March

As the coronavirus begins it's march through Louisiana, I've been thinking of several things. I have friends in every corner of the state, most of whom are my age or older, and it's a bad time to be 60+. 

Most of those friends are quilters who live in the Baton Rouge area. I hope that all are well and I will get to see them at the next BRMQG meeting. If you are in the wake of COVID-19, please be safe. If you're lucky, as my family are, keep the world in your prayers.

These pictures are from our March meeting. Aren't my friends talented!

Stay safe, everyone!