This past weekend was a loooooong, lovely weekend! I had a retreat with my Stitcher's Etc. group at Hinkle Hill Retreat House in Bell Buckle, TN scheduled for Thursday through Sunday. But since I knew I'd miss my boat day with Todd on Friday, I took an extra day (Wednesday), which we spent on the lake . . .
It was really a gorgeous day. Blue skies and popcorn clouds! We didn't get into any rain (you never know when a little storm cloud is going to pop up, because of the high heat and humidity), but we did see rain coming down on the lake less than a mile away . . .
We could even see that the water was white-capping! It got close to use, but it fizzled out before we got any of it. The clouds always make for glorious sunsets.
Sigh. I could look at sunsets all the day long. So pretty!
Thursday morning I loaded up and headed out pretty early. My table mate *and* my bunk mate was one of my BFFs. We came prepared to be silly!
I had my area set up like I like it . . .
We had a good group of ladies ... twelve in all. This isn't the greatest photo, but it gives you an idea of our sewing room.
I also came prepared to be productive. I got a LOT (for me) finished over the four days. I kitted four wool applique kits (one is not pictured) . . .
I finished up my Christmas Quilt by getting the borders on it . . .
This is my August UFO Challenge project, so I'm glad it's done! Originally I'd just planned to add borders to the long sides, because the quilt is so much longer than it is wide, but after stitching on the three borders on both sides, I decided it needed something across the top and bottom, so I used the focal print to go across. I like the final look!
I also stitched together and trimmed over a hundred, 1-1/2" half square triangles; pieces that I'd trimmed from the Christmas Quilt when I pieced the feathered stars.
I'm not quite sure how I'll put them together, but I'm thinking it would make a pretty pillow sham.
I free-hand put together this little pumpkin wall hanging, from start to finish, Saturday morning.
It was fun! The pumpkins came from this Benartex panel . . .
It's got a glint of metalic, which is my happy place. I meant to use the leaves across the back of the piece, but I forgot. In fact, I just *now* remembered that was my original intent. That's what happens when you make things on the fly!
Saturday afternoon we all did this cute little zippered pouch:
Darling, right? And super simple to make. I love to do a group make 'n take! Then Saturday evening I made (or at least got a good head start on) another set of Jack-o-lantern placemats. I gifted a set to the local grands last fall. This set will go to the California crew.
I still need to applique the faces and quilt them, but the hard part is done!
I got some hand-stitching in, too, which was nice. We wrapped up late Sunday morning after a terrific brunch, but before gals started to leave, we made sure to get in a group photo . . .
See? A good group! I've already got next year's dates on my calendar!
:)
