Retreat Reflections 2016

It's been almost a week that I've been back from the New York quilt retreat. I've been looking thru photos and reflecting today....

Sharon...

The best darn retreat organizer on the planet.

This girl thought of everything, and I do mean everything.

From supplies we might need to games and prizes, 

even change so we all had tip money throughout the week.

Games...

For some strange reason, they thought I would be the ringer

who knew all the answers...

Ha, you can see that was not the case!

But I did manage to come out of the week, with some great prizes.

:-)

Patterns...

Lots of quick little one page patterns that are perfect for retreat projects!

Sharon also provided us all with these "retreat survival bags"

Socks, slippers, snacks, puzzles...

The hair elastics are for our spools of thread and bobbins.

Boy, do they keep your loose threads in check!

OK, not everyone got the memo, on their use!

:-)

I can still hear her asking, if we thought she was pretty!

We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites just outside the Elmira

airport for the week. We had a meeting room to stitch our hearts away in.

It was a little small, but fine for the 4 of us.

Projects, projects, projects...

This was a mystery project for us.

It's from FreeMotion by the River's blog

You can find it right 

HERE

This is what happens when the "teacher" doesn't bring all her strips with her!   LOL!!

Great way to "save" the project though.

I have to laugh to see that with the exception of Mary, we all did a 

great job of hiding behind our projects.

Shame on us!

Sunflowers are from Pie Plate Patterns

I shared a little "ultimate" scrap busting.

A week worth of stitching with friends...

...yielded some fabulous projects!

Too many to share in one post.

If the week couldn't have been better, I got the greatest gifts from the girls.

Could they have pegged me any better?

Ann, who couldn't join us this year, stopped in to visit and bring gifts!

We missed her so much during the week.

Mary knit these socks for me, after my drooling over the ones

she was working on last year!

Gail made us all thread pretties. These pop onto the spool pin on your machine to dress things up a bit. 

Whew, those are little stitches and oh so cute.

Yep, they are the greatest!

I wish there were not so many miles between us.

Once a year is just not enough.

There's lots more to share, but that's for another day.

Keep on Stitchin!

Playful Paper Piecing with Island Batik

When I think of playful, I think of the times we've gone to Disney

to get our "silly" on.

So, my first thoughts turned to that Disney experience.

A quick search lead me to Fandom in Stitches.

It's linked for you!

:-)

They offer so many fabulous paper pieced projects.

I knew that Disney was one of the themes...

Oh they did not disappoint!

Lightening McQueen!

Is he just the cutest.

This was created using fabrics from Island Batik 

Sea Salt Sandy Collection along with London Fog,

on a background of "Sprinkles".

Now that's a face you just have to love!

:-)

My fellow Ambassadors will be sharing their projects this month as well. Make sure you don't miss a single one of them.

As always, I will have a wrap up at the end of the month for you.

Til then...

Keep on Stitchin'

Island Batik April Showers wrap up

April was a splashing good month.

The Island Batik Ambassadors did a spectacular job with their projects!

Here's a wrap up of what was shared....

My fellow ambassadors posts are linked for you below!

Be sure you check them all out!

PurrfectSpots

PamelaQuilts

Lemon Tree Snippets

Ark Angel Creations

Desert Bloom Quilting

FreeMotion by the River

Quilting Affection

Stone Cottage Quilts

Bejeweled Quilts

For Quilts Sake

Maria Michaels Designs

Sally's Quilting Corner

Inchwork Fabrics

Kauffman Designs

MooseStashQuilting

Bea Quilter

Teachpany

Adele Mogavero

Patchwork Breeze

Kissed Quilts

Knitbug2

Fun Threads

Webster Quilt

What's next you ask?

Paper piecing!

Playful paper piecing that is...

Our fingers are busy,

 so stay tuned!

;-)

Home Again, Home Again

I'm baaaaack!    Run for your lives. LOL!!
The retreat was a raging success, but then there was never a doubt. Seven days of stitching and socializing with the greatest gals and I'm plum worn out!   ;-)

My flights were perfect. Accept those EARLY morning hours. I think they tried to kill me!  LOL.  What beautiful photos you get that early.

I can't begin to rave enough about Delta. They were the best flights I've ever taken. 

Can you believe that they provided us with breakfast in the boarding area in Elmira? All this and a giant pot of coffee. It was so unexpected and so appreciated. It brought back a reminder, of past days of air travel.

The MooseStash Machine took a tumble.

It took a dive off the bag cart at the hotel. Yours truly was driving.

Gheez!  What can I say. I'm so glad it was on the way home. It would have been awful, not to have been able to sew for a week.

It went into the shop today and I should have word in 2 weeks on her.

Stuff happens, and it can be replaced.

:-)

On the up side, I can finally share my big secret!!!!!!!!

Do you remember me speaking of a secret awhile back?

Well, the cat was finally let out of the bag. We get to share the Row by Row Experience, for this year.

I designed this one for B-Right-On! 

Here's a better photo for you.

All this is new to me...

I hope everyone enjoys it, as much as I did designing it.

And a big thanks goes out to "Primsy Doodles" for allowing me 

to use their artwork.

I don't know about you, but I am excited for 

this experience, to get underway.

:-)

There is so much to tell you. Retreat photos to share, but my time is short right now. I got my airport badge today and start back to work tomorrow. Full time for a few days, but I promise to post soon!
                                                     
                                                Keep on Stitchin!

Cat's Meow!

What's that saying, when the mice are away, the cat will play?

Rats!!!  That's not it at all.

But it worked so well for this project!

LOL!

This savvy bunch of boys are "Kitty Kups".

A combination pincushion and tool holder.

The pattern is from Cotton Ginnys.

You can see more of her fun patterns

HERE

These boys are headed to my quilt retreat with me.

Yes, by the time you read this, they will all have been adopted out!

:-)

I really couldn't think of anything better to remind those 

wild and crazy girls of me. 

There is just something about these guys staring at them forever...

Let just say, it's my little way to get even with whatever they have 

in store for me!  It's always a raucous good time!

Keep on Stitchin'