My first quilt retreat

 This week I went on my first quilting retreat with my quilting group that meets every week.
We were there from Monday to Wednesday.
It was a wonderful experience and we are planning another retreat next year.
I finished this Christmas mug rug today.   I started it at the retreat on my old sewing machine and the walking foot was not behaving so I had to finish this at home on my other Bernina.

 Here are just a few of the things I was working on at the retreat.  I started a small little book that has memories from the retreat.  All of my friends decorated a page and I am adding their photos and other things to the book now.  I used some sewing and Christmas stamps, markers, stencils, etc to make it fun!  AND some of them added little pieces of fabric to the book........so fun!!

 I took some of my journals and did doodles, lettering, etc.  I ordered the 72 Inktense pencils and I added the number and name and color of each in one of my journals.  I will be doing this same thing on fabric too.

 We were at Vina de Lestonnac Retreat Cener in Temecula.  It has a very quiet and relaxed atmosphere with lots of space and great light.  We each worked on our own projects from morning till bedtime!  AND the food was exceptional.  Photos of one breakfast and one evening meal.

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Weight Watcher Lifestyle

The new WW program started this week while I was on the retreat.  I wasn't worried about following the program because the app on my phone tells me the changes in points.  It was easy to fall right into the new program and I love it so far.  I lose weight very...very slowly and I am already losing weight this week after eating such wonderful delicious meals at a retreat!!

Anyone else on WW having any reactions to this new plan??

Linking to finish it up Friday and Linky Tuesday

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Ocean Songs panel

 I have always liked Laurel Burch fabrics and designs.  I purchased this panel in 2008....
It has been sitting in a basket with other of her fabrics....waiting.....
Last month I was looking for ideas for a block for an online friend....something blue...and something for her Florida home....anything and any size!

Sooooo.......I decided to cut up this panel and change it around and add other fabrics to it........
I added some of Pat Sloan's hometown girl fabrics...........

I decided most of it as I went along............it ended up over 12½" 

AND now I have scraps left over to add to other projects............love all these colors!  

Smiles and hugs........Caryl

mini quilt and 4 coasters

 I really like making these foundation pieced mini quilts and I just had to make another one.  It is similar to the one last week and this is a little larger.

 I do simple quilting around the blocks and I used varigated thread.

 Here is the back before I quilted the front....

 Here are four coasters I made from some string blocks I made from scraps of fabric.  Some strips were only one inch wide and ended up ½" in the block or less.  I usually like the look of straight line quilting but didn't like it on the first coaster....so on the others I changed to the #4 stitch at 3.5 wide and 1.5 length.  The fronts and backs are each quilted separately and then right sides joined together and turned and top stitched.  Very fun and very easy.

Here are the backs of the coasters....

Linking to crazy mom quilts finish it up Friday
and Connie at Freemotion by the River Linky Tuesday

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Christmas mini quilt and coaster

 Blissful happy sewing................this mini quilt is so fun to make....
I needed a Christmas mini in the spot where I had a Halloween mini hanging!...

sewing on a muslin foundation and no exact measuring of pieces....
finger pressing after each strip....such a delightful sewing project!

 Photos of the front and back before quilting...Laurel Burch fabrics.............

 photo of when it was in progress........

 Coaster where I quilted front and back separately....

 the back was a charm square quilted....separate batting on each piece...

photo before I put the top right sides together and stitched and then trimmed the excess...

So I had two finishes this week (small ones).....a nice break from some of my other larger projects

Some of the other projects I am working on....Allietare (Quiltvile............Another Part of Me (FB Gudrun's Quilt Crew)......Little Wishes (Pat Sloan).....Sloanie swap blocks......

Linking to crazy mom quilts finish it up Friday...
and Connie at Freemotion by the River...Linky Tuesday...

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Laurel Burch sun moon mini log cabin quilt

 I really like everything about this little quilt.....some of my favorite colors...
It is hanging on a pillar with a bright sewing area behind and the patio on beyond...
Also in the photo is the left side of the clothesline in my sewing room with my FGV blocks ....I have blogged about before...

 Here is a photo looking to the left where my strip tube ruler quilt is hanging...
We just got the brackets hung for the quilt rod and the clothesline several weeks ago....

 The back of the mini quilt...

 The front with flash....

Outside without flash.......

I have had these fabrics in a small bundle sitting in a basket for a lot of years.....
One day last week I decided I wanted to make a little project and finally opened the bundle!!
I used a muslin foundation for this project.....very fun and no measuring....
No ironing after sewing the strips.....I just laid the center down and estimated the strip length and sewed away....no need to iron in between...just finger press the strips open.  I learned this from studiojujuquilts on instagram.

Linking to crazy mom quilts finish it up Friday....

smiles and hugs....Caryl