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

coasters for quilt friends

Last evening was our Christmas party for our quilt bee group

The stack of coasters I made were an inspiration from Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation

I used jelly roll strips sewing two together 

then cutting and making 4 patches

closeup of one of them

The back is Bobbins and Bits batik so these can be used all year

 The table setting was lovely.  We usually do a potluck for Christmas but this year one of the daughters cooked us a really delicious meal.

Here is my awesome quilt friends.  They are so special and what a special evening we had at Jackie's.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

I am linking to finish it up Friday and Link a Finish Friday
Also linking to Linky Tuesday Freemotion by the River

Scrappy trips, zendoodle, recycled shirts and Traffic Jam quilt

 This post is about the projects I have been working on this past week............
I started quilting the scrappy trips with #4 stitch on my Bernina...

 This is the largest quilt I have ever quilted....
Roll the extra fabric....adjust the tiny area to sew....sew....readjust....over and over...
I am loving this quilt even more....and am getting used to the routine of machine quilting it...

 Page from my creative journal where I used some distress inks for the background...

 I just got this new book and am really enjoying it so far.....

 Our Tuesday bee group is gathering recycled shirts and making quilts...
These are some of my blocks I have done so far....

Pat Sloan's Traffic Jam pattern....
I am trying out the sashing in this photo....
I had the strips on the table using it for my Brambleberry Friends quilt and thought I would check it for a possibility for this quilt...
The sewing of the recycled shirts blocks and Traffic Jam were sewn previous weeks...
but this week I am cutting out more strips and blocks for them between the quilting scrappy trips.....
Never a dull moment.....I always have fun projects to do!!!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Easy Triangle Tool

We had demo night at our quilt guild this month... Wendy Mathson demonstrated her new easy triangle tool...

This tool does all the measuring for you...

I used some charm squares.... marked the lines.... sewed on the lines.... cut them apart....

and in just a short time 20 charm squares... became 20 half-square triangles.... and you don't have to square up.... I bought my easy triangle tool from Wendy... but you can find them at your local quilt shop....

I used Roman Holiday charm squares.............................................. At our quilt guild there were 5 of our members who did demos.... another time I will post about the other demos.................. Smiles and hugs....Caryl

another finish

Last night with my Tuesday night quilt group... I finished another project in January... the Be Attitudes Be Warm mini quilt by Nancy Halvorsen... I added some heart-shaped leaves I learned from the FMQ challenge... It feels so good to have this done.... Smiles and hugs....Caryl

friends and flowers log cabin quilt

this is the final post about the block exchange...
the block exchange started last September...
I put the directions and fabric in a bag...
it was passed along to other members...
this photos shows all the blocks hanging at the May meeting...

I chose to use Amanda Jean's tutorial log cabin quilt blocks...
she gave me permission to use her tutorial...
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/
I made a block A and a block B....
then others in the block exchange made the rest....

here are the blocks sewn together...
I used Mary Engelbreit friends and flowers fabric...
and the white is garden dot...
now I need to decide if I want borders and what binding?...
this block exchange was fun and stretched me a lot on some blocks!!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

block exchange photos part 2

here are some more photos from the guild exchange....






more photos later...

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

block exchange photos part 1

here are some of the photos at the end of the guild exchange...

I am posting these for inspiration for exchange ideas...

we pinned the blocks to batting and hung for all to view at the meeting...

last September we each picked what we wanted others to make for us....
we put the instructions and patterns and sometimes fabrics in a bag...

each month each person got a bag of instructions and made two blocks....

more photos later.....
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

small quilt groups are the best

sharing our projects and sharing our lives...

several weeks ago I learned about the above block from Naomi...
I follow her blog...
it is a 3 seam block by Suzanne McNeill....
I shared this with my quilt group this week....
and here is where you can watch it on you tube....
I tested it with 5 charm squares...
but in the video she uses 10" squares...

and on the subject of small quilt groups...
one of my sisters is in a small quilt group in Arizona...
and the following photo I took when I visited recently....

they meet on Saturdays in the am for coffee/tea and goodies...
they have show and tell, work on projects and have lunch together...
I really enjoyed visiting with this group...
AND I really like My Tuesday night group too...

for those who aren't in a small quilt group right now...
it is something you should think about doing...
Smiles and hugs....Caryl