W.O.W. -- White Oak Weekend: October 2012

A fine time was had by all.  No surprise there.  I'll be a woman of few words (for a change), since a picture is supposed to be worth a thousand of them.

Pat  was making a classic triple Irish chain in an up-to-date modern color palette:

Kathy put together another of the "sniper" quilts she is making for her Marine son and his platoon.  They are all solid red and solid white, each using a different pattern.   This churn dash made some of us see secondary patterns, which, oddly, are not so clear in the photo.

Nancy put together and bordered a queen-size quilt in blue batiks and white.

Our favorite over-achiever, Ruth, had several projects with her, including a good sized string-quilt and a small hand-pieced wall hanging.

Though I managed to get the first border on the main top of the Quilt from Hell, I discovered problems with the pieced border I was planning.  First, I was short of the two fabrics I had wanted to use, and, second, to use the background I chose, I would need to redesign the entire method of making it.   Forgot to take photos and am still struggling with what to do.   /complaining

I had brought with me twelve "pointless wonder" star blocks for another project destined for someone who has been very supportive during the past few years.  Got the blocks laid out and sashed, ready for a border.  Didn't like any of the possibles I brought with me, though.   (This seemed to be the retreat without borders for me!)

Saved the best for last.  Our dear Judy, was assembling some swap blocks of "cool" batik sawtooth stars on white using a setting that made small stars in the sashing.  The picture does not approach doing it justice.  It is an absolute STUNNER!  Lucky bride and groom who will receive it as a wedding gift!

As usual, I didn't take photos of a number of other projects. But, also as usual, we laughed, we sang, we danced.    These retreats are always a place to share, and to show we care.  I am blessed to have these opportunities to do so.

White Oak Retreat: April 2012

Between traveling and inertia, I find myself seriously behind on blogging, so here goes a first step to get caught up.  

Arrived home from Chicago on Wednesday night and, after work Friday, left for the much-anticipated spring White Oak retreat.  We had, as usual, a wonderful group of women where  I met Suzan for the first time, as I'd missed the fall.  The others the regulars I've known and loved for several (or more) years!  Here's what I worked on.

Started Friday evening with red, white, and blue star blocks made by the Uvulati for a quilt to be given to a veteran in hospice.  One of our international members, Judi, had sent fabric and I'd agreed to set blocks into a top.  Came out quite nicely, I believe:


 



Wrapped up that top on Saturday morning, and turned my attention to a top that I had thought was finished.  You may remember the pastel + fish jelly roll "mile a minute" I finished a little while ago. 

 

I had not planned to put borders on it.  But a few weeks later, in my LQS, I found this, which demanded to be added! 

So....  I added a white border first, then the stars, with green and white QST corner blocks

That project wrapped up and added to my pile of projects to quilt with my new QE4 (Pfaff Quilt Expressions 4.0).  

I seldom use a single line of fabrics for a quilt, but I was quite taken by the "Amelia" charm packs when I found them a while back and bought a couple, plus some yardage for borders.  I borrowed a book of patterns for "Schnibbles" from Pat Deck and found one I liked a lot.  Got the center of the top finished.

 
The last project of the weekend was one made of scraps that I'd pulled out sporadically but wanted to get done and ready to quilt.  The strips were done, so it didn't take too much to finish the main part of the top:  In one of my shopping expeditions I bought fabric for a small border but didn't get it added during retreat.

When I arrived home on Sunday, I discovered that the water heater had been leaking and I had a wading pool in the basement.   I do thank heaven for small favors, as, had it happened during my previous or succeeding trips, it would have been four days, rather than two, before I got home!   After doing the limited amount of disaster control possible, I unpacked my sewing stuff, keeping in mind that I was to leave for Paducah on Wednesday morning!

Quilt retreat: March 2011

As usual, an excellent summary of the retreat was posted promptly by Nancy,  before I even had a chance to put my projects and machine back into the sewing room.   But, as soon as I arrived home, D#2 and I jumped into "Violet" (my purple/aubergine/plum) PT Cruiser to take her back to college, a drive of about an hour each way.  By the time I got home to stay,  I was so tired -- time change weekend is always a PITA for me -- that I didn't move a thing until Monday! 

Bobbi brought this sweet finished top along for show-and-tell.  IIRC, it was meant to be an auction quilt for her church, but that was changed by later developments.

You see, my esteemed roomie (and partner in traveling and shopping),  Pat is also a collector of gizmos and gadgets.  Very generously, she brought along her "Go! Fabric Cutter"  in case anyone wanted to try it out.  Naturally everyone wanted to play with it.   A couple of us, including Bobbi, were so taken with it that new projects were begun on the spot!

Bobbi started a bright, cheery new top using the die that cuts tumbler shaped pieces.

[photo borrowed from Nancy's blog, since I forgot to take a picture]

Though I'd brought three projects to work on (ambitious, much?), I only got to work on one, but it was my top priority.  I started with these 12 blocks and an assortment of William Morris fabrics:

By Sunday, it was complete, except for top and bottom borders, which I'd cut but didn't have time to attach.

In the photo, it's laid out with the unsewn borders beside the almost completed top.  I attached the last border strips this week and hope to take it to the quilter this weekend.   It's a birthday gift and the party is April 10, so I need to get it finished ASAP!

Pat's birthday was this Wednesday and we surprised her by an impromptu (early) celebration when we returned from Saturday evening dinner.  Nancy brought a chocolate-lover's chocolate cake; Pat cut; we all enjoyed!


I had previously finished all the extra blocks for my Rubik's Rings, but didn't have time to work on it.  Did take a picture though.

I'm in no great hurry to get this quilted (though I'd love to get the top completed), as I think it's going to be mine. 

Making a list

Checking it twice, three times constantly. 

Quilt retreat at White Oak is this coming weekend!   I'm riding to Strasberg with Pat so I can leave my car for D#2 who is home for spring break.  And because it would be hard to find better company (much less a better roomie) than Pat!

Time to make my list of projects for the weekend!

#1 -- Top priority is to finish a tesselated stars begun at my very first White Oak retreat (2002 or 2003).  When I started it, the plan was to make a queen-size bed quilt for myself.  I set it aside in favor of other projects and it became one of my (now three) true UFOs.*  I have re-thought it in a smaller size (generous throw) as a birthday gift for one of my oldest friends.  Like all of us, he's getting even older -- his surprise 60th birthday party is in April.  The fabrics are William Morris repros, chosen originally because I love all things "Bill", but also perfect for "old friend", who is deeply enamoured of the Arts & Crafts style.  He and his partner live in a 20's bungalow with gorgeous custom built oak bookcases and furniture, including a gas fireplace with special order A&C-style tiles, and a cabinet with unique stained glass doors.  Scrumptious!  Have about half the blocks done already. Gotta finish the top so I can scoot it right off to long-armer and get it back, bound and photographed before party! 

#2 -- Next I need to set my set of "Almost Amish" swap blocks into a top as a wedding gift for the daughter of a work colleague.  I work in a small office with just six employees, and, while we do not constitute a social group, this colleague has been a blessing to me in a number of ways, especially since I've been on my own.   He helps me take the seats in and out of my car when I have to haul "stuff" to and from colleges, and is my ride when I need to leave my car at the garage for any reason.   I attended the wedding of his older daughter several years ago and made a quilt for a wedding gift.   This daughter will be married in Virginia, so I do not expect to be invited, nor can I attend, but I can send a gift.  Don't know much about their taste, but this should be a classic looking quilt so I'm hoping it will suit.

#3 -- If I can get to it, I want to finish my Rubik's Rings -- another UFO.  I'd pulled it out a couple of years ago (fall '08, if memory serves) -- long enough to determine that all my work setting it on point was useless because the blocks were totally symmetrical and the "frame" they really need can't happen if they're on point.

So I took it apart -- down to rows -- and have made enough more blocks for a queen-size quilt!   If  I get to work on it.  Fingers crossed...

*UFO = UnFinished Object   My personal definition is something started and set aside for a long time.  Last remaining UFO is the t-shirt quilt that was supposed to be a high school graduation gift for D#1 who graduates from college in May.  Projects that were never started don't qualify, no matter how long they've been on my "to do" list.  Nor do sets of swap blocks, whatever the length of time they've been waiting to be put together.  YMMV. 

Sewing: quilting and more

Last weekend was our semi-annual quilting retreat.  As usual, the company was superb, the innkeepers were fabulous, and progress was made.   Worked on a quilt for my German daughter and got the center section completed!   Need to add some interesting border(s) and it will be ready to be quilted.  Started on the "I spy" for which I'd been collecting fabrics for the past couple of years.  I have a "sponsored" daughter on the Pine Ridge Lakota Sioux reservation (the poorest county in the U.S.).  When my sponsorship started, she was about 2 or 3 but now she's in 1st (I think) grade.  So I removed the "babyish" blocks and started making red lattice to put between the remaining ones.  Coming along nicely (though the photo of the layout didn't)

In non-quilty news, I finished a couple of pillowcases for a children's charity,  ConKerr Cancer. This organization's purpose is to coordinate the creation and distribution of a variety of hand-made pillowcases, so that every child who has a serious illness and is admitted to a hospital, can choose one to use and keep.  Members of our group had made pillowcases for ourselves for several years, ever since Helen introduced us to a great, no-exposed-seams method. 

In early October, my D#1 had invited me to participate in a women's retreat at the camp where she works in the summer.  That retreat had chosen this as an optional service project so I had prepared a number of "kits", with coordinated and pre-cut fabric, prior to the weekend.  I finished 2 that weekend.  The photo below shows the all 10 of those that were completed.  I made the two on the top left: pirate skull and crossbones, and a collage of balls used in sports.  I started two others but didn't get them finished.

I had suggested to the White Oak group, that, if we wanted an optional "service project" for the retreat, that we make more pillowcases, so I took along my UFP's (unfinished pillowcases) and completed them there.

By Sunday brunch, the end of the weekend, a total of 18 pillowcases was ready to be taken home to be washed and delivered to one of the drop-off points, a task which our penultimate member, Pat, offered to take on.

Lovely weather all weekend, my drive home was filled with sunshine and tunes. 

Bonus Quilt Retreat -- Part 2

[Note to self -- write follow-ups to "To be continued" posts while you can still remember details.]

At the White Oak, I found three retreat-ers already there, including Bobbi, our first-timer.  Wine, cheese, crackers, and chatting ensued, then dinner with innkeepers extraordinaire, Rob and Carol.  With just 8 quilters in attendance, we could all gather at one table for the first time!   What a way to create a warm feeling of connection among us all!  We all enjoyed and complimented dinner and dessert, then tables were cleared, spaces claimed and arranged.

Ladies, start your machines! 

And sew we did. (Bad pun intended!)  I dug into clearing the backlog of small projects "owed" since the March retreat, the last time I'd even turned on my machine.  Traveling, packing, moving, and some unpacking accomplished in the interim, but not a stitch had been placed on any of my projects.

From Friday evening until after Sunday brunch, voices in speech or in song accompanied the drone of sewing machines.  I was thrilled at how well my projects came along!  Pillowcase for D#1 at camp (annual tradition): check.  Catch up on overdue birthday blocks: check.   Borders for two baby quilt tops that had been made in March: check!   (Each was a variation of the one pictured below -- 30's repro 9-patches and white with 4-patch cornerblocks.)   Backing for both cut and packed away waiting for white batting to ensure preservation of the snowy backgrounds.

Up-to-date on existing projects, I could finally turn my attention to the new one I'd been anticipating for months: a bordello bargello of aquas and browns picked out a year ago by my "German daughter" (best friend of D#2) just before she had to go home.  (BTW, D#2 returns from Germany tomorrow, bringing GerD for a visit!)  With the Queen of Bordellos Bargellos (Judy) in residence, I knew I'd have all the guidance I needed to undertake this impressive, but daunting, quilt pattern.   It turned out to be easier than I thought, but Judy's calming encouragement was much appreciated when I made those first cuts through so many layers of fabric! 

All around me quilts took shape, in all stages of creation: charm packs into tops, tops augmented by borders, blocks sashed and set.  NnP finished two drop-dead gorgeous tops over the weekend -- Indigo and caramel baskets & "Twelve Oaks".  The sophisticated subtle colors of one person could be found next to the bold and bright of another's -- testimony that one could say of quilts, as of people, "It takes all kinds...".

As usual, Ruth/Turbo pulled one project after another out of her magical bags, including striking tulip blocks that had been, shall we say... not her favorite, as all needed to be squared down to a consistent size.  Help was offered, accepted and, tulips were trimmed.  Pat (no longer the newbie) introduced us to Schnibbles.  Diane/Honna, the Queen of YBR, assembled a top, and added borders for a finished flimsy. Bobbi started with charm packs and ended up with cheerful, bold and I-never-would-have-thought-of-that-combination log cabin blocks.  Helen made "Cars" pillowcases for her grand-sons, and did something with indigo and caramel baskets, I think.  And Judy did stuff too, in addition to being my bordello bargello advisor.   [This is where my memory reaches its limit, so I must beg forgiveness of everyone else whose work I haven't acknowledged.]

Sunday brunch brought the get-away to an end, as one or two at a time, we packed up and headed home.  I had the first 8 strips of my bordello (WTH) quilt assembled and ready to sew together and had even cut the rest of the fabric strips for the top!   With sun and blue skies above (and heat and humidity outside...), I packed up Violet (my purple/plum/aubergine PT Cruiser), hugged everyone, started engine, AC, and CD player, and went full circle back home, singing along (bad harmony and all) to Glee.

Knowing that the following Saturday was semi-annual Quilt Day at church, I knew there was more sewing in the very-near future!   Sometimes the Rolling Stones are wrong and you can get satisfaction!

59th Street Bridge Song: Retreat, Part I

Anybody remember it? Simon and Garfunkel. "Slow down, you move too fast. You've got to make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobblestones. Lookin' for fun and feeling groovy..." [Aside: "Groovy" -- now there's a word you don't hear much anymore!]

59SBS could have been my theme song last weekend. I had taken Friday off work since I needed to be home when the workmen arrived to reline my chimney (#19), but once they were settled in and my car was loaded, I hit the road. Listened to CDs (Glee) and sang along the entire way to the turnpike exit, car windows closed to the sticky, humid outside, and AC running. Stopped at Sauder's where I picked up my online order (sale + no shipping cost!) and replenished my bulk food supply of dried fruit, spices, and my traditional addition to the White Oak snack table: peanut butter filled pretzel bites. Yum.

Because it was still early, I headed down the back road leading directly to Intercourse, PA and had time to dawdle in my favorite shops there: Zooks (purchased only half a yard of a Civil War repro for a swap block), and Old Country Store, where I ran into Nancy and Honna while selecting a number of FQs for my stash and a charm pack to coordinate with the jelly roll previously acquired online. The charm packets were not the identical line, but I decided to "make do" as they were similar, and from the same designer. (Oddly, this was the first time I had ever planned to make a quilt using all fabrics from the same line!)  Hearing of my dilemma, Nancy informed me that the Log Cabin shop in Bird-in-Hand (formerly known as "The Green Ruler" place) carried a lot of charm packs. As I'd not been there since the name and management changed a couple of years ago, I decided to drop in on my way to White Oak. Made my happily obligatory Immergut pretzel stop, then on the road again, west on Old Philadelphia Pike.

Walked in the door of the shop, just ten minutes before closing, and right there, on a display up front, were the exact charm packs I'd been looking for! And for $1-2 less than at OCS!  Took a quick minute to check out the rest of the store, finding an entire cabinet with a variety of charm packs, all reasonably priced.  Filed that information away for the future.

Still singing, I headed on to White Oak, where I expected to be one of the earlier arrivals, in contrast to usually being one of the last.

[To Be Continued]

Bonus Quilt Retreat

On a Friday, twice a year, spring and fall, a number of us quilters head to the Quilting Mecca of Pennsylvania -- Lancaster County.  There we take over a B&B, called the White Oak, run by the unparallelled innkeepers Rob and Carol.  We update each other over wine & cheese and Amish-farm-prepared dinner on Friday evening.  After enjoying a choice of desserts, we clear the decks, i.e. the two huge dining tables, jockey for a space there for our Berninas, Pfaff, and Featherweights, help Rob set up the ironing boards and cutting tables...   and we SEW!

Fabric and projects abound! Quilts from inception to binding and all stages in-between.  A few years ago, someone taught the rest of the group how to make fantastic no-raw-seams pillowcases.  Many a child, teen, or adult now sleeps on one of these custom creations.   Music is added according to a specific routine.  (Yes, we've been doing this so long that we have "traditions"!)  Help is requested and offered; opinions are shared, solicited or not.  The downstairs hums with activity into the night, with pajama-clad women (mostly "of a certain age") leisurely cutting, pressing, sewing, as well as chatting, laughing, singing, and dancing.

Fortified by great food through Sunday brunch, our projects take shape and our souls are fed with fellowship.  Another place where there is company but also "kind".   Most carve out some time to support the economy of the local fabric stores. I try to visit several favorite shops in Intercourse, Pa, and treat myself to the best soft pretzel in the world -- warm and butter-brushed -- from Immergut. Saturday dinner is on our own and has progressed over the years from most of us going out to dinner somewhere in the area, to nearly all of us ordering sandwiches for pickup.

On our latest outing in March, Rob and Carol told us they had a free weekend in July and asked if we were interested.   Duh...  The group will be a little smaller than usual this time, but promises to be no less compatible.  Just gives us all a little more space to spread out!

I will be working on several of my list items in "HOBBIES", and plan to post again on my return.   Someday I'll tackle #100 and post some photos!   But don't hold your breath...