Camp recap

Gotta get some of this down in black and white before I forget half of what happened over the wknd...with my memory it may already be too late!

I left home just after noon on Thursday, drove an hour to the BIG city (well, it has more than 4,000 people like my little town does!) and did a bit of shopping on the way to retreat, yes I said retreat, no...I did not say quilt camp...more about that later.

I knew once I left the BIG city that I would not be getting a latte for the next 4 days so stopped and got me a 20 oz Peppermint Latte...extra HOT please...hold the whip cream. I was hoping that getting it extra hot, it would still be warm after the car was unloaded and the sewing machine warmed up....and sure enough...it was just right!!!

OK, down to business....I arrived 3 hrs before anyone else...which gave me time make a new cover for my portable ironing board and get busy on Gramma's Aprons. I sewed my little heart out and made lots and lots of progress. I so enjoyed the time alone, thinking my own thoughts and dreaming my own dreams. I really needed to get some sleep so went to bed early and then got up early on Friday and got busy once again on those apron blocks. The top was done by Friday afternoon. It went really fast and I love the whole paper piecing process. The pieced border was done as leaders and enders, I love having pieced borders and doing them as L&E makes them totally painless. The bonus with this top is that 2 ladies who were very interested in watching (not learning) paper piecing were also very willing to tear all the paper off the back!!! BONUS!! BONUS!!!

OK, ironing board cover and Gramma's Aprons done...moving on. I had found a couple of really fun FQ bundles when I stopped in the BIG city that would make wonderful gifts for 3 separate people. I quickly cut the focus fab in one of the FQ bundles and strips of the other 4 prints. Then finished up a quick gift. Then the second FQ bundle was cut and made into a place mat for Maddie and one for JJ. I can't show you what the first project ended up being (HE reads my blog) and currently I can't show you the placemats either because I left them at my mothers so I can do the handwork on the binding. I will post a pic when I get them done, maybe Sunday.

OK.. Saturday and I am totally out of things to do!! I have stuff to make table toppers but by this time I am tired of sitting to the machine (SHOCKING!!!) and I really haven't visited with anyone so I start roaming...the first table I stop at is a lady handquilting and doing a beautiful job of it! She hand pieced a quilt for her daughters wedding and is now doing the handquilting, she informed me the "newlyweds" will be celebrating their 16th anniversary next year!! LOL sounds like the rest of us, right!?? Anyway, while watching her rock her needle and discussing quilting methods, threads and etc I noticed this interesting little thing sitting on the table and asked her about it. It is a little sewing kit thingy...large enough for a thimble, bobbin of thread (not spool of thread). I was fastenated by it! Yes, she had made it, years ago...and yes, she uses it all the time with her handwork. OK, I was out of projects and this was interesting so.... This lady graciously let me take her sewing kit thingy back to my table and I managed to make my own pattern and this is what I came up with, a little different in size to hers, otherwise it is the same thingy. Each of the 3 sides has plastic (I used a plastic lid I found in the kitchen) covered by fabric that has been handstitched on.

DANG THAT BLOGGER....WON'T UPLOAD PICS!!!!

OK, now on to the "retreat". This was not a quilt camp as we all know quilt camp to be, which is what I expected this to be. This was a free-for-all retreat. I knew there would be ladies scrapbooking, I figured there might be ladies handquilting...but I was not expecting to be the ONLY one sewing! I was the only one piecing! One other sewing machine sat unused all wknd with the exception of a 4" seam that was stitched on a border that one gal had to repair before she could put her quilt back in a handquilting frame. Can you believe it? I was informed this was quilt camp~~ with no-rules...come and do what you want. But I honestly did not expect to be the only one sewing. It was really strange. 21 ladies. Most did handquilting, and I must say they were handquilting on wonderful quilts. Several scrapbooked. A few knitted. The rest did a variety of other things: beading, cross-stitch, crochet.

So, there I was sitting in the back of the room with my sewing machine, cutting mat, rulers and cutters on one table and right behind me (just swivel my chair around) is my iron and mini ironing board. I always take my own sewing chair and chair mat. I really think I shocked all these ladies. Several inquired about my chair, iron and board (did you bring those from home??)...but the most hilarious was almost all of them made this comment in one was or another "I never thought to bring my machine" WHAT???!!!

Anyway, I went not knowing what to expect, now I know.

Friday it stormed, Saturday it was still stormy but cleared off now and then, at least long enough to take a few walks, we took pictures at the river, pictures of deer feeding in the fields and a picture of the cutest little mushrooms. Sunday we all gathered for a time of worship and prayer. I am so thankful that these ladies accepted me as part of their group and made me feel welcome. Yes, I was the odd gal out, but by Sunday I was a part of the group as well.

Friday we watched a Chonda Pierce DVD...oh my goodness, she is the most hilarious lady!! If you have never seen her, check out her concert schedule and go see her...if that doesn't work for you, find a one of her DVD's (the library??) and watch it....WARNING WARNING...you will want to use the restroom before watching it. I have seen her in concert 4 times and would go again in a heartbeat. Saturday night we stayed up playing a couple of games of Scattergories.

Since I had my own car and another friend had her own car we traveled back together, it was stormy and we just felt better sticking together. Of course we stopped in the city and shopped and then went to lunch before our final trek over the mountain and home again, home again. We made it home shortly before the winds picked up and the rains came.

More details to come in future posts. I know I left a lot of details out...some are too hilarious not to mention...but for now I need to get ready for bed. While I was gone a dear friend died. His death is a blessing, he suffered a long illness but also lived a long and wonderful life. He will be missed by many people in our community. His service is tomorrow.