Quilter's Corner's Last Retreat

A few months ago I signed up for a Quilt Retreat at Quilter's Corner.  Little did I know then that it would be their last one! They announced their store closing in September and have been quickly selling out their inventory ever since.

I had heard their retreats were fun and I wasn't disappointed!  It went from 8:00 AM to midnight on a Saturday and it was a blast.  We were fed breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks in between - pretty much all we could eat and drink all day long.  We played some games and had some contests and door prizes.  The best part, as always, was the friendly quilters and the camaraderie.  I rekindled old friendships and made some new ones and just had a really nice time.

This gal put this whole quilt top together at the retreat.  I just think those owls are adorable.

This is where I sat. You can see my little Bernina on the table on the left.  These four women were so much fun to visit and socialize with.  We all accomplished quite a bit too - not just talking!

In the past I have hesitated to sign up for retreats because you have to haul your machine and all your stuff in.  I always felt I could accomplish more if I just stayed home and worked on my projects in my sewing room.  That may be true, but every once in awhile I think  retreat is in order - it's just fun!  I always learn something from others too and get inspired by what they're working on.

We had a big, big space, with plenty of room at our tables and several ironing and cutting stations set up, plus several food and drink stations :)  There was a lot of talking and visiting and laughing all day long.  I have to admit that I only made it until about 9:00 PM - I didn't last until midnight....  But that is still 13 hours of sewing!  More than I usually get in one sitting!

Show and Tell was on the schedule and several women brought in quilts and projects they had finished.

They also had a "bake off".  We were invited to bring a sweet treat, in small portions, to share and then we got to sample them mid morning and mid afternoon.  After all were sampled, we voted for our favorite and that person won a prize!  Well, my caramel brownies won!  I got a cute quilted bag that looks like a piece of candy (with a zipper) and it was filled with taffy!

I voted for the Texas Sheet Cake because I LOVE it, but I'm glad my brownies were enjoyed (they are a family favorite).  My family will faint when they learned I won a cooking contest!  I'm not a great cook, not terrible either - but usually when I make something for someone else it never seems to turn out quite right!  Luckily this time it did.

This woman's quilt was huge, and beautiful.  I have never quilted one quite this big. Someday I will give it a go.

Arlene had a lot of quilts to show.  She has been busy, busy finishing!  Good for her!

I believe these two quilts were results of block exchanges or guild presidents' blocks.

 Caramel Brownie Recipe

1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix
3/4 cup margarine, melted
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 package Kraft caramels
1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely diced walnuts

Mix the cake mix with the melted margarine and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk.  Spread half of this mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with the chocolate chips and the walnuts.  Melt the caramels and the other 1/3 cup evaporated milk in a double boiler until smooth and pour over the chocolate chips and walnuts.  Carefully pat the remaining cake mixture over the top of this and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove and cool for several hours before eating.  Yum!

And Ta Da!  Here is the quilt top I finished at the retreat!  It is a block of the month called "Warm Winter Blessings" - wool appliqué on cotton background fabrics.  I had completed the hand appliqué and embroidery on all of the blocks, I just needed to cut and sew all of the sashing and borders.  This took most of the day, then I did some hand appliqué work later in the evening, on my sheep of the month blocks.  

Now both of those tops are done and in my "to be quilted queue"!  I have SEVEN quilts in my "to be quilted queue"!  Somebody is going to be doing a LOT of machine quilting when she gets back from Houston :)

Have a Happy Day!!