Last week, I was about to embark on a weekend quilting retreat and I had three projects gathered, packed, and ready to go. While I had *hopes* to finish all three, deep down I knew that probably wasn't going to be realistic.
A quick re-cap of the weekend's activities follows.
Thursday lunch was not included in the weekend. Upon arrival, we set up sewing machines and headed out for some lunch at a local diner. I do love liver and onions!
My travel companion and table mate for the weekend was Janet Lutz, friend, and owner of the local quilt shop, Calico Gals. If you have ever collected any Row by Row patterns, then, you may recognize Calico Gals, as that's the shop where it all began. Janet is a Clever Gal as well as a Calico Gal.
Since Janet is originally from western New York, we were very comfortable venturing out to grab some hot beverages and to do a little shopping in nearby Perry. Check out this great mural representing many aspects of the area's history. The story is here. And you can see that a quilt block made it in there, too . . . of course!
You'll notice some snow on the ground in the photo above. That was Friday, by Saturday, the sky was clear and the weather nice enough for a brisk walk during a short break from the quilting activity at the Asbury Retreat Center in Silver Lake, NY (below).
Inside, I chose from my three projects and focused on the one that called to me more than the other two--a (sorta) Ohio Star block that was tucked away in a clump of citrus themed fabrics on *that* shelf in my storage area.
The blocks are a bit fussy to make, involving quarter square triangles and squares. Early on in the weekend, I made a couple blocks and found I was pulling out the whole stack of fabrics to select a few colors, cut squares, then sew. That was getting me no where fast. So I decided to consolidate the cutting step and and make little block kits - enough for 70 blocks.
The happy pink monkey kept me motivated while guarding the block kit stack!
Then it was time to sew . . . and sew . . . and sew. By the middle of the weekend, maybe sooner, I decided I was having too much fun putting citrusy colors together and making these blocks. The other two projects were toast (at least for now). By the end of the weekend I had about half of the blocks I needed for a quilt.
Just for fun, I found a quiet corner and threw the blocks on the carpet to get a feel for what was going on. Aaand, I was feeling okay, but . . . too much of a good thing can be not-a-good-thing. Too many stars, not enough rest to enjoy each one.
No worries, a slight change in direction and a new plan is hatching in my brain . . . and so I adjust. We'll see. I'll share more next time, and a block tute.
Soon, it was time to head home, but not without a stop at the East Hill Creamery for some fresh, cave-aged cheese. This place has quite a unique story and extraordinary cheese. From cows, to milk, to cheese, all the steps are done right here. And you can see they've won a few awards for their work! Of course, we had to take home some samples!
Then one more stop at this historical marker before getting on the thruway for the rest of the trip back home; this Bur Oak is a witness tree to gruesome events in Revolutionary War history. Learn more here.
Notice the clear blue sky the day before the total eclipse in this area!
Once back home, two of the projects I brought with me have secured a safe spot back on the storage shelf, until next time, or next, week, or next year. Whenever! The citrus fabrics are now front and center on the sewing table for the daily sewing adventure. More to come as progress continues.
I kinda like when I go to a sewing retreat and I end up doing so much more than sewing!
Happy Stitching!
Head Hummingbird
Hummingbird-Highway.com
Leave a Reply