Autumn Retreat 2024 AND Bee for October 2024

 

I spent the better best part of the past four days retreating with my Besties. We went to our regular place in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County. I hadn't been able to be part of this getaway for the past few times because the stairway to the bedrooms is steep and has narrow treads and was incompatible with my sick knee. Now, with the new one, I was able to go both up and down without pain or much fear.

I loved seeing Kim who had made herself a fabulous coat.

We arrived on Thursday, early afternoon and though the getaway was scheduled to end on Sunday after breakfast, I decided to come home after dinner on Saturday. I'd accomplished what I'd set out to do, and was thinking fondly of my own bed, not to mention Joe and Lizzy. I'd had some struggles with my projects and was timid about taking on another.

We got take-out from Giovanni's on Thursday night and the portions were so immense that they provided sustenance for two additional meals! Three meals of even the best Eggplant Parmesan Dinner was more than enough! Saturday night we went out to TDFKAZ and I tried their Eggs Benedict and gave them an 8.5 (a little more lemon in the Hollandaise and under toasted English muffins account for the deductions).

This was the shop hop quilt from last October. I had made the blocks at the November Guild Retreat and promptly packed them away. I had made more blocks than the pattern called for and was a bit stymied as far as a modified lay-out was concerned. The first layout I tried turned out to be just awful and I did a tremendous amount of unsewing. I was about to pack it all away for another year when dear Marsha visualized a plan (not just a concept of a plan) which she was able to telepath to me, and I was able to interpret correctly! I had plenty of the blue left so I made the binding, and on Saturday I went over to the nearby fabric store and purchased backing. Next up: Contact the machinist to schedule!

Next up was the Pineapples, which I'd put into rows and put those rows together back at our summer retreat.  All it needed to be done, I thought, was a nice black border. And that should be a piece of cake. Turned out to be a pineapple upside-down cake, unfortunately, because when I lay it out for a photograph, I only then noticed the row that was upside down. I refrained from sobbing and went straight to very bad words, and then spent a tremendous amount of time unsewing. Do you think that ripping out all of those bazillion pineapple seams was easy? Think again, please.

At long last it was out and pressed and pinned back in place. Sewing was fairly easy and I was hugely relieved when it was finished.

I made the binding to match the pink centers and on my trip to the fabric store purchased some solid black backing.



This month's Bee Queen, the last in the current round, requested the cutest little paper-pieced blocks and mine went together with absolutely no ripping out! Phew!







Comments

Carolyn said…
Not just the concept of a plan, you're too funny! I think that's going to be the phrase that sticks in the American lexicon from this election! Your quilts are stunning, especially love that pineapple quilt! Sorry that you had to rip it out!
Karla said…
That pinapple quilt is spectacular i would have left it upside down, as you know i am a fan of quirky , upside down parts.
Nann said…
You made great advances on the retreat! You were right to correct the pineapple blocks. The extra labor was worth it for such a splendid quilt.
Anonymous said…
I would have been tempted to leave the upside down row in the pineapple quilt, but you were wise to fix it. It's beautiful and so is your other quilt. I'm glad you had help with the laying out of blocks, it turned out great.. Thanks for sharing.
Bridget said…
Fixing the blocks was the thing to do. I notice my twisted block after it came back from the quilter. Not going to fix THAT! When you fail to plan you plan to fail.
Barbara Anne said…
Playing catch-up and am so tickled with your account of the retreat, your snafu with the Pineapple quilt (now beautifully perfect!), success with the layout for your stars that was beamed to you, and your choice to return home early. All wonderful!

Hugs!
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