Quilt Camp was so much fun!

This past weekend was Quilt Camp - actually a private retreat hosted by a friend at a local camp. We had nice accommodations in the supervisor's quarters, with a large, well-lit, comfy space to spread out all our stuff. Thank you, Chrissy! (I forgot to take pics.)

I got lots done.

First, pillowcases. Eight pillowcases for kids, ready to donate to a local hospital. Our Sew Bee It bee is making them because one of our members has a son who benefitted from a similar donation and he  - we - want to pay it forward. They especially need ones for older boys so I found some prints in my stash that would work, plus I used other juvenile prints that I had. That primary stripe was left over from the border of a baby quilt I made for a nephew who is now driving. I guess it's about time I put that fabric to good use!

Pillowcases for KIds

Because we spent so much time chit-chatting, watching videos, etc. I needed some mindless sewing, so I pieced a donation quilt top. This uses part of a fat quarter pack of batik dots that I picked up in Paducah a few many years ago. It, too has aged enough. I cut all eight colors into pieces and I'm making two kid quilts, one in boy colors and one in girl colors. I got the boy colorway done to a flimsy. These are actual hand-stamped batiks, and you can see where the chops were placed. This top finishes at 41" x 45".

Batik Dot Top, Boy Colorway

 

You may remember that I've been working on blocks using the Gramercy fabric collection and other coordinating fabric friends. I had kitted up two 24" blocks to complete the set. I was able to get one of the big blocks partially pieced and correctly laid out. Here it is on my design wall at home this morning, so I can continue to work on it.

24" Block for Gramercy & Friends

 

I was kind of afraid to work on these big blocks at camp (the other one is a Swoon block). For one thing, a lot of concentration is required to get the fabric placement right. Some of my prints are directional and that requires particular attention to how the pieces are cut, sewn, and laid out. For another thing, all the 12" blocks were pieced on my Bernina, and I'm confident of my seam allowance on that machine. For camp, I used my new little travel machine, which is A) new and unfamiliar, and B) has a different alignment for the 1/4" quilting seam which may be a thread or so wider than what I typically get on my Bernina.  But since I was making Flying Geese using the four-at-a-time method and HSTs using triangle paper, it worked out OK so far.

 

I left camp Saturday morning to go to the STLMQG meeting and stopped at a LQS that had a sale on the way back, and picked up the sashing fabric for Gramercy & Friends. 15% off of LQS price is pretty good. I had previously taken the blocks in and auditioned sashing fabrics, so I was glad to get the one I liked on sale.

 

So, for the stash report -

IN this week: 3 yards (sashing fabric)

OUT: 8-1/2 yards (pillowcases)

I'll count the batik dot flimsy yardage next week and tally up the totals at the end of the month. Tomorrow is the fabric swap at my other guild, and I have a bag of pieces that I'm destashing. I hope to restrain myself and not bring home much!

 

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times - check out everyone's design walls over there.