So Much Fun at Sew Me STL

I had such a good time at retreat. It's so much fun to do something you love to do with friends who also love to do it. And just hang out together. I haven't laughed so much in one weekend since I don't know when, maybe last year's retreat.

The retreat committee did a terrific job of organizing the event. Thanks, Marie and team! They had lots - LOTS - of great prizes, and raffles every hour.

Swag Bags at the Welcome Desk

The upstairs room was spacious and well lit. We were set up in "pods" which facilitated conversation among the girls sitting together. We had up to 60 people in the upstairs room and another room downstairs set up the same way. Everyone wandered among the rooms and pods talking to everyone and seeing what they're all working on.  

Here's my pod, with a couple people missing. I'm height-challenged so my work space is the one with the booster seat. 

We had I think something like 84 attendees altogether. Everyone brought a treat to share; we had plenty of snacks. And a little something extra on the snack table. 

Since STLMQG is affiliated with the Modern Quilt Guild, we're participating in their challenge. Our talented committee designed a quilt representing the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and we're all making blocks. This quilt will be exhibited at Quilt Con in February 2019.  

A highlight of Sew Me is always the Scrap Scramble. Everyone who wants to participate brings a baggie of scraps (large enough to be useful) and dumps them on the pile. Then it's like musical chairs, grab scraps you want until the music stops, take two steps to the right, grab scraps again, etc.  

Here we are getting ready. It's impossible to take good photos of the scramble itself because all you get in the photo is everybody's backsides. I contributed a stuffed baggie of scraps and brought home just a few pieces. I don't need more fabric!

The committee worked hard to acquire an abundance of desirable prizes; unfortunately I didn't think to get a photo of them all laid out on the table. The welcome swag bag contained goodies and a raffle ticket for the whole weekend, and drawings for prizes were held just about every hour. My bee contributed a basket of notions, patterns and books. I was thrilled to win a gift bag from Dottie containing scissors, a rotary cutter, and a gift certificate toward long arm quilting. Dottie is a good long armer with a computerized machine, and I know just what I'll ask her to quilt for me (when the top is finished, of course). 

Gifts, Winnings, and Swag

My bee also had a Secret Sister gift exchange, which was planned months ago and we all listed likes and dislikes so our secret gift giver would have some input. Em liked what I gave her. And I absolutely love what Marie gave me! She made me a Sew Together bag in a spicy Cotton + Steel print. Marie knows me well - she knows I'd never make one of these on my own. I love it! Thanks, Marie!

So much fun! And I haven't even shown what I worked on all weekend. Come back Friday for that; this post is long enough already. 

Linking up with Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts

Retreat Recap Part 1

Sew Me STL was so much fun!

I have lots of unpacking and reorganizing and cleaning up to do today so here's just a couple of pics from STLMQG's retreat this past weekend....

I got the measurements from Judy and made her block. The problems were 1) extra charm squares in the kit; and 2) cutting directions describing the number of WOF strips and sub-cutting them, but not clear what corresponded with the charms and precut parts in the kit. Judy explained everything and I was able to put her block together, easy-peasy. This will become a cute low-volume baby quilt.

Marie's block was a little more complicated, but she had the colors all numbered to correspond with the directions, and had her sample block available for reference. Plus, she sat next to me. So helpful! This quilt is going to be a riot of color - I love it!

I'm happy to make blocks for my friends and help them move their projects along.

More later, I have to unpack and sort everything and edit photos.



Link ups:
Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Em's Scrapbag
Love Laugh Quilt

October AFS

My goal for AFS* this month was to trapunto the centers of the Dresdens.

Last month I showed the blocks to the girls and asked what they thought of the lumpy centers. I know I didn't like the lumpiness; Margaret confirmed "We don't like lumpy" and that was it. I knew I needed to fix them.

So after a bit of a setback, I added batting to them so the centers are no longer lumpy.

Now all twelve centers are nicely padded and smooth, done on time. 

The goal for the next month will be to sew the Dresden and Checkerboard blocks together.

*AFS is Alternative First Saturday, a small group of friends who get together for coffee and conversation instead of participating in a local shop's structured First Saturday BOM program. We decided early on to keep ourselves accountable by declaring a goal for the month, or progress on an ongoing project, and showing our progress each month. So I guess AFS could also stand for Accountability First Saturday.

Getting Ready for Retreat

STLMQG's retreat, called Sew Me St. Louis, is this weekend. I'll be attending Friday and Saturday and maybe Sunday. Since the retreat is in town and I'll be sleeping at home, I only have to pack sewing stuff, friend stuff, and a snack to share. I'm almost all prepped, packed, and ready to go.

First project:

This is a block my Sew Bee It friends made for me earlier. They made propeller blocks, but I need a few more.

I pulled a few more fabrics from stash and cut all the parts. I like cutting, but not at retreat because I need to pay attention, and I get too distracted at retreat. I prefer to have everything cut ahead of time.

Since everything was on the wall anyway, I went ahead and labeled the blocks so I can easily set them together. I also snapped a shot of the wall for reference.

In addition to this project, I have bee blocks to make, and two other projects all kitted up and ready to go.

One of the projects is "Sports Plus," which will be a donation quilt for an older boy. The patches are organized and clipped together to create the plus-sign layout. There are several sports-themed fabrics, but they're not showing in this photo of the kit.

The other project is a continuation of a project I worked on last year at Sew Me. This will become another donation quilt.

I completed all the HSTs at Sew Me last year, and laid them out at home, and this year I can set the blocks together. Here's almost what it'll look like; I tweaked the top right corner slightly but forgot to take a photo before I labeled the blocks and took them off the wall.

If all that's not enough to keep me busy, I'm sure I can find something else, but that's all the projects I have packed.

I also have my gallon ziplock baggie of scraps for the Scrap Scramble. It's always fun and hilarious - Imagine sixty women diving into a huge pile of scraps, bits flying everywhere, and everyone coming up covered in threads.

The girls in my bee, Sew Bee It, drew names earlier this year for a Secret Sister swap. My gift is all ready to go. I think she'll like it.

Last but certainly not least, my travel sewing machine, tools and supplies, seat cushion, etc.

All that's left is to load the car and stop at the grocery store on the way. Should be a fun weekend!



Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict

CSQ Baby Shower Quilt

CSQ, the small traditional guild I belong to, has adopted a charity that supports military families. One of the things they do is provide baby showers to expectant families, so we're making baby quilts. I showed the fabrics I'm using in an earlier post, but here they are again:

I just needed some simple mindless sewing so all I did was cut squares, then a narrow accent border, then an outer border of the stripe. The top came out to about 39" x 47". 

When seen from farther away, that stripe kind of vibrates, doesn't it! I'm happy to use it for a CSQ charity project because I got it from the CSQ fabric swap earlier this year; someone in the guild de-stashed it. 

There wasn't enough of the speckled orange (top photo) so I found another orange in my stash that would work. The fabric combo still works as a gender-neutral palette, in case the organization needs non-gender-specific baby quilts. 

I'll use the rest of the stripe for the backing and quilt this with an easy all-over meander to keep it soft and drapey. There's no deadline, but I see the charity coordinator each month so I can pass the finished quilt to her any time. 

Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts

September Stash Report and Goals Recap

I didn't have much time for sewing this month because I was able to enjoy some Grandma time at the beach. See photos below.  I did manage a little stash usage and enhancement, though.

Stash  Report:
September IN: 4-1/2 yards (Purchases from A&E Fabrics, Pensacola, 4-1/2 yards)
September OUT: 8-1/2 yards (Backing for CJ's Big Boy Bed Quilt - 5-1/2 yards; binding for same, 3/4 yards. September N4Nb quilt, 2-1/4 yards.)

YTD IN: 105-5/8 yards
YTD OUT: 106-1/2 yards
YTD Net Change: 7/8 yard OUT

Since my goal is to break even for the year and the stash has been ahead the last few months, this is good progress. I should have some additional usage in October with retreat projects so I'm hoping to be able to count some more out soon.

CJ's Big Boy Bed Quilt

September Nurses for Newborns Quilt

September Goals Recap:
1. Bind grandson's Big Boy Bed quilt when back from the long-armer.  DONE, and given to him.
2. Prep backing, layer and baste Pickle Dish. Not done.
3. Make another Nurses for Newborns quilt. DONE, blue improv stripes.
4. Stuff centers of Dresden blocks (trapunto). DONE
5. If time permits, make a donation quilt for CSQ's baby shower quilt drive. In progress
6. Keep up with bee blocks. Piecing Group block is done. For Sew Bee It block, need to consult with owner at Sew Me STL retreat because a page of instructions with cutting measurements is missing.

October Goals:
1. Prep and pack for STLMQG Sew Me STL retreat.
2. Piece at least one donation quilt top at retreat from parts already prepped.
3. Finish baby quilt for CSQ.
4. Make another Nurses for Newborns quilt.
5. Set blocks together for the Red Project.
6. If time permits, prep backing, layer and baste Pickle Dish.
7. Keep up with bee blocks.

October is another light month for goals because I have some other stuff going on.

So, what was I doing in September instead of sewing? I was here, hanging out with these guys, and eating seafood.

View from our condo at The Mariner

CJ's first beach experience

He liked the pool better

Feeding the fish, on the bay side 

2018 Family Portrait

(The blue shirts were Grandpa's doing.

He wanted a professional photographer; didn't happen.

Sorry about the bad lighting.) 

Link ups:
Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Em's Scrapbag
Love Laugh Quilt

Heart Builders Quilts

Back in July I wrote about making some tops for Heart Builders, who provide quilts to kids in crisis. They sent me fabrics for one top, but due to fabric choices I ended up making three tops. Story here. I sent the tops off to team leader Liz, and she arranged for them to be quilted, bound, and distributed.

Since I just pieced the tops, Liz kindly sent me photos of the quilts after they were quilted. Here are Liz's photos of my Heart Builders tops all quilted and finished.

HB Top #1 Quilted by Liz

HB Top #2 Quilted by Liz

HB Top #3 Quilted by Liz

Don't they look so much better all quilted and full of texture?! I was happy to piece them and I'd be glad to make more if Heart Builders asks. 

Linking up with Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict