Hello quilting friends! I’m popping in to say hello and share a few happy pics from my recent spring quilt retreat. I got a LOT of sewing done, but most of it was secret sewing . . . Carried Away Quilting patterns in development and in test. I did take a break from “work sewing” to make this pretty Stars & Stripes quilt top (pattern by Thimble Blossoms).
You may remember that I made a true red, white and blue version with a chambray background a couple of years ago. I gifted that to my daughter’s friend who graduated from Army Flight School (Go Ellie!). This more faded, beachy version of Stars & Stripes is for our family. I plan to bring it out (and use it) during our patriotic holidays. I’ve already sent it off to be quilted, and I can’t wait for our Stars & Stripes quilt to return! In case you are wondering, the blue flag squares are from Brenda Riddle’s new Sweet Liberty collection. The red flag stripes are a wonderful woven pinky-red from the Merry Little Christmas collection by Thimble Blossoms. I used Moda Bella Solid (White Bleached 9900-98) for the white flag stripes. And for the sashing and outer borders, I used an awesome pebble colored gingham from Brenda Riddle’s The Shores collection.
And here we are . . . sporting our new t-shirts that we ordered from Sweetwater. They are super cute (both my friends and the shirts). I’m so thankful for the time I get to spend sewing, chatting, snacking and laughing with these ladies.
I think I’ve mentioned this to you before, but I’ll say it again. Spending a few days away with quilting friends is a boon to the soul and attitude. Our retreats aren’t fancy. We don’t have luxurious lodging or swag bags or bellhop service. But we have something pretty wonderful ~ each other. Maybe you can make this happen with a group of quilters you know! A Saturday of sewing at someone’s house (with an assortment of snacks for all-day grazing) is a great place to start!
Have a wonderful week!
~Taunja
