Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt -Part 1

The day arrived and the cutting and sewing began.  After six weeks of waiting, the day was finally here!

I cut at home and began to piece at the studio classroom.  As of this writing, I have all pieces cut for part 1, all triangles pieced and four units assembled.

I will try to do more today!

Mary's units- totally out of her color box!

Can't wait for Part 2!  This quilt is going to be another awesome Bonnie Hunnter design, I can just tell!

Thursday PM Update!

All units are completed!

80 plus half square triangles are completed!

Waiting for Part 2 to be released in the morning!

  

On Retreat - Day Four

Just finished lunch and we are completing our packing.  The room is empty and we are the last to go.

Kathleen finished her wall hanging and showed it this morning.

Judi finished her tree skirt and showed it at show and tell last night.

It has been fun as always this year.

Until next year, good bye from Troy New Hampshire!

On Retreat - Day Three - What We Are Doing

Also known as a show and tell of the projects going on at retreat.

Although this is not the official show and tell of retreat, you can see some of the projects going on here in Troy, New Hampshire this weekend.

Kathleen just finished this little wall hanging. 

Linda finished this lap sized quilt at 3 AM last night or more accurately this morning.  I took this picture at ten before I gave up for the night.

Another of Linda's creations without the final border, which I understand was left at home.

Nancy's paper pieced pattern, Raindrops, by Judy Niemeyer.  

A section of Nancy's project up close on the ironing board.

Marian has been working on this project, using her new Pfaff sewing machine and its various stitches.

I think this is the back

And this is the front.  It is the project where you have two fabric circles and batting and you sew the three pieces together.  At the very end the quilt is completely finished.  I know this was not a good description of the process and I can't remember the name of the project.  When I do I will let you know.

Mary has been working on her "Twirling Stars" quilt from the Kimberly Einmo workshop we took at "The Gathering" a few weeks ago.  The border took her a bit of time but the piece is now finished.

I pieced together five sections of my Scrappy Bargello. The last one,the sixth, is going the wrong way.  It will become the beginning of the next scrappy quilt. When I get home I will need to make one more section so the quilt will be the size I need.

Another view

I also Finished the final border of this "Blooming Nine Patch" which has been around for awhile.  Another UFO bites the dust.

Sewed a few sections of the newest Strip Twist

And have made two more scrappy blocks for a total of six thus far.

I am hoping to sew the final blue borders on this mystery quilt before 4 PM, but considering it is 3:58, I doubt that it will happen.

Four o'clock is time for cocktails and hor devours (or snacks since I don't think I spelled that correctly!)

I doubt that too much sewing will happen tonight!

One more day before retreat is over.  I still have so much more to do!

Ps. The view from my balcony window, Mount Monadnock in the late afternoon.

Have a great evening!

On Retreat - Day Two PM update

The afternoon retreat update is all about shopping!  We visited Bittersweet Fabic Shop in Boscawen, New Hampshire and Quilted Threads in Henniken, New Hampshire.

Dave LaValley owns and operates Bittersweet Fabric Shop.  They have a full line of Janome sewing machines.  Dave also collects old machines, Featherweights and older Singer Sewing Machines.  It is great to look at them displayed.  He also has a nice assortment of fabrics.

Quilted Threads in Henniker, New Hampshire is a full service shop.  It is a new shop addition to the Schoolhouse Shop Hop held at the end of March.  Our bus trip will stop here, so Mary and I visited while we were in the area today.  If you are going on the Shop Hop you will enjoy this shop.

Evening activities included the chocolatier and wine party.  A little bit of sewing was accomplished but not much!

Four scrappy blocks 

And some four patches for Mary to sew into the 64 patches for her blue postage stamp quilt

Were about all the sewing that was done tonight after dinner.

It has been a long day, so I am going to call it a night!

I will let you know tomorrow what the day will bring!

On Retreat - Morning of Day Two

This morning I am working on my blocks for "Fair and Square", a pattern from Bonnie Hunter's book, "Scraps and Shirtails II". I have sashed all of the twenty blocks,

and will finish the morning with trimming the string pieced alternate blocks.

Then it will be on to another project after lunch.  I need more string pieced blocks to finish the rows of this diagonally pieced quilt.  Somehow I missed that I needed those pieces to finish the rows!

There is a checkerboard border that is in progress at home which will be applied last.

Fun times from Troy New Hampshire!

On Retreat - Day 1

On Retreat in Troy New Hampshire, sewing and sewing for the next two and a half days.  Look at what has been accomplished so far today.

And what is left to sew.

One empty spool of thread so far and another not too far away from bring finished.  Tonight I plan to sew the rest of these units, but who knows if I will be able to stay awake that long!

Yes there is always tomorrow!  But I have plans for that!

Stay tuned to see what happens on this quilty weekend retreat.