Lookie what I did last night

I haven't talked about it much here on my blog but I'm going on my first ever retreat in a couple weeks - This is the 3rd year that lots of the HGTV Quilters have gathered together to meet up and have tons of fun. This year it's in Manchester, NH and it will be my first time to go! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.

During the retreat there will be three class sessions. For Session 1, I've signed up to take jayardi's machine quilting class with a segment on HST's her way. She gave us instructions to take a FQ with a medium to large design on it and add a 3" boarder to it. My FQ had the corners snipped of when I washed it so it wasn't very big. To solve that problem I added an additional boarder before my outside 3.5" boarder. The red fabric and the HST's in the corners... leftovers from a past backing fabric! ;)

All I have left to do is cut a piece of muslin for the backing and also a low loft batting for it. Oh and for my shopping list - I need a nice contrasting spool of thread. I know this little sewing kit spool isn't enough but it's a nice golden color don't you think? Also, I've had my light box out and trying to trace some of these...

Remember that 3 pack of pencils I posted about a while back? Well until now I had only used the red for tracing my Quilter's Blessings blocks... and today I tried out the blue. I do NOT like it at all. I had to press really hard and in the end I could barley tell that I had traced it. I was worried I might dent in my light box....

urgh. and wouldn't you now it - EVERY mechanical pencil in this house is OUT of lead! figures :P So that is something else to add to my shopping list...

...moving on to good news! Look what came in today's mailbox!! The Spring 2009 "Keepsake Quilter Newsletter" ( I still call it a catalog LOL)

Never in a million years when I started getting this catalog would I have ever thought I would get to go to the shop. I am so excited over that. I have drooled over their fabric, kits and patterns for years......oh, I didn't tell you???? During the retreat we are charting a bus to take us to Centre Harbor to shop at Keepsake!! It's just under an hour away from our hotel and we will get to spend about 4 hours before returning. I can't wait to sit down tonight with my catalog and make a REAL Wish List - before now it feels like I've just been playing "pretend" when I circled things I liked. ;)

oh and here's a close up photo of the finished Quilter's Blessings BOM called Never-ending Spools" A few weeks ago I mailed Bea a package of FQs to Germany...for her generous offering of this pattern. I got an auto reply form her email that she was out of town traveling doing a craft show. I'm so grateful I found her blog last year - it opened up a whole new door of a new hobby for me! I really love stitching these!

oh and guess what is in the bag.... Nora's Happy Quilt. Yeah, at the beginning of the year I worked my fingers to the bone to get the top done in time for letter "Q" week - and thought I might try to attempt to quilt it on my machine.... but being the scardy cat I am and having never dropped my feed dogs on my Bernina.... I chickened out and sent her to school with the quilt top to show-n-tell.

And then 2 weeks later was talking to her teacher and I asked how the kids liked Nora's quilt.... and Ms. Meaux said, "What quilt?" That BOOGER Nora never got it out of her backpack! Well, I tell you this - NEXT year for Kindergarten when letter Q week rolls around she will have this quilt to take to school FOR SURE! You can bet on it! ;)

It's on it's way to carol aka "needlecrazy" from the HGTV boards. She organized a Ike Relief fundraiser and quilting project just after hurricane Ike. I forget how much money she raised something over $2,000 I think - anyway I donated $100 which allows me to have two quilts done on the long arm :) and at the same time make a donation to The hurricane Ike Relief project.

There were 4 or 5 other long armers from the board that teamed up on this. Quiltaholic took on quilting a baker's dozen for the project and when I see her at the Retreat in a couple of weeks, I will hand deliver her my Texas Treasures quilt to be quilted. Remember that quilt??? Seems like forever ago I participated in my first RR... and then I think it was about time last year Daddy helped me put it into the frame he built me... but that didn't last long b/c last October Paul Thomas learned how to climb...and I caught him up on top of it ROLLING AROUND! *GASP*

Oh, back to Nora's quilt - here is a small box of all of my scraps of strips I used to frame each I-Spy block.... I wonder if there is enough there to use for a scrappy binding? they are cut at 2" which is just a half inch narrower than what I normally prefer... but I think I might make it work ;)

and while I have the camera out taking photos of the things here in the dining room .... here is the challenge FQ I still have yet to touch for our Retreat project. I know what I am going to make with it - I just haven't done it yet. I'm sure my project will not take home any prize but it will be something useful to me and that's what matters right? ;)
Oh and David has been gone all week to Dallas for work. We sure have missed him -tonight he missed something pretty special. For the first time the twins were kissing each other good night. And after I put Paul Thomas in his bed, Olivia stood up and was yelling "BYEEEE" and waving at him.... as if he was leaving her. His bed is all of 2 feet from hers. ;) LOL I love that they love each other.yes, she kicked her rail out of the bed about a month ago - and has only once had a problem... she was screaming bloody murder one morning and I went in to find her feet on the floor and her head still stuck in the bed. She wasn't hurt.. but it scared her enough she doesn't dare do it again. However PT's head is smaller than hers, b/c he can easily stick his head all the way in and out..... for now... LOL

Well that is enough for now... I'm sorry I went so long again. I better learn how to shut my mouth more or when I'm at the retreat people will think I'm rude talking all the time

Love from Texas!