Retreat Time !!!

3 work days until my November quilting retreat with my "Hearts and Hands" Satellite Group.  After our lunch at The Dog House in Duncan, we are checking in at the Honeymoon Bay Retreat Centre in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island on Thursday, November 10th (http://www.honeymoonbayretreat.com/index.html)

and will return home on Monday.  That's 3 full days of sewing plus Thursday afternoon on our arrival and Monday morning before we head home.

Here are some pictures from last year:

By the time we arrive the place is decked out with Christmas decorations.  This is a gathering place where we play our quilt bingo, fellowship around the fire with hand sewing, or watch for bears out the back window.

It's a time to help friends with their quilting challenges...or simply stand back and admire their work.  Love the colours in Kelli's quilt pictured here  We have a wonderful room (former gymnasium) to work in with lots of bright lights, plenty of wall space for design walls, and easy access to washrooms, coffee and snacks.  Sounds perfect, wouldn't you agree?

Here's me sewing on last year's UFO project.  What I love about having a retreat in November is the chance to finish off quilts for Christmas gifts.  This one was finished in time to give to my pastor and his wife for Christmas 2010.  What a good feeling of accomplishment!

and here is the finished quilt:

This year's UFOs that will hopefully be completed:

Roll Roll Cotton Boll - Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt from last year.  All the blocks are finished, but I need to piece the top and then work on the pieced border.  BUT I have to find it first!  I think it might have found its way into a packing box in the garage when I was packing up my sewing room for staging the house for sale.  I know it's somewhere!  I have 3 days to find it.

And this...

This is a baby quilt for my grand-nephew Quinn.  I need to applique a monkey on it and then finish it off.  I'll be happy if I can get the applique done on the retreat.

and lastly, my Carolina Christmas (also a Bonnie Hunter Mystery UFO).  I am doing 'quilt as you go' on all of these quilt blocks with different Christmas fabrics on the back.  I have to finish cutting the wool batting for the squares.  It will be the bulkiest kit I take with me but I would really love to finish this quilt for our bed this Christmas.

These blocks will have plain cream sashing in between for the 'quilt as you go' joining technique.

And, here is a sample picture of the gourmet dinners (and lunches) we enjoy...

I think I'll have a fun-filled time, don't you??  I'll post pictures when I'm back.

Until then,
Mavis