I spent the weekend at the Homestead Cabin Retreat. Each time I have stayed there in the past I have taken projects with deadlines and put lots of pressure on myself to get them completed.
This time I decided to take a few works in progress. Friday night was spent by the fire under my king size bed quilt while I hand quilted and spent time with some of my favorite girlfriends. It was such a wonderful way to unwind and re-energize my spirits.
On Saturday I broke out my tumbling block quilt top which I started hand piecing while on vacation visiting my MIL in Florida three years ago. This project has been close to completion for two and a half years.
On Saturday I broke out my tumbling block quilt top which I started hand piecing while on vacation visiting my MIL in Florida three years ago. This project has been close to completion for two and a half years.
I will be adding stars to the top and bottom of the quilt top. I have not been able to figure out a good way to finish off the left and right sides of the quilt with out losing definition of the tumbling blocks. Does anyone have a suggestion?
We shared lots of ideas with each other. I taught a quick tutorial about ruching. Cindy and Susan took it further and made some beautiful ruched flowers to embellish Christmas gifts and pincushions. Another Cindy joined us and brought along her paper crafts made in a recent class.
Here is another habit (or did I mean hobby?) that I could get addicted to.
Snow came on Friday night. It was wonderful to sit by the fire and watch it falling against the backdrop of a rustic log cabin. I was one of the first to rise. These are the scenes that greeted me in the morning. A little bit of heaven in the middle of nowhere. 
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10 comments:
Looks like a wonderful place for a retreat, so cozy and with the spirit of the holidays.
Chris-what a pleasure spending time with you this past weekend. You inspire me. Thanks for sharing your talents. --Nancy
It sounds like you have had a wonderful time at the retreat. I was looking through Wisconsin blogs on quilting bloggers and saw yours. I have checked out Patisy's in the Middle of No Where blog and have seen pictures of her cabin it looks so pretty and such a wonderful setting for a retreat. I wish I lived up there and could join y'all.
Karen in Arkansas
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
Just meandering about blogland, but had to stop and let you know your tumbling blocks quilt is wonderful - please finish it soon - its absolutely gorgeous!
Take care
Wow - those cozy snow pictures are awesome. Must've been like fairyland. :) The blocks quilt is very 3D. If it were a painting, I would paint the sides a solid color, like dark maroon or something like that. But you know quilts best, and will figure out the best solution too. :)
fabulous! too bad you didn't all get snowed in together for a few more days huh? Lucky lucky on you with the fireplace! that is the one thing this old house of ours is missing. sigh.
Chris - your mom's friend Diane here...
Looking at the quilt on MY bed - I'd be tempted to turn the quilt sideways and put stars on ONLY the sides. The bottom edge of my quilt is hidden beneath a footboard, and the top is often just laid flat, with pillows on the top.
So then I'd be tempted to make star pillow shams.
Your bed may differ...
Love your blog! I have to get to Patsy's soon.
Diane
Your Tumbling Block Quilt is beautiful!
sorry...can't help on the finishing as I haven't made that pattern.
Looks like a wonderful time at Patsy's. :)
Sometimes I wish I lived in an area of higher population if only to take part in a few events such as this.. I just look and wish...so you know I really enjoy when you post about your adventures!
I really love the stars on the edge of the quilt.. beautiful detail..
What a beautiful place you live. It makes those of us who look out their windows and see subdivision houses quite jealous.
Some tumbling block quilts I have seen have a scalloped edge made by carrying the pieced blocks to the edge, staggering the end of the rows and then binding around the protruding blocks (kind of like the right edge looks in your picture). That's a lot of twists and turns in the binding, though. Maybe just a white border the width of the stars, which lets the edges of the block rows stick into it? Although, I tend to agree with Diane - the sides are seen more than the top and bottom. I would put the fancy stars on the sides.
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