Our First Retreat.

Betty and I popped up to visit the girls on Retreat on Saturday, this is part of the lovely gardens the Convention Center is nestled in.

After a bit of a false start (o.k., got lost, just a little) we found them in one of the large conference/workrooms.  Great light and lots of room to spread out.

'Cause we were a tad late, there was a bit of a hurry along to get to Morning Tea, these girls had only had breakfast a mere couple of hours ago and were anxious not to miss out, so a walk through the gardens, over to the Dining Room for some delish fruit scones with mountains of fresh chantilly cream and strawberry jam,

The cream came in a Bai Marie tray, mountains of it, of course most ladies managed beautifully, but all that cream and jam was a bit of a challenge for the odd one or two..........(odd as in number...not, well you know, not odd..really)

there was a bit of cream threatening to slide and decorate the verandah, but we scooped it up and stuffed it in the gob where it was supposed to be.  Waste not want not ya know.

Then a stroll back through the gardens, past a 'nature hut' full of bugs, butterflies, shells and even a little house made of shells.

Marion is a member of the Machine Embroidery Group, but decided to have a go at patchwork for the retreat, she chose a table runner, but quite a complicated pattern for a beginner.  Lots of points there Marion.

Lorraine needs a 'running away from home bag' big enough to take a queen size quilt, and decided to create some log cabin butterflies for each side of her bag, no pattern,....just doing it, "Somehow I'm going to have antenna and everything on these little guys" was her comment.  I believe her.

She took this little guy for his 'first flight' fluttering around the room.  Don't the blocks look great on the wall?

Sheila was finishing off the pouch that Sue had taught earlier in the morning, and then decided to practice her machine quilting skills, she has a new machine, comes with it's own little cupboard of gizmos.....(so so cute, I want one of those!) and a stitch regulator, the finished quilt will be for a family pet called Julius,.... he was the runt of the litter delivered by Caesarian..... 

Cheryl has been making these beautiful blocks for awhile, she is a Machine Embroiderer and jumped at the opportunity of getting quilters advice on layout and assembly tips.

Not one to be daunted by a project, Cheryl is also giving machine quilting her first ever go.

Ailsa was also putting the finishing touches to the pouch from Sues' tutorial, she then moved on to stitching down the binding on her Row x Row quilt.

Fran was having a good time, but her pouch seemed to be a bit long, she promptly christened it a sporran, and plans to carry her phone handset around the house in it!....so phone Fran and no answer you will know why!

She was then working on her 'Tessellation' quilt, getting layout help from Betty.


Judy, another of the Machine Embroidery group, has embroidered this amazing quilt using Glen Harris Australiana designs that she purchased from a magazine featuring the same quilt made by Michelle Stokie.

Judy was just one of the many people who went to the recent quilt show over in Gatton, and came home with this beauty.  Yep she won it!!  sadly there is no label so Judy is unable to thank the maker, but if you recognise it, Judy would love some info. including is there any of the border fabric still in the market?!

And then, it was time for lunch, there is no shortage of food at this venue, simple but fresh and flavoursome.

Wendy was a bit take by the welcome note on the group's tables, a nice touch.  Everything was toastie warm in the Dining room thanks to a roaring log fire.

Jackie is working on another floral quilt, number 3 from the fabrics she has been collecting for the past 5 years.  This is the quilt that started the whole collection off...(mag pic top right) and for a bit of a break from machining she bought along a hand stitching project! Knew better than to ask what it will be....this is Jackie's bring along project for meeting days, and she is more of a 'wait and see' gal on this one. <g>

Who could resist this pic, two thoughtful lasses, Lorraine still planning the antenna for her bag, and Sue being the good little helper/mentor that she is, making 'squaring up' decisions.

Wendy was making 'lozenge' or 'coffin blocks' when we arrived, she had made quite a pile for a half mornings work, the quilt is one she spotted in a mag (pic on top right) she is using lovely soft colours for the strip pieced square sashings, but just see how in control this gal is, leaning back and whizzing along those seams.  I pressed some of them for her and I can tell you - straight as a die...!not a wobble, not a waggle! wow!

Of course, there was a lot of this going on!, laughter and jokes abounded!

Marcia certainly wasn't going to let herself get tired of a project, she has a pile of 9 patches completed ready to be slashed and turned into a disappearing 9patch quilt, was wrestling with Suduko - I tell you, it's not as simple as it would seem, one little lapse of concentration and whoopsie!, wrong square in there!

and a stack of beautiful logs cut to get going on 'Hotch Potch' a pattern and fabric she purchased while on hols.

Fran was finding the pouch useful to cart bibs and bobs around with her.  She and Betty were hard at work getting the layout right for her 'Tesselation' quilt

Sharon has machine embroidered these lovely blocks from an Annie Moody pattern that she got from 'Hoopsisters. com. 

The final layout of Norma's quilt 'Mood Swings' on bottom right.

Yvonne, one of our Thursday night members and a Machine Embroider bought this amazing quilt along for Show and Tell and to finish the binding.  She made 'Catz' to donate to the Foster Childrens group, possibly to be raffled as a fundraiser.......now if that happens I know a group of ladies who all want tickets!.

Closer views of some of the blocks, there is applique, pieced, machine embroidered and fabric squares, all ingeniously used.

Yvonne was also working on this piece, it might be a wall hanging or it might end up as a cover for her machine......now that's lurvin' ya machine!

Getting close to time to leave, we decided to go look at the sleeping arrangements and spied this on the hall wall, quilters are an ingenious lot, impromptu design wall.!

Well, you would have to know its a quilters retreat, with such beautiful quilts on the bunks.  Not gonna show you the pic I took of 'little miss kaleidoscope' taking a Nanna Nap.....

And who's bunk is this???well it was allocated to someone who decided to whizz off on a European Holiday instead........

And so farewells were said, the last joke was told and Betty and I meandered through the gardens and so off home.......hope you enjoyed seeing just a little of what the girls got up to...perhaps piccies will be sent of Sunday