Retreat Time!!

Well, it is time for another retreat! We are going a day early this time. We normally go Fri-Sun but the place was booked on Sunday so we are going Thurs-Sat. We are heading out at 9:00 tomorrow morning and plan to go to a few quilt shops before getting to the retreat place. We can't check in until 1:00 so it all works out good. I am not as prepared as I normally am going to retreat. I've been working on projects on and off and just couldn't get around to cutting and prepping for the retreat so, I am just taking about 5 projects and will get done whatever I get done. First on the priority list is getting the wedding present done for my friend JoAnn, she got married Oct 5th so I am way behind but what else is new? I am also taking the material to do the Ohio State wall hanging that I am donating to my work for a silent auction they are having next month. I thought I had it pretty much done but not sewn together and then I realized I made the O for Ohio in the wrong color, it should be red and I made it black with a red border so I have to make a few more blocks and switch it around. Then I am taking another little Ohio State project that will also be donated. I am taking two baby blankets to work on and a bag that I am making for Mark's girlfriend. I hope I can get everything done! I have also picked up my knitting needles again. I told Rachel I was so happy to get to knit again, I do really love to knit but my hand just isn't as strong as it used to be so I can only do a little at a time, hopefully I can build up some strength over time. Jack is doing really well in his college classes. I am really proud of him, he has turned into a very good student and is acting very responsibly. He has been doing most classes on his own but I have been helping him with English Composition. They don't really teach kids about writing papers in high school any more, I don't know why because that is the first thing they have to do when they get to college! All they teach them now is how to pass the state test. Dave has been really busy with his Jeep, while I am gone this weekend he will be at a Jeep event so he has been getting ready for that. He just put a new light bar on the top so I am sure there will be some night rides in the future. Mark is also doing well in school. He is getting those credits knocked out. He usually has two classes going at once, they are shorter classes and they have classes that start each month so hopefully he can get done within the next year. I think he is trying to find a hospitality job in Lompoc, I hope he can get one. He is still very much into his Anime and he found a girlfriend who also likes it so that is good. I made a big splurge about 3 weeks ago, I bought a sit down long arm quilter! I have been waiting for it to come in to the shop so I can go pick it up. I am so excited to be able to quilt my own quilts, I should make the money up for it after I quilt about 30 quilts! LOL. I have quite a stack building and I hope it will come in next week. I have to move my room around to accomodate it and I might have to kick Dave out of the big room so I can have more space but we will see, I kind of like my little room. Okay, got to finish packing, below are some projects that I am working on.

This is the center piece of the quilt I am making for JoAnn. It is in the log cabin style.

These are the leftover strips that I have that I am going to make the borders for JoAnn's quilt. I have sewn them together end to end and this is the pile on the floor as I am rolling them up.

This is the roll of strips. What I will do now is find the halfway point of the roll and cut it then sew the strips side by side, cut that in half and so on until I get a patchwork made with the strips. This will be added to the top and bottom of the centerpiece to give it the length it needs. The quilt should end up being 60"Wx80"L

This is the Ohio State O that I made wrong, tells you how much of a fan I am right? I've bought some green and yellow and am going to make an Oregon O for Britney.

This is my knitting. This is going to be a washcloth. I have a bunch of different verigated yarn. I bought some really nice soap in Amish country and will put the two together to have little gifts to give out for Christmas.

This is the material I am going to use for Jaclyn's purse. It is really cute.