Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Buckeye Sewing Retreat Day 1

I arrived at the Inn at Amish Door in Wilmot, Ohio at about 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning for the start of the Buckeye Sewing Retreat sponsored by the Calico Cupboard in Pataskala, Ohio.  It was beautiful day too travel, I just wish the fall leaves had stuck around a couple days longer.  I grabbed a luggage cart to unload everything from my car!! 
 
I had 8 quilts/wall hangings that needed bindings attached and sewn down.  My sewing machine, acrylic table, display board, 2 quilt kits, Feathered Star paper piecing project, rulers, cutting board, a shoe box of tools including, rotary cutter, extra rotary cutter blades, thread, bobbins, pins, chalk pencil and many other tools of the quilting trade!  I also took my Spinning Sampler for show and tell.
When I got upstairs Sherry directed me to my table so I could unload.  That table became my home away from home for the weekend.  I wish I had the space for a table that measured 4’ by 8’ in my sewing room!!
My table mate wasn’t there yet so I had both tables to myself for a while.  That allowed me to get my bigger quilts done.  I decided to work on the 2 quilts that are gifts first.  I had cut the fabric for the bindings last weekend, but I still needed to sew the strips together and press them, prior to attaching.  I attached the binding with my machine and then folded it to the back and used Clover Binder clips to keep it in place, as I sewed in the ditch from the front.  Since these are not SHOW quilts I figured sewing the bindings on by machine would work ok.
I love using a stripe for bindings, because they end up on the diagonal!!
 
I need to design and print labels for both of these prior to presenting them as gifts.
I managed to catch the backing when attaching the bindings to both of my first 2 quilts, so that required some reverse sewing with my seam ripper!!
Then I moved on to my first From Marti and Me Club quilt, Bali Breeze.  I used the same fabric that was in the border to bind the quilt.
 
Next was my Halloween Wall hanging
 
We broke at 6:00 p.m. and had a wonderful dinner of Salad, Rolls, Fried Chicken, Roast Beef, Mash Potatoes, Green Beans and Pie!!
Then it was back to sewing!!
I only worked until about 9:30 p.m., I have a tendency to make sewing mistakes and rotary cutter mistakes after 9 p.m.!!!

I will have another post later this week for Saturday!!!