Family Craft Retreat 2

I think you're supposed to come up with a snappier title for a sequel, but I'll just leave it at "2". We had our second family craft weekend last week Friday to Monday, and it was a great time.

Over the weekend, nine of us attended. Three aunts and six cousins (a pair of sisters and four sisters). It was a good mix of people who saw each other more often and people who hadn't seen each other since last year.

We found a new location that catered to quilters and whose facilities were much more suited to our needs. The Fireside Retreat in Orillia (Ontario) was fantastic.

The old stone farmhouse was very welcoming. There was a bedroom on the main floor for those who couldn't do stairs and the two bedrooms upstairs each had three beds and plenty of room for it.

One sister greeting me and another sister
as we arrived.

The kitchen was modern and included a dishwasher which we were missing last year! We had some very cold weather, and the house was very comfortable, although we were glad for the wood stove in the sitting room.

We managed a picture of the whole group on the front porch. Don't let our missing coats fool you -- it was cold!

The owners change the quilt block on the front porch each year so you can build a collection if you return on different years. The previous blocks were hanging on other outside walls of the house and outbuildings.

The house had a long room that ran the whole width of the house. It was four steps down from the main level, and I suspect it was a converted porch. The one half had three wooden work tables, a cutting/pressing table (with supplies) and some design boards.

There were three tables but four quilters, so my sister worked on the table she (fortunately) brought.

The other side of the room was full of comfortable chairs and the woodstove. It was perfect for knitting, hand sewing, and hanging out. (There were spot working lights everywhere and more available if needed!)

I've never seen so many quilts in a house! Only two examples shown here but there were quilts on walls in all the rooms (including bathrooms!), quilts on the beds, quilts on the closet shelves, quilts on the bedroom window seats, and quilts just rolled up in baskets. We found out later that they were previous shop samples -- the owner's daughter owns a local quilt shop and this is where the samples go to retire.


Once everyone was there Friday night, we did some gift giving.

• One of my sisters brought mittens she makes from felted sweaters. The linings are always cashmere and they are scrumptious.
• One cousin brought craft themed mint tins ("Keep Calm and Knit On" etc).
• Another sister made little rice pack hand warmers (the purple squares).
• One cousin brought booklets of sticky notes in different sizes for pattern notes.
• Our aunt brought a book of poetry her husband had compiled and edited.
• And I brought "snip baskets" I had made. (The little triangles up front.) They can catch all your thread and yarn cut offs and then fold into your project bag without dumping out. For those times you're working away from home.
• Not pictured but just as appreciated were the chocolates another sister put on our pillows! :)

Not to stop there, we four quilters prearranged a fabric swap. We told the others our fabric preferences and swapped about a fat quarters worth of scraps from our stashes. Always fun to add some new options!

Friday night we had the first FO of the weekend already!

She had this quilt almost done so she said it was cheating, but done is done!

Saturday dawned bright and cold again. A good day to stay in and sew.

Unless your booking includes a gift certificate for everyone at the local quilt shop!

Then it's a good day to go to the quilt shop, which most of the group did on Saturday morning.

Otherwise the day was filled with quilting:

Laying out her quilt blocks on the design board in the
dining room. This top would be assembled by the end
of the weekend.

and puzzle building:

We started with a rooster puzzle for my mom but put it away
when it was taking way too much time. The next one was of quilt blocks
but we didn't finish that one either -- too many other things to do.

and going for walks:

I managed at least a short walk on Saturday and Sunday.
It was 6F on Sunday morning for example so plenty chilly!!

On Sunday we enjoyed a fantastic lunch at Lake Country Grill:

Otherwise we took turns cooking breakfast and super each day. That is not why the restaurant was so good -- we ate well all weekend!

Our aunt finished a sweater that had been in the works for seven years!

Looks great, doesn't it!? This weekend helped motivate her to pull it out and work on it and start the mojo-killing job of picking up all the stitches for the front and collar facing.

There were also shenanigans. While my sister was busy quilting, I picked up her blanket square and started working on the crochet edging.

I just hope I guessed what she was doing! (Crochet's easy to take out anyway, right?) The joke was on me when she came over and sat on a couch next to my Lucy Boston square and suggested she finish sewing the block for me. (It's like we're related!)

My main project of the weekend, however, was quilting my blue and white elephant quilt. Here my sister and I are examining it for any remaining blue markings that we need to remove with water spray.

And then two of my sisters braved the chill again to hold up my quilt for a full picture.

I got most of the quilting done. The binding is sewn on but only safety pinned to the back. This was so that I could get the picture and submit it to a call by Quilts, Inc. for an exhibition of blue and white quilts.

I pulled out my computer Sunday night to submit my application and pictures because the deadline was the next day. (I only saw the entry deadline posted on the website in December. Before that it just said "2019".) So I spent the weekend worrying about whether I would have it done and did manage it in the end.

When I pulled up the webpage I saw that they had extended the deadline to the end of March! I guess that  means I have time to actually sew down the binding and to finish some additional quilting I want to add.

As for the retreat, we've already penciled ourselves in for the same weekend next year at the same place. Can't wait!