2012 Gimli Quilt Retreat

WOW this was my SIXTH year at this retreat - how time flies when you are having fun!!!  And this year it was even more so having my sister enjoying it too - see she was very ill last year and it took two surgeries and nearly life threatening circumstances to finally fix the problems.  Yes she's bouncing back slowly but surely and awesome to see her enjoying her meals again!!!

This year I convinced Sylvia and Pat to come out a day earlier so we actually had two full and two part days for sewing and relaxing with friends.  On our way out of Winnipeg we were surrounded by dense fog and the closer to the lakes we drove the heavier it became but the roads were clear which was good!  We stopped in at Stonewall to Quilters Cottage (a first for both of them and a return trip is a must now) and then onto Winnipeg Beach for lunch and a stop at Keeper Quilts (a regular fabric stop enroute) and also took some pictures against the hoarfrost covered trees on the lakeshore.

Rose Anne & Sylvia (sisters)

Pat & Sylvia (daughter & Mom)


So here we are stitching away at our various projects.  I had gotten Tami, Florence and Kat at our Aurora meeting to sort through my recycle grocery bag full of swapped 6.5 inch charms and they came up with a blue and green collection all pinned together for me.  When I started I needed to "trim" all these charms and tried to keep them in order before sewing up the quilt tops on point along with blue end triangles and a finishing 2 inch border for both quilts. 

Now these finished quilt tops were shown on Sunday's Show n Tell and then handed over to Edith for their "Quilts of Valour" for war veterans within Manitoba and maybe Canada.  I'm hoping to maybe make up another one or two tops in 2012 as I do have many charms left and there are other patterns out there too. 

 
Here is Pat pressing her scrappy quilt top - she too was trying to reduce her stash but also found she barely made a dent - just as I realized too.  She will maybe be adding a narrow inner border before the 2" scrappy strips stitched together for a wider outer border.




And here is my much rejuvenated sister (still on the slim side me thinks) doing what she loves - quilting and playing with her own twist to some patterns.  This disappearing 9-patch is utilizing some of my black & white charms once again along with some of her own stash with a red zinger fabric for the centre 9-patch block.  It is AWESOME!!! 



Dianne (on the right) is a friend of Pat's from years back pictured here with her two cousins that also enjoy quilting together.  This was a "relaxing" weekend for the girls and especially Dianne who has had her share of medical setbacks too with the worst I think is breaking her left shoulder - shuddering!!!


AND here last but not least is the AWESOME MPQ 2012 Quilt Reflections raffle quilt on display during our banquet Saturday night.  Tickets are still available from various guild members and "maybe" at the Quilt Show, April 13th-15th (limited number for sale).

Now if you're wondering where the other pictures are don't fret you can view them in my Webshots album.  Sorry if you see your quilt but I've not recorded your name, but be assured it is your quilt - not mine.