Family Quilting Retreat - Dryden Ont

The weather seemed to make this weekend retreat questionable but it cleared up enough for Pat and I to escape the city and travel without incident to Sylvia and Len's in Dryden Ont.  Sylvia was looking forward to this weekend for the sewing companionship and I think Len too having us visit for family bonding.  When we arrived we helped Sylvia move her sewing items downstairs so we had a larger area without interfering with Len's TV time!  I felt bad for Sylvia going up and down the stairs but she did not seem to mind.  It was nice to have a couple of meals out and then Pat and I ordered and paid for pizza one night to help out.

So Sylvia finished stitching together a lovely table topper and it is just awesome on her square dining room table.  She also finished off her OMA's retreat fall prints sunflower table topper too but I forgot to take that picture then cut out another poinsettia table topper in reds with a fussy cut poinsettia for the very centre.  That should look lovely when complete.  She was very happy with her sewing and pulled out a just about completed angel wall hanging and hopes to finish it off to hang up for the holidays.

As for Pat she had planned to cut out and sew up three funky poinsettia table toppers for Christmas gifts and she did complete all three and used my shiny green polyester thread for the top stitching and was very happy with them.  She also spent time upstairs with Len watching TV, playing games and chit chatting, especially when Sylvia and I went to the Dryden Quilt Guild meeting, we both joined up too, I'll catch periodic meetings depending on visits.

NOW, I was just a sewing up storm, that is for sure!  I was determined to complete the kitchen towels I was making out of my Australian/NZ fabrics for gift giving and I accomplished it, just barely over the weekend.  I did take a break Monday to stitch up a needed mug rug for a group swap and enjoyed that so much I stitched up two more for gifts.  I also showed the girls the various blocks I've managed so far to cut out of my Australian/NZ fabrics for my couch lap quilt that I hope to work on at the Gimli Retreat in January.  Then just before packing up I did assemble and stitch together my two poinsettia table toppers I had stitched up at OMA's retreat in October.

 

So yes I'd say we had a very productive weekend and not too many "rippits"!!!  We went out for breakfast then returned to the house and while Pat was cleaning off her car and packing up, I shovelled my sister's back deck and hopefully easier for her in future cleaning.  The return trip, even though it had snowed heavy wet stuff through the night, was good and the highway was dry too!!!