Retreat at Three Oaks, Yoakum, Tx

NOTE:   Whoops.   Just found this in my Draft folder.   I'll be going back this month!

 

I recently spent several days at Three Oaks Retreat Center in Yoakum, Texas. There were 11 of us there this time. Although the center is designed for 16 quilters, 11 was a good sized  agroup.  It's a  lovely place, with a decent sized workroom, four bedrooms, and a small but well stocked fabric store in the front. Best part of the trip was the Shop Hop on the day we left. Can you say SALE???? A traveling sewing machine repairman was there for several days, and several ladies took the opportunity to have there machines cleaned. He picked the machine up, took it to his trailer to clean and check up, and returned it a few hours later! So convenient! 

The group split up meal assignments and the food was very good. Of course, any meal that I don't have to prepare myself is a winner in my book. Cheryl's Pomgranite and Strawberry Margaritas were excellent. 

 I didn't take too many pictures, but will add some later. I bordered my yellow rose piece, made several of my Japanese-inspired blocks, and finished up a baby quilt for Linus.

Batik Linus Challenge and Mystery Class Combo

 My quilt guild in Pflugerville issued its weekly Linus Connection challenge and brought in boxes of batiks to choose from.   I nabbed some sweet blues.

Susan's Lifetime Learning class was just starting its Spring semester and the topic was Mystery Quilt.

So I decided to do a two-for-one.

The Mystery was harder than I had hoped, but I made some great blocks.   I only used six of them for the Linus challenge, so another quilt will be made later.

I really like the two-fabric binding.

Alice

 

 

Alice is at a quilt retreat.   It's July, but the Menopause Mamas who are in charge of the thermostat have turned it down to 65 degrees.

How is Alice supposed to get a proper quarter-inch seam when her fingers are frozen?

More tote bags

  

I'm addicted.   I can't stop making them.  I've given away about 3 dozen and sold one.   And yet I keep making them. 

It's just so relaxing to sit and watch a video or TV show or movie and keep my hands busy.

And I keep finding good colored, cheap yarn.

Toast really likes his bed.

 And here's yet another.......

Quilted Portraits - Jessica, Cherry and Karen

 The Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild had a class taught by Jean Impey last week.   

I haven't done a class in quite a while, but this one looked like fun.   And it was!   I am absolutely hooked.

I have finished two portraits already and am working on a third.

The first one is Jessica.  Jessica is a realtor.  She just found out that her client, who is scheduled to close in a week, has just quit his job.   Bye, bye, commission!

The second is Cherry.   She loves vintage cars and is pleased that her new boyfriend is taking her to a car show this weekend.   Hope he doesn't just take her for a ride.

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Then there's Karen, a vegetarian.  Karen is looking at the menu of a new restaurant and wondering what she can order.  Karen is radishing, even in a potato sack dress.  

Crocheted Tote Bags

 Last year I saw a pattern for a crocheted tote bag that was made from the bits and pieces left over from other projects.   I have found crocheting and knitting to be a very peaceful activity, one that I can do alone or with others.   It keeps my hands busy while my mind is free to watch a movie on TV or think about just about anything that's on my mind.  

I've made a bunch.  A bunch!   I keep buying yarn on sale at thrift stores and Austin Creative Recycle and garage sales.   The variety of colors is fun.  I love adding a few feet of yellow to a basically blue bag.   Or shots of orange to a brown one.

My first giveaways were to some of my retreat friends - I brought in four bags to a retreat and they were all claimed. 

  

I gave bags to the two ladies who run the retreat center. 

 (The cat there really loves it!)  

The next month, I brought two bags to another retreat and gave one to the friend who couldn't attend but is a part of the group.

At Christmas, I gave bags to another two great nieces.

Now I'm making another batch to my other retreat friends.   My yarn stash is four times the size of the one I started with, but I've had a lot of pleasure in this endeavor.

Reading to the Twins

 Phoenix, Skye, and their grandmother Diane came to visit on Monday.   By the time the day was over, two of us were exhausted.   But we had a good time getting to know these sweet babies better.   

I'm happy that it was a pretty, warm day and we could spend lots of time outside.

The table is one that Diane and I ate at as children.