Thursday 15 June 2017

Mary Lou Retreat Day one of sewing and start of day two visiting local quilt shops.

In 2013 Mary Lou's on line yahoo swap group did two swaps.  The first was watering cans and the second was flowers.  I took them down to show my friend Rita and we put them on her design wall.
 I liked how they looked so when we started our first day at retreat I played around with the layout and decided I liked to try and have the watering cans all around the outside along with the one potted flower.
 It doesn't seem like a lot but I got two bees done.  The black and yellow stripes started about an inch wide.  This bee is about one inch high by almost two inches long.
 Here is my second bee.  He is a bit longer.
 Mari figured out Mary Lou's new raccoon pattern and came up with this guy.  Her new book is called Hoochy Two-chy and is available from her website found here.
 Kim from Virginia wanted to do a story about her daughter loosing a tooth during a visit to the Grand Canyon.  She took a story quilt workshop with Mary Lou several years ago and had blocks done and was deciding on the frame.
 Jan from Washington is going to do a delightful story about growing up on a turkey farm.
 Can you spot my two bees placed into the flowers?
 Mary Lou has a habit of sharing fairy gifts.  She gave each of us one of her original drawings she had put onto a cloth bag for us. The bag says Where Friends Gather Trouble Flies Away!
 Inside the bag were some Timeless Treasures Grunge strips, some lovely Batiks and a fat quarter selection which was different for each of us.  Mine was Mermaid and sea themed!  Thanks Timeless Treasures.
 Inside these polka dot and striped wrapped gifts were all the fairy gifts passed to us each day from Mary Lou.
 We got a travel mug with one of her portrait quilts featured on it.
 The next day we started out after breakfast at The Quilting Bee.  They recently moved to a new bigger location with high ceilings and great lightening.
 They have filled the space with all sorts of displays.
 Cutting area and cash.
 Sewing machine corner.
 Sergers and quilts on display.
 The local quilt shop row by rows from last year.
 Some pillow case inspiration.
 I think this was one of their clearance areas.
 Love those crows.
 Cute displays on top of fabric shelves.
 Love this modern inspired quilt.
 Everywhere you looked some inspiration.
 This says it all.
 Dang, their row is so cute, but can't get one until after June 21st!
Stay tuned for the rest of day two and onto day three.

6 comments:

WoolenSails said...

What a fun retreat, Mary lou really does go all out, in every way and you can't walk away from one her classes without a smile.
Fun to shop locally while you are there, shame about the row. I see some online and wish I could get them.

Debbie

Kyle said...

What a wonderful opportunity to work with Mary Lou and others. Your blocks are coming together. Those bees are delightful

Susan said...

A super retreat. I did find your bees when I enlarged the picture. One took me a minute to find! I'm going to like that quilt a lot. I'd love to do this retreat some year, but it probably won't happen. I'd really like to go in a quilt shop as big as a barn!

Cathy said...

What a fun time. I love how your quilt is coming along. The bees are so sweet. Hugs

Karen said...

The barn looking building reminds me of a quilt shop that used to be in Hartville, Ohio. I am sure the building must still be there but the quilt shop closed.

KaHolly said...

Looks like so much fun! I would be so overwhelmed in that store! When I used to go to Keepsake Quilting, which was a full daytrip, I'd have to just roam around all morning and look. Then lunch and a nice walk through the quaint community while the morning's eye candy 'percolated'. Finally, I'd re-enter the store and begin making my selections. It was always a fun, but daunting, experience. How much better it would have been if there was a workshop/retreat attached to the experience! I'm looking forward to seeing more of yours! XO