Retreat and Other Adventures

It felt so good to attend a retreat again, and it felt great to make progress on a few projects.

First up, I completed the center blocks for our Mini Club with Lynn. Each block will finish at 4".

This will be finished off with three rounds of borders, one of which is pieced. I probably won't get back to those steps until next year. There are priorities for Christmas gifts that need my attention now.

I also finished the blocks for the Barbara Brackman "Hands All Around" BOM that I joined during 2021. It was a set of 12 patterns, and I made two blocks from each pattern, using the same fabrics for both blocks, but switching the fabric placement on the second one.

I had been saving brown and pink Civil War fabrics for years, and decided this was the time to use them. I kept up while making the first 9 sets of blocks--I only had the last 3 patterns (6 blocks) to finish at retreat. The border stripes on either side of the blocks had been acquired along the way, and I hope to incorporate one or both of them into the layout. It has been such a long time since I actually completed a BOM. This felt good--even though it isn't truly finished.

The last real progress made was on the "National Parks" quilt I have promised my youngest son. I had cut out a slew of flying geese with my AccuQuilt cutter, and spent time sewing up a bunch of them in order to make progress on this. This is one of those "make-it-up-as-you-go-along" quilts. It won't win any beauty pageants, but it will make a nice throw for my very tall youngest son who LOVES spending time in the parks.

The center strips of FG are the only ones sewn into strips. I need to get going on the others, after I figure out exactly how many I will need down each side. I think the brown in the upper right corner will form the final border around the quilt. It is the same brown bordering the center map.

Do you visit, or have you visited many National Parks? There are a lot of them in the west and we visited several on family vacations over the years. Most recently hubby and I saw Acadia in Maine last year, and the year before that we visited Glacier Bay in Alaska, but all of the other ones we have seen are in the western states. I'd like to branch out a bit.

I also worked a "little bit" on my Every Little Bit quilt by Pam Buda, but I didn't get much done, so I will share that another time when I've made visible progress.

Our retreat venue was the same as it has been for the last few years before COVID shut us down, the beautiful Academy Conference Center in Brigham City, Utah. The above photo was taken at a time when most everyone was attending one of the optional classes.

The retreat is sponsored by the shop over the mountain, Village Dry Goods.

This is owner Fran on the left, her girl Friday (Liz) on the right--and me squished in the middle. You couldn't ask for better people. And if you want to get to know them, go to the Village Dry Goods Facebook page on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 MST for Village Vibes, where these two fun ladies teach, chat, inform, and bring in guests. If you miss it live, you can catch it on their YouTube channel.

I shared my table at the retreat with two good friends from my guild, Ruth, and Andrea.

We had a grand time together. This was the first time either of them have attended the retreat, and I hope they will come back. I did miss Kim, my usual retreat buddy, but she was unable to attend this year.

That is the end of the quilty content. Just wanted to share a handful of favorite shots from our trip to Amsterdam and Norway in September. Loved seeing another part of the world. In Amsterdam we did a canal cruise (of course), and I got a kick out of the Dancing Houses. Can you see how off kilter they are?

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Van Gogh Museum, and seeing some of his amazing works in person. There were a few pieces by Claude Monet,  Paul Gauguin, and several other artists, but it was mostly Van Gogh. Can't put my finger on why, exactly, but his Almond Blossom painting has long been a favorite of mine, and I was excited to find it there.

He explored such a wide range of styles in his art, and this is just a smidgen of it. Definitely the highlight for me in Amsterdam.

In Norway, this was probably the highlight.

Kayaking in a couple of Fjords was amazing. The first time was sunny and calm and magical. This was a 5 mile trip--loved every minute of it.

Hubby accompanied me on this excursion, but two days later I went again without him. It was a completely different experience, but still made for incredible memories.

It poured on us the whole time, but we were a hardy crew, and the scenery was amazing! This journey was just over 4 miles, and other than my hands being extremely cold, I enjoyed it, too.

On other days we wandered through quaint villages, and strolled along city streets, even hiked up over 400 stairs to get to an observatory for a sunset view of Alesund. Well worth it.

Hubby always promised me we would travel after he retired, and I am holding him to it. We have our trip for next year booked, and think we may have picked out our destination for the following year.  I don't take for granted the privilege it is to get to experience these places. My parents were simple, humble people, but my father traveled the world for his work the last 10 years of his employment. Mom didn't love traveling, but accompanied him a few places--Hawaii, Israel, New Zealand. In their waning years they both told me that travel broadens your perspective, and gives you a greater appreciation for the fact that we are all God's children, and that He created a beautiful world for us. They encouraged me to travel if I got the opportunity. So I am trying to help keep hubby an honest man, honor my parents' counsel, and fulfill some dreams I've had for over half a century. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

But it is always good to be home, and our sunsets are pretty incredible, too.

I just remembered some other quilty content I forgot to include, so I may actually get another post up this month...but don't hold your breath. :)

Until next time,

Be creative and be kind.

Janet O.