I just got back last night from winter quilt retreat at Bryce Canyon. Larae and I were trying to figure out how many years we have been going to it and it is either 9 or 10. It was a much needed vacation. I look forward to it so much I hate to think what would happen if I couldn’t go. It is about my favorite thing all year.
LaRae, My Roomie
Day 1 I took a class from Carol Johnson. It is a landscape quilt that features the little cabin where Butch Cassidy grew up. I’ve seen the cabin many times as we have to drive past it every time we go down to Bryce Canyon. I was surprised how easy it was to make. I know I will use the techniques I learned on other projects.
Butch Cassidy's Homestead quilt
Day 2
In the morning I took a class called “In the Leafy Treetops” taught by Nanette Merrill. Such a cute quilt. It has 72 blue birds on it but being the rebel I am I made my birds pink. The really scary thing is that I pulled pink fabric for all 72 birds from my stash and there are no duplicates. I’m also going to have a cat looking out the window at the birds in the lower right corner.
"In the Leafy Treetops"
I finished one row of pink birds. It is pinned up onto the fabric I’m using for my outer border.
Nanette and her very helpful daughter Shelbie
In the afternoon I took a class called “spy glass”, a variation on an I Spy quilt. It has 32 spyglass blocks and we did an exchange in the class. They are supposed to alternate between black and white 9 patches which I had made and ready to go, but I don’t like the look of it so I am going to do something different.
Spy Glass blocks
This class was taught by Joylyn Cluny who became an instant friend because of our love for our cats.
Joylyn my kindred spirit
Day 3
I took a lecture class on how to use “layer cakes” from Bonnie Bailey. Bonnie and her mom, Brenda, have a pattern company called Pie Plate Patterns and they do some great stuff. I learned a lot and feel very inspired to use those layer cakes (for the non-quilter reading this, a layer cake is a bundle of 10″ squares).
The challenge was getting Bonnie to stick her face up higher than the quilt so I could get a picture of it
After the retreat ended at lunch time, Dawn, Evelyn, Larae and I took a drive up Bryce Canyon. In all the years I’ve been going to this event it was the first time we’ve done that. It was sunny and beautiful and the scenery was breathtaking.
These rock formations are called Hoo Doos.
Evelyn, Dawn, Me and LaRae
Bonnie Miles is the wonder woman who puts this event together. I told her I was going to blog her, so Bonnie, consider yourself “blogged”.
Bonnie Miles
Thanks, Bonnie, for all you do. I love it so much.
While we were there we were missing our good friend Kim who had to stay home and tend her sick husband. We made her a pin cushion that looks like a cake and even sits on a glass cake stand. We each embroidered a section and put our name on it. We took it to Kim last night and she cried. (I knew she would). We love you, Kim.
This cake looks good enough to eat.
