I had a CRAZY busy week last week. Â My family was pretty needy. Â That’s okay. Â I’m a mom first. Â Sewing and the like comes second to all of them. Â Happily my week ended with some Connie time.
Back when we were at the first retreat we put together a gal walked up to me and said, “You might not know this but you’re my bestie!” Â I didn’t know her at all so I smiled and laughed…Who knew a year and a half later I’d be hosting her at my home for a sewing weekend. Â It was fabulous.
It’s been fun getting to know Connie.  It’s always hard for me to get to know blog readers.  They know most everything about me by reading the blog but  I know very little about them.  Getting to know Connie has slowly evolved.  We’ve met in Rochester.  We’ve talked on line.  She came for a visit to pick up quilts to bind.  I’ve met her in Decorah.  It’s been fun.  Still only learning little tid-bits here and there isn’t enough.  I had told Connie I’d love to go with her to a retreat sometime Connie suggested on in January.  I told her I couldn’t take that many days off…so when Connie had a few days off of work and saw that the weather looked good, she offered to come for a sewing weekend.  I am so glad she did.
Plans were made for her to come on Friday and stay through Sunday.
I had all of these great plans to do some cooking, make a pot of soup…be real hostess-like but like I said, life happened this week. Â I had Carver an extra day. Â We had the ice storm, no school days, and the neighbor girl was over a lot. Â The good news is that that didn’t matter. Â Connie was so easy going and didn’t seam to mind us at all.
Connie came Friday afternoon just after nap time. Â I still had kids here. Â Connie was a huge help. Â Carver was a bit fussy and he loved up on “Aunt Connie”. Â He drooled all over her. Â Nothing says love like putting up with baby drool. Â The kids left at 5:30 and that’s about the time Craig came to get Carver too. Â We debated on supper and I had told Connie that I was hoping she was okay with bar food….happily she was so we headed up to the local bar and grill and had the fish special.
We made it the two blocks home and up to start sewing we went. Â Connie brought her mystery quilt to sew and had my mystery too.
I’ve not said a lot about it but I’ve been a bit disenchanted with my mystery quilt. Â I sewed some colors wrong. Â I didn’t like the coloring of one of the units….All in all, it wasn’t my favorite. Â Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Bonnie’s quilt. Â I really love it. Â My version…I don’t like much.
Poor Connie started out sewing on my 301 and it wasn’t very cooperative. Â She ended up on my Featherweight. Â The 301 we determined is going to the shop. Â I felt so bad that the machine wasn’t working the best. Â Then the foot for the quarter inch foot for the Featherweight broke a bit ago and she had to create a 1/4″ guide. Â Thankfully Connie was a trooper.
We laughed and laughed as my blocks came to life. Â Neither of us really liked them. Â Connie suggested I make a four block quilt and simply be done with it. Â I told her I didn’t want all the other units left over. Â I was trudging on.
Finally…my blocks were done. Â I didn’t like them any better but sometimes, done is done.
Connie’s blocks were awesome. Â She had more colors planned originally but we talked and worked our way through the design. Â In the end, Connie liked this.
If you look you can see she replaced the “yellow squares” for half squares triangles. Â I love it.
Mine…I put together like this. We talked and debated until this is about the best we thought mine might be. Â It has no sashing.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the border…Not sure at all. Â I’ll be honest, I want it done and out of my way. Â It’s going to be a quilt for an upcoming wedding. Â I think I’ll start with the neutral four patch border. Â From there, maybe some pink…then back to purple. Â I don’t know. Â I’m open to suggestions.
Connie started auditioning some sashing.
Then decided to try it block to block with not sashing.
We sewed away talking and chatting. Â I finally feel like I really got to know Connie. Â I’m so happy I did. Â We didn’t set a date but I do see another sewing day in our future. Â I couldn’t be happier.
Saturday and Sunday we sewed….Most of our time was spent on the mystery. Â Sunday afternoon came. Â Connie decided to go to Kalissa’s and check out her LuLaroe clothes.
By then it was time to go. Â Ruby was sad to see Connie go…me too.
We did have Kalissa snap a photo of us while at her house. Â I hadn’t fixed my hair at all…it was great. Â Neither of us cared.
Connie got to see our family live and in person. Â Kelli, Kalissa and Carver were home on Saturday…Buck and Karl called. Â Ruby was her cheerful self. Â Hubby (who only cooks about four times a year) made French Toast and Bacon for us on Sunday morning.
It was so fun. Â After Connie left Hubby said to me, she sure was nice…I agreed. Â She is.
Oh..I forgot to tell you. Â Saturday we had another retreater join us..I’ll tell you about that later this week.
To see what others were working on, check out Patchwork Times.
What a wonderful time! Making a new friend and working on quilts, doesn’t get any better than that!!! I like your quilt! Don’t be so hard on yourself! Connie’s quilt is gorgeous!
I prefer mystery quilts that I design and teach; I’m doing one for my guild this Saturday in fact. I really like Connie’s variation with the extra HSTs. Love her bright blues, too. And I love Kalissa’s big red clock. It’s so “her.”
I have friends who get together twice a year to sew. It is such a cool idea. I’m glad you had fun and got your mystery sewn together. I love how you have adapted and made your quilt top yours.
I love quilting blogs, and your is the first one I read. I don’t know how you find the time to write everyday, but I’m so glad you do. I love reading it. You have such a sweet family, and your childcare kiddos are very lucky to be included. You have truly been blessed. This may be crazy, but maybe a narrow green border or binding would make those green stars on your mystery quilt pop. I really like the piano keys along the top in the picture also. Good luck with it.
Your take on Bonnie’s mystery looks great! Glad you had a fun sewing weekend.
Like both of yall’s quilts without sashing. Wish I had thought of that, but I have all my blocks, sashing, and border blocks sewn (not perfectly, but…), if not put together in a top. Guess I will persevere.
Hi Connie!!!
Looks like you gals had a fun time!
Sewing with friends is the best! I’m glad you got some play time with a new-to-you friend.
What a wonderful time you both had, stitching and talking, sharing the love of friendship. I think both of your quilts are lovely and what ever border you decide the recipients will be blessed by the love that was in every stitch. I truly enjoy reading your blog, hope the stress of the retreat issues are getting worked out. I attended my second retreat this past week and I must say it was so much fun to spend time with others who love the creative process while stitching with fabric. I really must go more often, my heart is filled with a sense of calm.
I really like your Bonnie quilt. The person getting this quilt will indeed have a treasure. Just to let you know, I told my husband about your family liking Longmire, well my husband is smitten! He loves this series & will probably get through the whole series before long & will want it to keep going!!! Thanks!
So glad you and Connie had a fun, sewing weekend. If I lived closer to you, I’m sure we could be good friends too. You live a casual lifestyle like I do. I’m not a fancy girl at all and it’s hard to find like-minded women like that. Even among quilters!
Looks like you two had fun. I like both of your mystery quilts.
YAHOO for stitching friends far and near!
Actually, I like your mystery quilt. And I’m sure the person you give it to will love it too.
I had a great time sewing this weekend with Jo. It was fun to bounce ideas off each other, while working on the mystery. As you can see, we both made changes to the pattern. Jo, and her family are so down to earth. They are just like you would expect from reading the blog. I have met all of her daughters and they are so nice and make you feel right at home. Roger was a great host, himself and made us brunch on Sunday. Roger is so easy to talk to and has a good sense of humor! And Ruby…. what a great companion to the child care kids! She is really special and I love her to pieces. I loved sewing with our special guest on Saturday. She will look back at her time with Jo and have very special memories. Carver got lots of spoiling from me while I was there! I had a great time, and know that we will have more get togethers in the future.Thank you Jo and family for a great weekend!
How fun for you and Connie to have a sewing weekend! I like how the lights in your mystery quilt blocks have a chain effect through the center. Keep moving forward, it’s gonna be a good one! :o)
I agree with Paula S.-it’s nice to find a bestie from the wide “out there” spaces. There seem to be a lot of agenda people. But like you said we readers know you thru and thru. I’ve taken some of your book reviews to heart. I’ve never done a retreat but I was lucky when Bonnie came to San Diego in 2014 to go to 3 of her classes. A wonderful high for me. I’m not aa scrappy gal o it was nice to hear and see her take on it.
Jo – I’m still working on parts 6 and 7 of the mystery quilt, but at least for me, I think that the sashing between the blocks is what makes the quilt “pop” because it creates another block where the sashing meets. Anyway – that’s what I am hoping for. :>)
I have 633+ units done, and another 100+ to go – this may be my first and last Bonnie Hunter quilt. Although I do have to say that after making over 100 units with the Tri Recs ruler that I am getting much better at it.