Retreat day 2

Today I have spent most of the day wrestling with the bag I am making, some of the seams are so thick I had to put the machine on to free motion and drag the fabric through. .not good for the machine I am sure!!

I need to  put binding on the raw seams, but it will have to be hand sewn on, there is no way I can get it back into the machine.

Today Carleen and I started the day with some geocaching, we found two in Gisborne

This was the view over the town from the second cache site.

My wonky houses are finished and joined together.

Tracy has been working on a little quilt this afternoon.

Here is the room we are in and everyone working away.

Barbs bag is still being made

Maxine is getting her binding on

Love how Maxine has used the selvedge pieces.

Am off now to try and out a facing on the door mini quilt.

Happy sewing.

Day 2

Today has been a day of joy and frustration, some sewing has been done and LOTS of unsewing has been done, some geocaches were found and others remained hidden, we saw some beautiful countryside

the edge of the golf course

part of the golf course

the old water tower at the train station

part of the old train station

old saw mill over the road

I have started working on the Celestial stars blocks, this is the first one, and it took me ages to get the points nearly meeting.....the main fabric is orange, but looks pink here, I also didn't read the pattern properly so it is different to the original!!

this is one of the house residents, we have had several hello and pretty boy converstaions......I found out later it is a girl!! 

this is my second attempt at a Celestial Star  block this one had given me the heebegeebies!!!!!! I got them all finished and then found I have sewn two the wrong way on the papers so I had to make two more, then I managed to cut off two points, so guess what I am doing this morning????  Yep, another two blocks need to be made. 

reject blocks!!!!

So I am off to have a third attempt at these two blocks!!

Happy sewing.

Christmas in July Stitching Retreat - very photo heavy today!!

Yesterday we had an early start form Gisborne - we met at Anettes place, where she had her work bus and off we went to Monbulk! The day was organised by Lisa of Fig'n'Berry Creations....

....here are the kids in the back seats!!

...Anette our wonderful driver....

....getting settled....there were over 90 people here today....

Anette busy working....

Helen stitching away....

Jackie creating.....you can see the wonderful morning tea on the table....

Marina busy working...I should have moved her water bottle!!!

Pauline, Tania and Marina busy.....

we managed to surprise Shez..we knew she was going but she didn't know we were going....not often you can get something past our Shez!! Lol!!

playing Father Christmas....felt sorry for Shez's knee!!  Beautiful Marg Low quilts behind us....

Tania and I played Father Christmas too!!

beautiful tree decorations....

Love Karen's head gear...was hard to get a photo 'cos she moves really fast!!

Anette's completed stitchery.....

we even met up with the lovely Helen who was there with her Philip Island sewing group...was a treat to see her again....

happy sewers.....

Tracee with her finished decoration, she kept spinning it (cheeky bugger) so it was hard to get a photo!!

see I told you she was cheeky!!!

Anette with  her finished decoration...just beautiful!!

and here is the noisy table who were sittng next to us...lol!!

and you can see why.....the two Sheryl's were right behind us!!

and here we are the hard working Gisborne group!! Lol!! We had a wonderful day...so much food that doggie bags were needed....but much fun and laughter....so good for the soul....

..just a few of the Fig'n'Berry Christmas creations....

a few more here.......I think that is enough photos for one post...I am off to St Leonard's for the rest of the weekend...sewing , reading, relaxing....nothing better....well maybe adding a few sewing friends but that will come another time!

Happy sewing!