Last week was our sleep-at-home retreat, and after bragging that I usually get so much work done, this one had other plans for me. I had cut a lot of projects to take with me, and began with the one for the pot handle pads. Ah, yes, best laid plans. Arriving at the venue, I was surprised to see a different configuration of the tables than we have done before. They were set up in a “T” pattern, with two tables long sides together so those quilters would face each other, and two more tables at one end, with quilters sitting side by side.
I chose a spot in the center of the room as places were filling up fast as quilters arrived. I set my table up with all my stuff, and got out the first project for the retreat – the handle hot pads for the quilt shoppe.
I had 20 cut out to sew, and all I needed to do was clip the edges and start sewing. I spent the first morning doing the initial sew, clipping the corners, turning them right side out, and gave them a press. Then I did the top stitch seam to close the opening for turning. When I started to do the final seam after folding them over, the machine would not stitch through all the layers. I fought this for quite a while before giving up, and putting this project away to finish at home.
Next up in the afternoon was the kit with the gingerbread men potholders. I opened up the kit, read all the directions, and spread out the components, only to find that I needed to add my own fabric to it. So, I packed it up as well, and went onto the half square triangles for the balance of the day. I had a bunch already done from the last retreat, so I sewed them into pinwheels.
The next morning, I brought some Christmas fat quarters to finish the potholders. The pattern said to do some 60-degree triangles. What I thought was a piecing pattern on the batting was only a guide to placement. My attempt to do the triangles came out a mess. I needed a proper ruler, which I did not have.
All the points would get cut off if I used them. This is supposed to be fun, not a chore! So, maybe I’ll just do some bars of print without the triangles. I planned to put them in the shoppe anyway, so who cares? Ah, so it goes. I sewed the strips, then added a large piece on the right to put the applique gingerbread man. Placement looks good.
Out came the ruler and rotary cutter, and without moving it, I cut the excess fabric off the sides. Then I picked it up, and found this underneath.
OK, you can stop laughing now. I put the now legless man on the top, trying to see if I could make it work. So much for putting it in the shoppe, but maybe I could just finish it and use it myself. No, it just looks awful. But another friend said “add some details and turn it into a skirt, put some trim over the cut.” Brilliant. I’ll need to add those details before continuing, so that project got packed up again to take home to finish.
All through the day there was more chat time, walking around seeing what others were doing, helping a friend with her sewing caddy project, looking at color selections on another friend’s wall hanging, finding a tiny bee for another friend’s miniature block, and generally just enjoying the day. I did not get a lot accomplished on day 2. In the afternoon, I got out my Moda Cake Mix Recipe papers #3, and started making more half square triangles. Just put a 10-inch background square with a layer cake square right sides together and pin the paper to them.
Sew on the dotted lines following the arrows on the papers.
Then cut on the solid lines. This is where a Rotating Cutting Mat comes in very handy. There are straight lines and diagonal lines to cut both vertically and horizontally, and it is easier to do all of them without having to move the piece.
I did 12 paper pages. Then after cutting them apart, I spent the next hour tearing off the papers. Of course, when my little thread catcher filled up, I had to go empty it. And get a snack. And chat with someone. And look at what others were sewing. And hit the exchange table.
But, at the end of day 3, I had 216 half square triangles sewn and pressed. No trimming required. I also scored big on the exchange table, coming home with a bit more fabric (I showed you that on Sunday), some straight pins in a great little box, some safety pins needed for the shoppe, and two rolls of embroidery stabilizer! Plus, I won a super door prize, a gift certificate to a local fabric store, so I can get that bloody 60-degree ruler.
At home over the weekend, I got out the handle hot pads to sew the final seam on all of them. What should have taken half an hour took a lot longer! I broke three needles on the first two. The ones I did before went so smoothly, what was wrong here? I put in a heavy duty size 16 needle and tried again. I managed to get one done. I went to put it in the basket, and that is when I realized what I had done. I put two layers of batting in these, when they only needed one. That plus the fabrics meant 8 layers to sew through. Actually 12 in some spots where the seam allowance was in the final seam line.
I took one apart to see how much of a problem it would be to resew them. I decided just to keep on with the size 16 needle. I pressed the edges as best I could, trying to flatten the edges a bit. I only broke one more needle, and managed to get them all done. I priced them at $5 each, and put them in a big basket for the shoppe. The double batting will make them super insulators.
I have five different prints – onions, chili peppers, farmer’s market, and spoons in two colorways. The spoon fabric was given to me by a reader for the British quilt, but I didn’t use them in the last quilt. Since some of this money will go to fund my Safelight charity quilt this year, I hope the donor won’t mind that I used a bit of it for these. The kitchen theme prints were perfect for the project.
Retreat was so fun, and I look forward to our next sleep at home one in October. The organizers worked really hard to make it fun for us, and it showed. We all got goodie bags with candy, a nice new seam ripper, and a pin. There were multiple door prizes everyday, and some scrumptious treats all three days. We enjoyed lots of time to chat and get to know people a bit better, spending time chatting and laughing, admiring the finishes and the progress.
What do you think of our retreat? Does your guild have something similar?
From My Carolina Home 
Some Days are just like that!!! Good day to learn how to become a problem solver?
Carole, Your retreat mirrored mine several years ago before coming to NC from Massachusetts. I would spend so much time looking at everyone’s projects I’d get virtually nothing completed. Glad you figured out the problem with the broken needle. What is it about making a pattern that we miss that ONE LITTLE piece!. Gotta laugh though because I beat myself up. Hang in there! Charlie
I LOVED your report. I have a big gr
The owners of Featherweights in our area had our first ever “Sew Day” yesterday. 7 brought machines & projects plus 2 visitors who stopped by and will be joining us next month. We hope to have an “education” segment at 2:00 PM every month where we can learn maintenance or tips.
oh, I’m so sorry you had a rough go of your retreat. We have all been there and done that. If not yet then they will at some point. Best laid plans and all that jazz.
kinda like the quilt I’ve lost the pattern and the last 2 cut boarder pieces for. Repurchased the pattern and my “what I thought I saved for the quilt Grunge fabric” doesn’t even remotely match.
I’m glad you had a better second day!
I did chuckle at the poor legless gingerbread man since I had made a similar cutting error this past week. The other quilter’s ideas were helpful for a “fix”. This retreat sounds like a lot of fun.
Well your projects all conspired against you! I am glad you got some things done, had fun and then were able to wrangle the overstuffed pot handlers!
well even with all the trouble you had you still got done with something and had some fun. The pot handles sound like trouble from the start!
Glad you had a good time at the retreat, in spite of it “having other plans” for some of your projects! That made me laugh! Those cake mix papers for making half-square triangles sound really handy. I’ll have to try them sometime. Your retreat sounds like great fun – I’ve never been to one!
Wow; full of accomplishments. That gingerbread fella needs some rick rack done like icing! I hope your projects sell at your show. I’ve used an 18 needle on stuff like that. I bet you were frustrated. Sounds like you had a great time. We used to do a 3 day “sleep at home” but the organizer got tired of setting it up.
I’m glad you had a great time even if all the projects didn’t get done. It’s nice to know, though, that someone as accomplished and skillful as you are, someone who does such excellent work, sometimes “messes up!” Makes me feel better about me! And most of the “messes” were just oopsies and remedied later. The handle holders are great. And I think those gingerbread ones will be darling, too.
I really love the idea of a sleep at home retreat! I haven’t ever done anything like that before, but I know I’d be much better rested if I could. 🙂
You did have a good time and it just goes to show even the “Pros” have challenges.
I think a Sleep at Home retreat would be so much fun. Our local quilt shop, which is now closed, would have 2-day classes for a specific project much like this retreat and it was always fun. I miss that shop. Sorry about your sewing mishaps. I think I would have left the gingerbread man legless and claim someone took a bite. LOL.
OH Carole !!
I hate to smile at someone else’s misfortunes…but by the time you got to the gingerbread boy …I had to giggle 🤭
Sounds like how some of my days go 🤣
At least you had fun !
Our guild rents a space in a hotel …and it goes for 3 days ..you can stay over or sleep at home …I’ve never gone because we are raising our granddaughter since our daughter passed away & I would not leave her overnight ..although she & grandpa could “manage” without me🤣
I do enjoy the retreat stories at our meetings …but enjoy sneaking off to my own sewing room at home !
Loved the basket of potholders !
Oh no! How could so many things go wrong all at once??!! So glad you had the mindless cake mix papers with you to sew. That HST total was admirable!
It seems that you made the best of it after all and had a good time!
At least ONE of your three bring along projects worked out for you. And you being you made the best of it!
Where did you hold your retreat? My Guild has done retreats at out-of-town venues and we are looking to a “sleep-at-home” venue. They have been hard to find around here.
i would love a retreat like that…sounds like a good time despite the detours in your plans…
I enjoy sewing cake mix or other triangle papers on sew days. The simpler the sewing the better & sewing on a line is as easy as it gets. Our group has been doing 2 retreats a year, spring & fall at a lovely location overlooking one of the Finger Lakes. They are sleep away events so I have not attended, but they do offer a drop in option to join one day with lunch. If it were closer I might consider the drop in. Our sew days are every other week & I do those as they’re close to home.
Over 200 half square triangles and several items for your shoppe is no small feat. It’s good to mix up sewing with social time at a retreat and sounds like you had a good balance of both.
We discussed having a sleep-at-home retreat at our guild meeting last night. Our annual guild retreat is 3 hours away and goes from Thursday to Sunday. I enjoy retreats immensely and so look forward to them!
Interested in how you put together the gingerbread person. Hope this turns out to be a happy accident.
never had a sleep at home retreat…..I know a few friends who have……. You got lots done…… Always great to see what others are up to……..