Workin' on the Ranch

I have just come back from another amazing quilting retreat with friends at the Bishop's Ranch, here in Sonoma County.  Yep, again.  Aren't I lucky?!  I go with a regular large group each April and October.  But this year, the folks at  Bishop's Ranch decided to host an "open" quilting retreat to allow anyone who is interested to join in.  Because it was a new event, there were only seven of us.  But it was an intimate, restful and productive time.  Four of the other women were good friends, and the remaining two are now new friends!  The Bishop's Ranch is a lovely place and makes for a great retreat site.  If you are interested in getting on the Ranch's mailing list to receive information about next February's open retreat (dates are not yet certain but it will be in February and will run from a Sunday evening through Thursday afternoon), email me with your info and I will forward it to the ranch folks.

I got a lot of work done!  I made big progress on the sage/blue/brown 12x12 quilt due March 1. Sorry, can't show you pictures!  But it's almost done so that felt great.  And I took the opportunity to make a dent in the scraps and UFOs taking up room in my closet!

 I made blocks out of a Moda jelly roll that I found for sale at half price after Christmas.  They're Christmasy fabrics but not in-your-face Christmas, with cheery colors.  I think I'm going to sash these blocks with red and white stripes or polka dots and make some sort of couch throw.  Or maybe I'll donate it.  I'm not sure.  But sewing the blocks (using a pattern from the Moda Bake shop called "Whirly Wheels", here) was easy and fast.  They reminded me of wrapped backages with ribbons and pinwheel bows!  I was having so much fun with these that both Karen and Ancella made a set of blocks with fabric they just happened to bring along.

 
 I made serious progress on a Kaffe Fasset quilt (called Postcard Quilt from his Quilt Road book).  It's a quilt that starts with one center block and then has pieced borders going around it.  It makes for some fussy piecing but I love the richness of it.  This is about 36 inches square right now, and the finished quilt will be 84x84 inches so I have a way to go!

Remember those 4 inch and 2 1/2 inch strips I'd cut out of leftovers from another quilt?  I never did figure out what I'd cut them for -- so they have become large diamonds, like so:


 

 
And I assembled a One Block Wonder quilt that I cut and started a few years ago when some friends and I were enthralled with the one block wonder magic: 

I say it every time, but I'll say it again:  There is nothing like spending time with wonderful friends doing what you love to do.  I'm eagerly looking forward to the April retreat.  But before then, I'd better get to work to get these projects finished!