Quilt Retreat packing

I just realized I never published this post….so here you are…from Ocean City MD.

Our annual retreat begins tomorrow evening and runs through Friday. 27 quilters will converge on a lovely hotel at the beach in Ocean City Maryland and we will be laughing and talking and sewing and eating and drinking and sewing some more.

Our guild gives you the option to work on your “own” projects or work on an instructor led project during the retreat. We have a member who teaches often at a local quilt shop and is gracing the members with her talents, and teaching skills. She is a thorough and patient instructor and I would learn a lot by taking on the project they have selected…..but…………I have too many UFO’s and too many projects not even started yet to contemplate starting another. This is the 3rd year where I will bring my UFO’s to the retreat and work on them. 2 years ago I did the machine quilting on a twin size log cabin quilt, that I later entered in the guild quilt show. Last year, I was busy building blocks for the Bonnie Hunter “Talkin’ Turkey”. (SHHHH….that UFO haunts me, hanging on the wall in the sewing room, with the borders hanging there).

So, what to take? Maybe I will get that big TURKEY off the wall, measure it, and get one round of the borders pinned on & back it up & take it along for a ride! I could get a LOT done in 3 days.

The other thing I have looming is the additional border for Grandma’s Kitchen. I made a decision after laying it out on the guest room queen size bed. I decided I needed 9 ” more for a good drop on the quilt. (We have those fat mattresses!).

You might remember in my last post that I mentioned I had already ordered 3 yards of 108″ wide backing…..well…it arrived today. My dilemma is the current length of the quilt top, and the addition of top and bottom borders. 3 yards is 108″. My quilt top is currently 92 1/2″ long. If I add 9″ borders top & bottom….I will “run out” of fabric by several inches!! (What was I thinking ordering exactly what I thought I needed, before I FINISHED!!!!!!) I didn’t want to piece the backing!!!! I wanted 1 piece….hmmmm……. So, here I am, contemplating life – Do I need to make it longer if I add additional borders on the side? How “funny” will it look if I put 9″ borders on the sides and NARROWER borders top & bottom? Or no top & bottom borders…..Or, just suck it up, and piece the back with a coordinating fabric that will give you LOTS of clearance for quilting!!! LESSON IN LIFE — BUY MORE FABRIC than you think you need, because you will really need it. And EXTRA fabric could become binding, and STASH!

So, you wonder, what will the borders be? That was not a tough decision. I’ve seen photo’s of 2 of the Grandma’s Kitchen Quilts where Piano Key borders were used. One was an inner border, and one was the final outer border. So, I decided on using my “left over fabrics”, cutting strips and making piano key borders. It gives me the scrappy that I crave! And, there should be a reduction in scraps left over from this project. To pack up for the retreat, I will pack my bin of fabrics that are left, and cut some phone book pages, and get them ready for making some string piano keys. I think there will be a variety of widths, which will make it more interesting. I don’t think I am going to cut more than 2 or 3 strips from each of the left over fabrics until I see “how many” blocks I will need to get around the outside of the quilt.

My “just in case” projects (just in case I need more to do) will be some fun panels for childrens books. I have acquired through ‘fabric acquistion road trips” many panels, and a certain little girl will be 2 in March; and there are 2 that I have plans to make, dealing with “dogs” and “cats”. Shhh….surprise…..