Unexpected Delights

A couple of weeks ago (it's been THAT long???), I went on a weekend quilting retreat with a group of friends in Lancaster.   Over the years we've gone, we had gotten into the habit of stopping at a fabric shop or two (or three...) on the way.   This year, my friends were delightfully surprised to find the book, "Quilting in Black and White" with my quilt, "White Birches" on the cover!  As it turns out, that was a surprise to me, too!!!   :)

What an awesome way to start the retreat.  So, thanks to Leisure Arts and House of White Birches for this unexpected treat!

One thing about quilting with your friends is that you can just relax and let the sewing go wherever it wants.  This time, I just wanted a race!  And the Jelly Roll 1600 was the way to go!

It seemed endless at times - more like a marathon, I thought.  But, really, in only about 2 hours, I transformed a Jelly Roll, from start to finish, into a Lap-Size Quilt top!   Here it's draped over the couch.  Pretty big - and FAST, don't you think?

Click here to check out the possibilities and instructions for the Jelly Roll 1600! Thanks to the folks at Heirloom Creations for coming up with this great idea!

NOTE to my non-quilting friends - The Jelly Roll I'm talking about is a bundle of 40 strips of fabric. It would be a tad difficult to transform food into a quilt.... ;)

A springtime retreat would not be complete without wonderful, colorful flowers.  So, here are some pics - Enjoy!

Pansies so pretty in their window box.

We watched these irises bloom over the weekend.  These yellow irises were just so lovely! My favorite!




 






Just one more picture -  does anyone know what kind of flowers these are?