Celebrating

My father-in-law turns 87 this month.  

Much of the family met up at my brother and sister in law's lake house to celebrate.

  It was so much fun. 

I thought I would share a few photos of our group.

This is Chris's dad with all of his children.

Chris is the third on the left.

My FIL and MIL and the kids

I managed to get a couple of photos with 2 of my great nieces (they are sisters).

Thadd brought Pepper and she rides in the car like a trooper!

That was the best part of this weekend.  

Today we got news that a very dear friend lost his fight with brain cancer today.  

We have been friends with them for almost 40 years now.  

We have seen the birth of 5 kids between us and

 they were able to be at both of my daughter's weddings.  

We went to see him a few months ago, right before he lost his speech.

  He got to see photos and videos of Avery and 

we were so fortunate that we made the long drive to visit with them!  

I brought him a brown scapular that had been touched to a relic. 

 I told him to wear it and Mary would watch over and protect  him.  

I sure hope she helps him into heaven today. 

 RIP, my friend, know you will be missed!

Hug your loved ones a little bit tighter tonight my friends.

~XOP~

More of the Reject's Retreat

 So...where did we leave off?  

Oh yes, the rest of the retreat! 

 First up was our trip to Sarah's in Lawrence.  

This is Traci modeling in front of the shop. 

This is inside the shop.

It was a great shop and one everyone should visit!

Paula found the cutest pineapple pin cushion!

After some shopping we went back to sew. 

 I managed to snap a quick selfie with Mel. 

 I may not have said it, but I missed these ladies so much!

Traci made the cutest pink elephant bag!

Just look at that flap! 

 I think it was my favorite part of the bag, but the peanut lining was pretty sweet.

We headed to Liberty and Angela Walter's shop, Quilting is my Therapy.

It was cool to say I have gone there but it really was not anything special. 

I enjoyed the other shops more, actually.

I did get this terrible photo of me and better one of my friends though, LOL.

The coolest thing, to me, were these angel wings!  

I have seen other people use them but never saw any myself.

There was the big pair you see me in above, and there was a little pair for kids next to it.
  OF COURSE, I had to sit down and take a selfie with the children's wings!  LOL.

Now on to talking about the things I was working on.  

My daughter, Shelby, drew a dragon in 2006. 

 This is the modified version of the dragon. 

 I wanted to make him into a quilt, BUT, did not have what I needed with me to actually do anything other than make the binding, SMH.

I made binding for another top that I finished while at retreat. 

 It is a Christmas gift, so I can't show the actual quilt top though.

This is a pic of the quilt top AND back and binding!!  
WOOT WOOT!!  
I sent this one to Liz to quilt for me as soon as I got back.

I bought these Kitty Corn fabrics to make a buffalo plaid quilt top at the KC Maker shop.  

This one is the Buffalo Plaid free pattern by the Empty Bobbin. 

 I can NOT believe how quickly it went together. 

 This will be for me.  

I am thinking that I will be adding the cat in the jack-o-lantern from the panel to the front of this one.

  I just ordered a back today, the same green kitties that are on the front.

The Knotted Thread has a bunch of this line packaged for backs (5 yard cuts).

If you are looking go check her out!

I finished a little bag also, but again, it's a gift so I can't share it right now.

No trip to KC is complete without having some BBQ.

We went to Jack Stack on the first night.

I had the brisket and turkey.  

Honestly, the beans were the best part of that meal!

I know, I know, turkey?

 But when it is done right it is the BEST!

This was more like lunchmeat.

I was pretty disappointed

Not everyone in our group loves BBQ 

(Who are you people?)

We went to another place called Q39.

It's a newer place but I have to say the brisket was the best I have ever had!

It melted in my mouth!

So for now, this concludes my trip with my buddies.

Never fear though, we are getting together again in November!

Traci owns a quilt shop in WI called Something Quilty.

She is having a retreat from the 3-7 of November.

Want to join us?

Give her a call!

I would love to meet you!

~XOP~

Rejects Retreat

 Oh My GOSH!!!!! 

 I used to go to a quilt retreat in California.

  I had awesome roommates.  

Things changed and we are no longer going to that retreat.  

So, we decided that we all still needed to get together and do a retreat, just the 5 of us. 

 We had it all planned for last year and then...COVID.  

So this year we tried again. 

 This was me getting ready to leave Detroit.

One of the women who lives in Kansas City, MO set it up for us at the KC Maker Studio retreat space.  It was the BOMB!  

I flew out to KC and our friend picked us up at the airport. 

 First place she took us was to the Fabric Chicks quilt shop.

  What a great shop!

We went to her home and met her dogs and her hubby and saw her amazing garden, 

then headed out to the retreat house. 

 Isn't it gorgeous? 

There were 3 floors and the sewing space. 

 Bedrooms were on floor 2 and 3. 

 My roommate and I stayed on the third floor and 

the other 3 stayed in 2 of the bedrooms on the second floor.

This was our sewing space.  The tables were fantastic and very sturdy. 

 We each had 2 tables and lots of lights! 

 I used the little machine you see in the bottom right. 

 Paula lent it to me.  

A little Tula Pink machine!!

Isn't it the cutest?
 

Directly behind me was the hallway leading to the restroom. 

 There was a fridge there and a coffee maker, microwave and snacks. 

 Also a big counter and another ironing station (there were 3 total for the  sewing space).

On the other side of the room was another little room just for cutting.  

There were 2 cutting tables with large mats and lots of lights in this room 

as well as another counter to set things on.

The house was great, the hosts were the best (they live there, Patti and Dana) 

and the sewing space was to die for!  

There was also a tv so we could watch movies while we were sewing. 
This is Mel and me at the studio.  

Patti just opened a quilt shop 5 weeks before we arrived.  

The space was pretty big and she had a lot of great fabrics!  

I have more to share but this is getting long so more soon!

~XOP~