the rest of our Retreat......

So sorry that I didn't finish sharing the pictures from our retreat at Bonny's. I have many excuses but top ones are ..... it's summer......it's hot......I went to the Fair......there was laundry to do.......and other stuff to post about........so let's get to it now.
Flashback to a little over a week ago and it's Saturday night. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast and spent the morning sewing, then a delicious lunch and a long afternoon of more sewing. Then about 6:00 p.m. a delicious smell began to waft downstairs to our sewing area. And pretty soon, we were all hungry again! It wasn't long before Don, Bonny's husband and excellent butler, arrived to let us know that "dinner is served".........
We dropped our projects and headed upstairs to see what divine dish Bonny had prepared in her kitchen. Don poured wine for those of us who wanted it............

And then we sat down to enjoy this.......

Chicken breast filled with provolone and Genoa sausage and delicious spices, and sauce over fettucini and fresh asparagus bits in butter. Every bite was awesome. I'm going to try to make this one and will let you know if it's successful. Dessert followed and oh, was it yummy......

Apple bread pudding with whipped cream and a delicious African blend coffee. Bonny is just a fantastic cook!

After a meal like that one almost needs a nap but this was our last night at retreat so we had some serious sewing to get done. We took time out for a bit of "show and tell". Here's Laura with a finished project that she started last February. I shared a picture of her as she was working on these teeny tiny paper-pieced blocks (pattern is by LittleBits). Laura is as good at paper-piecing as Bonny is at cooking. :-)

We all sewed until midnight, when Sharon decided to call it a night. Then Stephanie decided to turn in and at 1:00 a.m. Marianne called it a night. Laura and I kept sewing and talking til 2:00 a.m. when she decided she better get to bed. I lasted another hour. I was working on that Sunbonnet totebag and didn't want to stop. Photo coming up in a bit.......
It wasn't hard to get up at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning because we knew that Bonny would have some tasty muffins or something for us, along with coffee and such. We were not disappointed. Check out those blueberry scones in the middle of the table........

They were sooooooo good. There was this lemon sauce that you drizzled over the top of them and if your mouth is watering for a taste of these, you can make them and enjoy them, too. The recipe can be found here on the Food Network. Bonny shares many of her recipes and sources. It was back to the sewing room for some final stitches. Bonny has a large room with six tables and comfy chairs so everyone has their own space to spread out their projects. That's my spot with the white sweater on the chair. There's a story behind the sweater but I'll have to save that for another day. See my partially assembled bag......

well here it is almost finished. The handles are pinned in this photo but I handstitched them in place after I got home.

I made the bag to hold a Sunbonnet Sue project that I plan to start next summer at Bonny's. I happen to love Sue and have always wanted to make my own version of Sue in her bonnets and dresses. I certainly have plenty of 30's fabrics to choose from as I started buying fat quarters of the 30's reproduction fabrics in the late 90's when they first started appearing in quilt shops. It will be a fun project! Oh, and to the left of me is Laura's quilt with the beige blocks stitched in place.
Stephanie's project required lots of triangles. It's a large quilt project that she's working on and this is what she finished during the retreat. I know it will come back next year all finished so I'll be sure and get a photo. Will also get the pattern name.

There was one more meal to enjoy......brunch..........

I thought this tablesetting was just about the prettiest one of the weekend.......

We posed for a group picture.......

and then we enjoyed this.........

fresh tomatoes, more fresh fruit, bacon, muffins and jam and an egg frittata that was very good. And then we got to top it all off with a half a piece each of the left-over bread pudding. We always go away thinking we won't need to eat for a week but that's never true. LOL!
We wanted a picture of Bonny and Don together so we were heading outside, when Bonny said....."this is what you should take a picture of.......this is what you don't have to do when you come to retreat!" We are not allowed to return even an empty glass to the kitchen. Bonny takes care of everything.

And here is Bonny, retreat hostess extraordinaire, and her husband, Don.

Their hospitality is just awesome!

We had just a couple more hours to sew in the afternoon and then it was time to pack it all up and head home. There are quilts all around the house and this one hangs in the breakfast table area in the basement. I love the sign above it............

Cherish yesterday......Dream tomorrow.......Live today.

That is so true of our quilting for we cherish the quilts and connections of year's past and also dream of quilts will make tomorrow and in the future......but we also cherish each day and are thankful for our friendship and Bonny and Don's hospitality. We are very blessed to enjoy such a lovely visit to Bonny's retreat. And we are all looking forward to our visit next summer!

There's one thing I didn't show you........there is a tablerunner that I worked on at the retreat and I will be posting a tutorial on it soon. I will get to that on Friday, I think. Summer just keeps on being busy so I'll get to it as soon as I can. My grandson will be coming to visit, so finding time to be at the computer may not be easy. There'll be other things to do. I'll be back soon........

Have a great day!

Sandi

Fun at the Sibley County Fair!

When you enter the gates of the Sibley County Fair, you see the carnival rides first thing. I pass them by and head for the exhibits. I usually like to stop in and see the chickens, ducks and geese but this year it was too hot and the rather sweet smell was a little too overpowering. :-) So, I headed across the road to get to the other side (like any good chick would) and checked out the Sibley County Historical Society exhibit. It was so hot that no one was interested in doing any stitching on the quilt top that was set up for display! Love that vintage Dresden plate that is hanging above it.
The fair, whether it's the county fair or the state fair, is all about farm animals, produce, handiwork, tractors, 4-H, and, of course, food! When I was a kid, the cows seemed enormous. Now they just seem big. I liked this guy. I don't know if he was a winner or not but he sure had a fine black coat. All the barns were steamy hot. I felt sorry for all those animals wearing fur coats. LOL!

Across from the Cow barn were the tractors. Nothing runs.......like a Deere. :-) My dad would have been walking around and around these tractors checking out every aspect. He loved Machinery Hill at the Iowa State Fair.

Now as soon as I saw this little tractor with it's scoop, I thought of my husband. I think he needs this to do some of the landscaping projects he's planning. I'm sure if he wanted one, I'd say yes and then say....hmmmm.....there's this new sewing machine I've got my eye on.......ha! ha! ha!

Amidst all those tractors, I found royalty. This is Erin Karl, the new Miss Sibley County 2010. I forgot to get the name of the young boy. (Erin if you are reading this, send me an e-mail with his name. )

Next on my trip around the fair was the Creative Activities building. I was headed there to see all the handiwork exhibits............like this lovely harp and little bench. I would like to have both of them. ;-)

This is the long wall full of quilts and needlework items. The large quilts are out of view in this picture. You can spot some of my items that I featured in my post yesterday.

I spotted some really lovely crochet work and wished that there had been room to see the pieces unfolded. A lady from Cologne, MN earned lots of Grand Champion ribbons for her work. I can't crochet but many years ago, my husband ordered a hand-crocheted tablecloth from a lady when he was on assignment in the Phillipines. It was beautiful. I had it less than two years when it was one of many items lost or stolen while in transit during a move across country. I don't remember the van lines, but I was sad that so many things came up missing. So, I'm wondering .....do you suppose that lady takes orders for her work?

There were lots of what must have been beautiful flowers and produce on display when the fair began, but since I was at the fair in it's last day of four very hot days......well, the flowers especially were just a little bit wilted. Not this plant, though.........I would love to have this one.......although, I'm not sure just what it is planted in. Do you think it could be an old ice cream maker? a churn of some sort? Somebody give me some ideas. I came up with nothing when I googled.

Okay, the funniest site of the day was these guys.........

Their owner is two stalls over and he's handling bags of food. They were extremely attentive! :-) Notice that these guys are not wearing their coats. Lucky fellas. Well, ...then again maybe not as they are the Grand Champion Market Trio (there's a third one that you can't see in this photo).

And then there were these goats who were as friendly as could be. They would just stick their heads out and touch your hands, let you pet them, no fear at all. See that little fella petting one of them...........

His name is Will and he was really enjoying his visit. His grandma took my e-mail address so she can get these pictures. Is he cute or what?.........

And that goat is saying "aren't I cute, too?" :-)

One of the last things to see on the far end of the grounds are the horses. I love the sound of them as they whinny and "talk" to each other. This one is cooling down with a bit of water. At this point, I was so hot, I would have joined him!

The air was so muggy and the skies were beginning to look kinda stormy and odd so I was happy to get back to the Creative Activities building and pack up my stuff and head home.

In spite of the muggy, hot weather, I enjoyed my visit to the fair. I went alone because my husband was watching a NASCAR race but I didn't even mind. I actually enjoy wandering through the exhibits and recalling those years at the fair when I was a kid. Plus, wandering with a chocolate shake in my hand makes it even better! Next fair stop.......the Great Minnesota State Fair at the end of the month and hopefully we can meet up with the kids and all enjoy a fun day at the fair!

Sandi

What's on the line?

This past Saturday afternoon, my neighbor, Judy, called to say she had been to the Sibley County Fair and saw that I had won four Purple Grand Champion ribbons. When I got to the fair yesterday afternoon, I discovered I had won five of them! ...........
I could hardly believe it! I was hoping my heart penny rug might earn a purple but never imagined that my quilty projects would do this well. You've seen all of these on my blog before but just to refresh your memory......
The heart penny rug is one of my designs and is called "Connecting Hearts". I've made several variations of this one as I love hearts. I made one for my daughter in these same colors and finally finished this one for me. :-)
The basket table runner is a Thimbleberries pattern that is no longer available. The basket and leaves are done in fusible applique with hand-blanket stitch and the flowers are yo-yo's. I hand-quilted it and added just a narrow border.
The tulip pillow is another of my designs. You already know that I love, love, love tulips. :-) I designed the block and then just made up the rest of the pillow pattern as I sewed. :-)
The long wall-hanging is a pattern by Pat Sloan called "Starblooms". All the pieces are done in fusible applique and then blanket stitched by hand. I hand-quilted the piece and gave it a narrow binding to frame it. I really like this piece and love how it looks when it hangs on the wall. The basket fabric was perfect. I felt I did a reasonable job of quilting it, and the same for the Thimbleberries table runner, but never imagined that either would earn Grand Champion ribbons. I wasn't even sure they could win a blue ribbon.
The purse is a design by Nanette of Freda's Hive. It's hand-quilted with Perle cotton. The inside has some nice finishing detail and I suspect that is what the judges noted on this one.
On an interesting note...........these purple ribbons weren't the only purple that I saw this past weekend. I went grocery shopping in Mankato on Friday afternoon and everywhere you went there was purple and gold because the Vikings were in town for training camp. And as I passed through the produce aisle at my Cub (grocery) store, just one aisle ahead of me was a big Minnesota Viking in a purple shirt! It's not uncommon to see the guys at various places around town. I didn't know then that so much purple would be in my future. LOL!
So, in addition to the items in the photos above, here are some items that won first place Blue ribbons........
All of these are my own designs.........the little wool patriotic candle mat, the mini school-days wall hanging, my dresser scarf made from scraps a friend didn't want (all hand-pieced), a tote-bag that I made just last weekend at Bonny's retreat (more on that when I post the final retreat photos) and my needlecase made from some of the wool that Jacob and I painted last summer.
I also entered a small art item that earned a red ribbon and a pincushion that didn't place. More on those when I post County Fair pictures tomorrow. Then on Wednesday, I'll go back to retreat photos. :-)
It was so hot when I went out to hang these things on the line today, that I felt like I had walked out into an oven. I am amazed at this long stretch of super hot weather that we are having here. I simply can't recall this many days of 90 degree temps. I am so thankful to live in an air-conditioned home. I spent the afternoon in my sewing room and was able to finish up a project that I'll share on the line next Monday. :-)
See you tomorrow for a visit to the Sibley County Fair!
Sandi

What's on the line?

Something will be on the line soon.......
It was a busy weekend and very hot.......
and then I realized too late last night that I would not get home from the county fair in time to take pictures of fun stuff "on the line". When I rise and shine this morning, I'll make a quick trip out to the line for some photos. Will post later this afternoon. Also, more pics of the retreat and projects are coming up ........ and some cool quilts by some young kids ........ plus, I've found a new blog to share........then there are some fun pics from the county fair ...... and then I'm going to have to do a random post that is filled with things I never quite got to in the last couple of summer months. See you later today. :-)
Sandi

Time to rise and shine!

You all know that I am a nightowl but when I am at Bonny's or any other quilting retreat, I am more than happy to "rise and shine"!! One of the things I love about retreats aside from the quilting time, is that I don't have to think about cooking. Bonny loves to cook. She is also a quilter so their are quilts and quilty things everywhere. :-) One of the really fun things about her retreat is that there are different dishes at each meal. This is the pretty table setting that greeted us last Saturday morning..............We dined on French Toast with Banana Fosters drizzled over the top, sausages, and a huge bowl of fresh fruit.....strawberries, cherries, blueberries, oh, so yummy! We went back to our sewing machines with full stomachs and enjoyed a morning of stitching our projects. By noon, we could hardly believe it but we were hungry again........all because of the yummy smell coming from Bonny's kitchen. When we went upstairs for lunch, we were greeted by this lovely table setting........

And here is what smelled so good......

It was this awesome pizza made with chopped rotisserie chicken, sliced grapes, cheese, and pesto....oh, and green onions. It was served with fresh tomato slices and mozarella cheese and Bonny's recipe for sweet cucumbers. We all had two pieces of that scrumptious pizza and then had to find room for this............

I forget what this was called but it was a concoction of whipped cream and cream cheese topped with strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. If you are dieting, don't do it while at Bonny's. :-)

So, after lunch we felt the need to get outside and walk off a few calories. We always take a group picture and decided that with the sun shining, it might be best to take it in case thunderstorms rolled in later on.That's Marianne on the left, me, and Sharon. Seated are Laura, and Stephanie (they are sisters-in-law). Bonny cooks and quilts and she also seems to have a green thumb. These were too pretty ..... had to share........

And if you look really closely at the center of the picture below.......you will see a butterfly that kindly sat still so that I could get his photograph...............

Okay, so it was time to get back to sewing. Here's a peek at what we worked on...........

Sharon was working on a project that was a feature at a shop hop. You sew charm squares together into one large piece and then cut it into 3 1/2" squares "just so" and then sew them back together and you get this.............

Pretty cool, isn't it?!! I'm going to buy a 3 1/2" square ruler that I can mark permanently for this project and plan to give it try with a Fall charm pack that I bought a couple years ago.

Laura was working on a quilt for her son Andrew. It was a "Buck-a-block" project from a quilt shop that was near her home (it's closed now).

She finished all her blocks and I think Andrew is going to love this...........

She choose a beige mottled cotton that will look great between the blocks.
Marianne was the first to completely finish a project. She had embroidered this cute snowman before she arrived and added the borders on Friday night.

Then she realized she needed cording for the edge and thought she'd have to make a run to JoAnn's. Nope, I had some in my plastic bags, so on Saturday morning she added the cording, then the backing and voila! finished!!! If there had been a prize for first finish, she would have won.
Stephanie was sewing triangles for a large quilt. She sewed lots of triangles last year for a blue and yellow quilt and brought it back all quilted. I goofed and didn't get a photo of it (so Laura can you send me a pic of it?).

I played in my box of 30's fabrics and cut those squares I showed you in my last post and then I decided, I should actually make something I could finish. I decided to make a totebag.........

I've just barely made a start in this photo but I got it almost finished at the retreat. I just had to secure the handles once I got home. And once it was done, I thought.....hmmm,,, I think I'll enter it in the County Fair. And that's what I did. It was one of several things I took to the Creative Activities building at the Fairgrounds yesterday. Everything was judged that night, but I won't know until I return on Sunday if anything earned a ribbon. It's just kinda fun to see a critique of my work. :-)

That's all for now. Dinner at Bonny's is coming up in the next post and it was delicious!

Have a great Friday!

Sandi

In the mail and off to the Retreat.......

Last Friday, just before I left for the retreat, my mailman brought a package to the door. It was from Sarah over at SewJoy and she sent me some little gifties as a thank you for being one of the three hostesses on her recent Placemat Party blog event (some of you may recognise these as Nanette posted about the gifts this past Monday). There is a half yard cut of that summery yellow fabric, a sweet card and cute owly stickers. And then there was a jar of yummy blueberry jam and a ceramic maple leaf charm that were made by a local group in Sara's area called "Grandmothers for Africa". Thanks, Sara, for the lovely gifts!Last week, I finished another one of Sara's placemats and this one is made up in Pat Sloan's Sweet Liberty fabrics (I won the fat quarter's at Heidi's retreat last March).

I'm going to make seven more of these placemats, all in different patriotic prints so that we will have them for next summer's picnics and the Linn Reunion. :-)

On to the retreat..................

It was hot last Friday. It's hot all the time lately. But I was happy and cool, just knowing I was headed to Bonny's for a weekend of quilting and a relaxing retreat. Our plan is always the same................we meet at McCormick's Family Restaurant in Hutchinson at 6:00 p.m. The place is always busy and the food is always good! We catch up on the latest news and then we head to Bonny's. We told her we would arrive at 7:00 p.m. and we arrived at exactly that hour! My friends.....Sharon, Laura, Stephanie, Marianne and I could hardly wait to get our bags to our rooms and then set up our machines and begin working on projects. I was in the Tea themed room this year.................

I call it the tea room because of the border that rims the room. It's just barely visible in the photo below...........

The dresser in this room reminds me of the one that was in my grandma Goldie's bedroom. Each bedroom at Bonny's is as pretty as the next one. I goofed and forgot to take pictures of the other bedrooms. There were new quilts on some of the beds, too. I'll have to make a note not to forget next year. :-) I set my suitcase and make-up bag on the other side of the bed to take these pictures and then I went downstairs to join everyone as we all set up our projects. It's just like Christmas morning when we start dragging out our quilty things! I did a little sewing, a little stitching, and lots of chatting! And then, just like Christmas morning, after I went upstairs to bed about 2:00 a.m., I couldn't fall asleep! All I could do was think of all the stitching fun that Saturday would hold.

Visions of my 30's prints constantly danced through my head. Last year, I started cutting squares and was determined to cut more this year for a four-patch quilt I want to make. I kept thinking about that quilt and a totebag I started from some Sunbonnet Sue fabric. Finally, I fell asleep about 3:00 a.m. and then I was up by 8:00 a.m. I am a nightowl but nobody wastes time sleeping when they are at a quilt retreat. Right! LOL!
That's all for this post. In my next post, I'll share a full day of quilting at Bonny's, lots of delicious food and gorgeous flowers in her garden. Today, I'm headed over to nearby Arlington to enter some quilty projects in the county fair just for the fun of it. I think I see mini donuts in my future, too.........
Have a good day!
Sandi