Retreat 2020 Wrap-Up

 As promised, I'm back today to share the results of my at-home 2020 retreat, completed safely from my sunny sewing room!  The first official Zoom call was Friday evening, but I treated all day Friday as a retreat day.  First, I finished machine-sewing the binding to the front of my Big Top quilt - doing the hand-stitching was my Zoom call handwork.  By the end of the weekend I was about halfway done sewing it down.  This is a full-size quilt so I am very happy with my progress!

I also did my first round of masks (adult-size ones) and laid out my adventure quilt blocks so I could see what the final round would look like.  After the meeting, I made the last two blocks and first thing Saturday morning I sewed them all together!

I spent the rest of the day Saturday working on my Plaidish quilt.  I knew finishing it was a long shot, and I was right.  I made 15 pink blocks and got the dark rows sewn together.  

The rest of the retreat was just small odds and ends - my sewing energy was just about gone.  I realized I was two blocks short of adding another row to my leaders and enders quilt so I made those and added it on.  I'm about halfway through the box of cream squares I found in my sewing room so probably only another year or two until I run out and the quilt is done.  I made a "retreat coaster" for my swap partner - I received a version of this origami coaster at my first retreat and loved it.  The construction seems to fascinate everyone who sees it but they are simple and quick to make.  Finally, I made new masks for my son (all the washing has worn them out!) and a Christmas-y one for myself.  The beautiful weather is supposed to end soon and I might as well match the season!

All-in-all it was a very successful retreat!  The guild leaders did a great job of keeping the calls fun and we had some nice chats in the breakout rooms.  This week I'll be going back to bigger projects - basting and quilting the Adventure Quilt and finishing up the Big Top quilt.  I'm hoping to decrease my WIP list by more than one this month!