Finally!!

Sometimes blogging is a pain! I have been working on accessing my blog for several hours and finally I have made it on. Geeze, what an ordeal!! So, now that I am in I have so much to report. I left Monday morning for my fall Bits N Pieces quilt retreat in Temecula. It was HOT and HUMID outside but inside it was perfect! On our way there we made a few stops at our favorite shops and spent a tiny bit of money ... just a tiny bit.

 

Here they are! The Bit's and Pieces girls. Left is Eva, Rita, Maryann, Pat, Debbie
on the bench is Linda and Penny and I'm behind the camera (as usual!!)
Doesn't everyone look so happy?

After hours of sewing, sewing, sewing a girl gets a little loopy. Some of the girls brought a lot of fabric to donate to the nunnery. I wandered over and picked up this lovely peach Hawaiian print and thought it would make such a lovely sarong. I think it looks especially nice with my striped top, don't you agree?  With a little encouragement I got the gang involved and we all made an outfit representing our individuality. Actually, as I look over this group we look like a bunch of mop ladies!
 

Eva is sporting a very Caribbean look! The watermelon shirt with a festive striped sarong and the very large turban just screams Copa Cabana!!
 

 

 

Debbie is demonstrating the "Sally Sewer" ensemble. The black and white head dress is a very innovative accessory to assist in keeping the hair out of your eyes as well as serve as a perspiration catcher. Sewing is a hot sweaty job.

 

 

Rita sporting the outfit of an event photographer. At weddings a photographer generally wears a suit. At a quilt retreat a photographer will wear, well what else - quilting fabrics ...

 

As the head organizer of these amazing retreats my room mate deserved a new pair of purple Eeyore jammies.

 

Tuesday morning, 7:15 am ... so, do you see something missing inside this suitcase? Look carefully, did you look in the corners? Nope, they are not there ... under panties ... yep they are still at home. Ah, no, this is NOT my suite case, this belongs to our fearless leader!! She remembered a lot of fabric, tools a sewing machine, wine - nope no undies.

 

 

While going out the drive early one morning I realized there were tiny little pears hanging from a tree along the route of the Way of the Cross. The summer sun has kissed them to turn a pretty hue of pink. I just loved how they outlined a station of the cross. The retreat center is such a lovely, peaceful place to just "be."

 

Loved seeing the hot air balloons rising over the wine vineyards early in the morning. There were a total of 6 hovering the hill sides on this particular morning.

 

 

Pat was a very busy girl. She completed the Christmas table runner buried underneath all these paper plates. This girl utilized every inch of her 8 foot table!

 

Here are several of Penny's Lamoyne Star blocks as well as a few of Rita's. These little buggers are way above my skill level!!

 Some more accomplishments.  Eva's Americana table square is in the center with 4 more intensely difficult blocks of Rita's to it's left. Moving to the next wall is Linda's Presidents Pride project almost completed and an awesome tote! Another very busy lady.

 





 

As our final day of Fall Retreat 2012 came to a close little "Golly" the pumpkin is all smiles. She's ready to go home and start a new life in Rita's home. Thank you Rita once again for organizing a wonderful retreat for us to enjoy. Penny, thank you for sharing your quilting friends with me and inviting me into this group of lovely women. See ya'll real soon!!