Retreats, Finished Quilts and Free Videos

I have come to accept that I will blog in fits and starts! I am amazed by folks who can put something up every couple of days with pictures etc. That's not me, and that's OK.

Machine Quilting Video
I am a charter member of www.thequiltshow.com (TQS) and I LOVE it!! Besides the new shows that come out every two weeks, there is other educational and fun information most often about quilting. Well, having just finished machine quilting on my home machine, my son's Turning Twenty quilt (see more below) I am looking forward to the video series on Machine Quilting  being offered on TQS. The teacher is Patsy Thompson.
Her videos on Texture Magic are fabulous as well.
Well the first video is free to everyone, even if you aren't a member of TQS.
So I thought I would post it here. If you haven't tried out TQS, give it a try - it is a fabulous community of quilters.
Here is the video



Finished Quilt
I will now get to update my UFO list. The Turning Twenty quilt top that was finished Christmas 2008, is now completely quilted and bound - just have to wash and dry it and put the label on it. It will go in the mail to DS- Steven  at college in western  MA on Monday - still some winter left in the Berkshires - so this massively heavy quilt - it is 80 X 90, flannel on both sides with a medium weight polyester batting - will come in handy!
I was going to have this quilted by a long armer, but when I lost my job in Feb09 - that went off the list of expenditures.
The thing that helped me finish was my new SewEZ table I got for Christmas09. The bigger work surface and having the machine at a lower level really made  difference. The drag and weight of this size quilt makes quilting on your home machine a constant tug of war.

Retreats
Last weekend (Feb 12 - 14) I went to what I hope is the first of many annual retreats sponsored by our little guild. We went to the Cape Point Hotel in West Yarmouth MA. We had two sewing rooms, and one of them had refrigerators (mini) sinks, and a microwave. Breakfast was included and we pot lucked lunch an dinner on Saturday. What a great time.

We did bump up against the February School vacation/Valentines Day/President's Day weekend crowd that apparently goes to hotels with indoor pools on Cape Cod!!!
Who knew.  I did not see the attraction to sitting around and indoor pool in February - but I think it is because:

1.  I am a dyed in the wool ocean person and indoor pool and Cape Cod is just an oxymoron even in February.
2. My daughter has been a competitive swimmer from the age of 8 - she is now 19 and still swims in college. College is close by and we still regularly go to meets 
3. To me sitting by a pool - is a parental activity to support a child's sporting preference - not a vacation!LOL

Oh well- my daughter tells me kids just love to jump in the pool, get out, jump in the pool , get out - ad nauseum!
Will update the post with a picture of the quilt shortly.
Peace
Mary