"Retreating" to Create

Few of us (12 this year) roughed it in at Camp Carlquist in Chugiak, AK. We had four days of intense fabric play. Snow and bear tracks around the lodge and cabins and ice on the lake, it is the typical Spring around here. Waking up at 8am and going to bed at 3am, the only interruption from the creative flow were the meals consumption which by the way had been prepared for us. Oh of course we got a break for a fabric shop run in Wasilla (Sylvia's, Quilt of many colors and JoAnn's Fabric). I was driving and had a new passenger next to me so didn't take pictures while driving but it was really hard to resist as the mountain were so beautiful. I am tempted to return today to see if the light on the snow and the sun hitting them just at the same angle would duplicate the contrast that it had on that day. It was as perfect as could perfect be. So I just have to keep that image for myself locked in my heart for now.

Going back to retreat... I was working on a quilt pattern by Judy Niemeyer. Paper piecing project that my daughter had selected for her bed. I had precut my fabric (all batiks in gold browns greens and rust instead of blues and purples) ahead of time and so could get at it right away. It went really smoothly. I am very happy with it right now. Just few paper piecing to do until the fun of placing those block together will happen. I managed to play a little bit and made a small quilt.

I took a photo shoot of my friend Diana. (playing "Madame Butterfly" behind her fanned blocks of fans)... She is an amazing quilter a driving force behind our guild and community, someone I admire greatly. We had some fun times listening to music (Mama Mia's soundtrack and the Phantom of the Opera were her two favorite this year.... on and on!!! ahahah).

Here she is modeling one of my paper pieced block and again I am not sure to be able to wait until fall to have another get away. I believe that late June in Kenai would be a good time. Right around Quilting on the Kenai so we can entertain ourselves between stitching sessions. Any takers???