a special invitation

My Aunt Susan invited her sisters and their daughters to a Quilting Retreat.  Aunt Susan has been involved with many quilting groups and wanted to share something she loved with us.  Me, a beginner was excited to learn a new skill. 

The invitation included a whole bunch of delightful things:

a light dinner

a make and take (with all the supplies in cute gift bags)

quilt project instructions

all night quilting fun

breakfast the next morning

and lunch

I learned all sorts of new things...how to stitch in the ditch, cathedral windows, how to safely use a rotary cutter, plus had great conversations with some wonderful women.

We started the night with this fun make and take - snap bags.  A tape measure is cut apart and sewed into the top edge to give the bag a fun "snap" closure. 

Then onto the big project - a pieced rag quilt. 

I opted to make my project into a table runner. 

My first task was to cut out a bagillion 137 of these petal thingies

and 60 squares.  Aunt Susan had some helpful tips to get it done faster, thank goodness!

Next was sewing the squares together.  This is where you found out how "square" your cutting was.

 We pressed our seams and got the top laid out over the batting and back.

Then we pinned a row of petals in place. 

Our cozy sewing room. 

 Then onto sewing the petals in place.  You have a continuous figure 8 stitch all the way down each row to attach the petals on both sides.  Then you turn the project the other direction and repeat sewing rows of petals so that all four sides of each square has a "cathedral window" around it. 

This project took me a total of 10 hours to complete - just enough to mark off a personal progress goal!

After it is washed you get the rag effect.

Ta-Da!  Not too shabby for my first quilt.  - Thanks to a great teacher!

Let's do it again!