Lovely Lois how kind you are. They'll be thrilled.

I'm getting excited for you now the weddings so close xx

I haven't been quilting but I have been making gifts for new family I'll be meeting at my daughters wedding next week. I made make-up (Sew Together Bag) cases for my daughter and my soon to be teenage granddaughter.





And one for my daughter.





For my new teenage grandson who just won the state championship in cabinet making I made a job bag.


It unfolds into a completely flat circle. Load it up with tools, hardware & supplies needed for a job pull strings on opposite sides and they are in a pouch. Keep the stuff on it at the work site and everything is together when you are ready to go.



I have more and it looks like the website is letting me load this up. I made a picnic basket for my daughters new mother-in-law.





I made one just like it for my new SIL. It's dark gray. He requested it and picked out the fabric. It's just like his mother's but ugly and boring. So I'll let you use you imagination.

Today I am trying to figure out how I am going to get all this stuff in my luggage.

Nice work Marianne. Rosemary, Keep at it! No more hissy fits from that cranky machine. Love the pictures Lotti. Thanks.

Beautiful machine covers Marianne.

I've finally got started quilting Maxiature. The silk thread you recommended is lovely to use and disappears beautifully. I have ended up quilting it on my Gran's old handcrank singer - it makes much more sense seeing as I was cranking around the areas anyway (stitch 1/8", turn 90degrees, stitch 1/2", or as it works out stitch 3 stitches, turn stitch 6 stitches turn _{just don't ask about the strange discrepancy that is just how it is} Things were not helped when the tension plates threw a hissy fit and I ended up taking it completely apart and then had fun trying to get it back together again properly I've know for years that the tension was a bit cranky, but I think I have discovered part of the reason now. The screw thread that sticks out is not at right angles to the machine, rather it bends slightly downwards and it is a slotted post and the two pieces are no longer parallel either. Needs a proper machine engineer to really fix her, but she seems to be behaving ok for the time being. _{touch wood}

So pretty Marianne they're so happy.

I love my BSR but perhaps need to check I can still quilt without it. Nothing to show for this weekend as I've been making curtains for the living room.

This afternoon I've been walking by the canal in the rain seeing all the young water birds, swans, mallards, moorhens, coots, dab chicks , plus some frogs grasshoppers and assorted birds. No bears though Lotti

Lovely machine covers, Marianne! I'm sure your machines will stay warm and snuggly when not in use.

Love the machine covers Marianne! Beautiful!!!

I think Lotti is so right when she suggested that we use this retreat to keep in touch about anything and everything. Thanks, Lotti (PS got quite nostalgic seeing the photo of the stork - they used to be abundant in the small town where I lived when I was a child. There were nest on the post office roof, on the Co-Op Diary roof as well as the pub roof and a couple of private houses. It used to be a big event when the stork arrived in spring. By the time I was a teenager there were none left nesting and we hardly ever saw them due to polluted waterways and increased agricultural spraying. Thanks for sharing this)
Love your idea, Luann exchanging the bucket with a giant pin cushion. Great fun. Your book cover is lovely - I'm sure the Pastor's wife was thrilled.
Rosemary, you've done a great job with all those small pieces and the wonderful crane fabric and your DH is making good use of our retreat too - how fun is that. Do we all get to try it?
Dorothy - what an amazing quilt! The ladies are so beautiful and your quilting is fabulous!
Agree with Artmomma that a BSR is decidedly not necessary for FMQ - I had nothing but problems with mine so set about just practising and have become much better at it and now enjoy it very much.
I've finished my embroidery machine cover! YES! Pleased how it has turned out so will now continue down my Want-to-do-list.

detail
I was dyeing to do some FMQ in the petals but knew I would get frustrated with the very thick seams in these blocks so will save my energy for another project.
Now both the machines are nicely covered - here's the sewing machine "coat"

Need to catch up on the quil-ket blocks; 2 behind now and got family coming to stay from tomorrow so will have to get up very early each morning to make one before breakfast duty calls .
Marianne

Fabulous quilts, ladies.
Love that quilting, Dorothy!
But i totally love Lilly! Looking forward to seeing more of her, Rosemary, am joining Lois in wanting to know and see more! Fabulous project.

Dorothy, Your quilt is lovely. I'd say you've learned quite a lot in 2 years time. You should be pleased. What an accomplishment!

Rosemary, Picts of the maiden voyage would be great, but I'd also like to see some of the construction process. Draping, canning & whatever else was involved. Great project!

Thanks everyone for the kind comments I don't have a BSR I used one at the Bernina shop, but they don't have it for my machine, so I just did it anyway
Rosemary the canoe is awesome, and the sharks look much better as birds lol!

Beautifully done, Dorothy!

Beautiful quilt Dorothy. Love your sashing borders design.

About the BSR. Four years ago when I discovered free motion sewing I thought I needed a machine that had a BSR on it. The Bernina 440 QE machine was the best advertised at the time. I did not know other machines had it since the only dealer in my area sold Bernina's. I love my machine however it was not long before I stopped using the BSR foot to freemotion sew. I feel like I maneuver more freely without it. When I got my Baby Lock Tiara I did not get the BSR with it. Practice is the secret to success.