November 2017 Mrs. Miller's Cabin Retreat

Okay, I know it's February, so I'm late with this post and others too.  I promised Carol to blog about our retreat at Mrs. Miller's Cabin, so here it is - better late than never.

After many retreats, the cabin feels like home to me and it needs to be part of my blog.  We had a lovely weekend sewing, but missed Miss Carol; she was visiting family and that took precedence over the retreat - this time.  She's not allowed to miss anymore though.

Mrs. Miller's Cabin - our sewing home away from home!

Scandinavian Stars

We all learned a new skill - how to make Scandinavian Stars out of fabric.  It's a bit like origami with no sewing involved - only cutting and pressing.  I have to say that we were all a bit challenged at making these at first.  I want to thank Jen for finding this pattern online at the blog Crafting a Rainbow.  You can find pretty good instructions on how to make these stars if you click HERE.  

After our early attempts at folding a star, we ended up in laughing fits over our bloopers.  Here is my poem to illustrate the point:

Scandinavian Stars Poem  - written by Gladys Ashenfelter 12/2017

The directions said . . .

No sewing involved

It’s really quite fun

With four little strips

A star will be done

So we cut and we pressed

The four little strips

And burned

Our little finger tips

How does it go now?

Lay them out flat

Weave like a basket

No, not like that

Okay, we got it

A woven up square

Where in the world

Do we go from there?

Flip it, it said

And weave to the right

It folds like a box

Oh, what a sight!

I quit, said Barb

It’s way too confusing

Besides we don’t have

The same colors they’re using

 We’ll start again

And go step by step

Honestly we can’t

Be all that inept!

“For goodness sake” muttered Barb

As she joined back in

Here’s how you do it

Now you try again.

Okay, we got it

It looks like a square

Just keep strips together

And we’ll go from there

Now for the star tips,

I know that part

Fold under the short end

That’s how you start.

Tuck in your ends

Way out of sight

No, not so far in

That isn’t right

Look we did it

We made a star

Wasn’t that easy?

Let’s go to the bar!          (alternative ending)  Make a wish on your star!

Our Quilt Projects at the Cabin:

Debbie had fun with this quilt for a nurse

Kit Quilt from Missouri Star Trip (still need to blog about that!)

Barb B's quilt for her granddaughter (pattern from Missouri Star)

Gina with her Cat Quilt!  Fun!

Jackie always has fun playing with colors.  

 Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Happy Quilting!

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves." 

~William Shakespeare  

2016 Back to Mrs. Miller's Cabin

Going through my pictures, I realized that I missed blogging about our fall retreat at Mrs. Millers Cabin in Charm, Ohio.  This retreat has become a tradition in November for our little group of seven quilters - Carol, Barbie, Mama Barb, Michelle, Debbie, Jackie and me.  It's such a pleasure to visit Amish country in the fall.  It doesn't hurt that the quilt shop is a short walk away.

Lots of fun quilt projects are completed and lots of good food is shared.  It's a quilter's paradise.

Michelle prepared a "quilt" lasagna.  Beautiful and Delicious!

Barb saved more blocks from extinction by putting this quilt together for a friend.

Mama Barb and daughter Barb pinning together the Butterfly Quilt.

Mama Barb and fun Halloween wall hanging

Michelle showing off her new ruler

My two table runners - don't look too closely.  One has an extra strip - opps!

Break Time!  

Adorable Fox Quilt for Miss Carol's new grandson!

Debbie and her lovely quilt!  

Quilt with feet - Miss Carol's quilt top finished at the retreat.

Nothing better than sitting and sewing and sharing our lives.

"Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious." ~ Thomas Aquinas

Starting the New Year at Mrs. Miller's Cabin

Let the quilting fun begin for 2016!  What better way to start than by spending a weekend at Mrs. Miller's Cabin in Charm.  This winter in Ohio has been mild thanks to El Nino, but you never know when a change is on the way.  After the holidays, I was ready for a change of pace and a fun, wacky weekend with my quilting buddies.  What better place to go than "the Cabin."

The Quilt Shop is within walking distance

This is where we spent lots of time eating and "gabbing"

There are still oil lamps from the time Mrs. Miller lived the Amish life style in her lovely cabin

The Living Room becomes our sewing room 

Barb (daughter on right) pieced this lovely top during the retreat.  We all agreed that it looked like spring.

Debbie was piecing her Kansas Troubles.  She loves that material!

Jackie was working with her favorite batiks

Mama Barb was having fun quilting UFO Baby disappearing 4-patch quilts.

Carol was stringing her quilt together . . . 

Look at what Carol made with left over string scraps . . . another start to an awesome quilt!

Jackie felt ten feet tall after completing her Falling Charms Batik Quilt!

I loved seeing this quilt that was on the bed in the cabin, because I actually have the material to make it.  I better get busy!  It's stunning!

Driving back north to Kent on Sunday, I ran into snow in Canton and Akron.  Luckily the roads stayed clear and I made it home before the lake effect snow machine kicked in - happy to see the garage door open and waiting.  

How fortunate I am to have the opportunity to spend quality time with good friends and do something I love - quilt and "gab."  

"If we all did the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." ~ Thomas Edison

2015 Spring Retreat at Mrs. Miller's Cabin

Spring! 2015

This was my first quilt retreat during May at Mrs. Miller's Cabin in Charm, Ohio.  The cabin is always lovely and welcoming, but even more so this time of year with so much green.  Below is the cabin in November.  What a difference in color!

Fall 2014

Looking at the two pictures, I like the cabin in May better!  But no matter what the season, staying in that rustic, charming cabin with other quilters and sharing laughter, food and quilting ideas is the best part of the Mrs. Miller's Cabin retreat!

Mama Barb and Jackie are off to the quilt shop.

Lupine was blooming - how lovely!

Binding Tool Quilt:

Michelle was trying out a new pattern featured on the Missouri Star tutorials:  CLICK HERE for the tutorial.  She did a fabulous job and almost finished two complete quilt tops.  Way to go, Michelle!

Almost done!

Jackie put together a unique combination of fabrics to create this stunning quilt:

Mama Barb and Debbie were busy sewing and cutting fabric.  

Debbie gets the neatest work space award!  

Stack and Whack Baby Quilt and Block

Barb B has a new grandbaby on the way, so she made a stack and whack baby quilt.  So cute!!

It must bea girl!  

Michelle was discussing her stack and whack square with Carol.

Adventures with Enders & Leaders

Carol completed a quilt top using the "Hopscotch, Butterscotch" pattern that can be found in Bonnie Hunter's book Adventures with Enders & Leaders.  CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THAT BOOK.

Carol stitched miles of scrappy squares together and completed this fabulous quilt at our retreat.  Lots of memories are included in the scraps of this special quilt top.  It's beautiful!    

The weekend went by too fast!  At the end of the retreat we packed up our sewing gear and said good-bye to the cabin.  We are tired, but refreshed and ready to go back to our everyday lives.  

Till next time!!

“Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to.” ~ Lao Tzu

"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still."  ~ Dorthea Lang