I'm home from the retreat, all 20 miles away ; ) It was good to get
away and just dive into some projects with a bunch of really super
ladies.

Albion is a scenic small town nestled in southern Idaho, about half
way between Boise and Salt Lake for those of you who haven't looked
it up on a map --- or just been there! The pace of life is slow and
steady and peace and quiet abound. The weather was perfect as
spring is well underway. The air is crisp in the mornings and the
days are not yet too hot. The Marsh Creek event center is just on
the outskirts of town and was a beautiful facility to use for sewing
as we had plenty of elbow room. We sat in a large circle, each at
our own table to sew and chat and show and tell.

On Friday Evening we got to know each other a bit and shared some
laughs as we discovered interesting things revealed by Alice and Deb
about the ladies with whom we were relaxing. It didn't take long to
feel like we were among friends, and talented ones at that. The
show and tell was incorporated into the introductions and it seemed
like there wasn't enough time to absorb the beauty and craftsmanship
of the many projects the women had brought along to share.

We started our 1000 pyramid quilts on Friday using the wondercut
triangle ruler. By Saturday noon several ladies had rung the
bell, "attention please!", to announce the completion of their
quilt and showed us the fruits of their labors. (Mary W. and Judy S.
were sewing in the fast lane and finished first on almost
everything!) What began as an assortment of rather homely fabric had
blossomed into stunning quilts.

We spent Saturday afternoon absorbed in our Road to Albion quilts
which were made with just 4 patch blocks and half square triangle
blocks in assorted fabrics. There was a fantastic assortment of
fabrics all pre-cut and in packets (very delightfully decorated I
might add, thanks, Shiloh!) just waiting for us to start sewing and
piecing. The finished quilt tops started gracing the room by late
afternoon and each and every one was a unique and beautiful work of
art. One looked like Candy corn at Halloween (Mary), one like Honey
and Brown Sugar (Portia), and another was bright and vivid
razzamatazz (Kathy). Kudos to Alice for grouping the colors for
us.

We got to make cute little chicken pincushions for a break before
ending that night. (...While we laughed at the dancing chicken doll
in the middle of our circle that was doing the bird dance for us.)
There was almost no end to the gifts and trinkets that were showered
on us from beginning to end. Our pressing slaves outdid themselves
and having catered meals in the next room was definitely luxurious!

Sunday morning we were treated to door prizes after breakfast and
then made table runners as we worked on the art of using the
wondercut ruler for 3 part squares. The speed demons had stunning
products to show off before it was time to pack up and reluctantly
say goodbye at noon.

One of my most treasured souvenirs is the collection of signature
blocks - one signed by every person there - I brought home to sew
into a memory quilt. When I see Pat's name I will wonder if she
really did name her Singer 103 sewing machine after me after mine
broke down and she was kind enough to let me use it to finish out
the weekend. (All her other machines have names already.) When I
look at Nova's block I will remember the fun dinner conversation I
had with her and the amazing group of friends that came to Albion
together. I hope someday to have a group of quilting friends as
talented and delightful as hers are. I will look at Linda B's block
and remember the story about her, Alice and Deb and their trip to
Canada which led to the 3 moons over Montana one dark and rainy
night. Those three seem to have a good time no matter what and
always share stories with a laugh and a twinkle in their eyes. When
I see Joanie's block I will wonder if she is finding her way as a
beginning quilter and discovering what part of this
passtime/obsession she can't seem to do without. I will see
Margaret's name and hope she finishes all her projects on her
favorite sewing machine at home after struggling with her finicky
portable stand-by that came with her to the retreat. I could go on
about everyone but they will have their own stories to share and
some of them will, I'm sure.

Well, that was a glimpse into the weekend. It would have been
wonderful if all of you who wanted to come could have been there
with us in body as I'm guessing you were in spirit. Thanks again to
Alice and Deb and all the super helpers they have at their sides.
It was a wonderful weekend. The only complaint I can think of was
that somehow the clock kept jumping ahead (....and my machine broke
down)

Happy Quilting,

Tanya in Idaho