Last weekend, I went to the Oxford Guild fall retreat. Three days of sewing, chatting with friends, sewing, eating good food, sewing, and some sleep. I brought along several projects that just needed to be finished as well as one new project. The first few projects have a decidedly bird theme... This little bird coin purse was a free taster weekend project taught by Jo Avery at the Threadhouse Academy in the spring. Christine and I both watched the videos and started our birds...and then we stalled at the stage where the zippers needed to be added. We both brought our birds along and got them finished at the retreat. Here is my coin purse and the next picture shows both of our bird purses.
At home this week, I worked on my counted cross stitch project. Just a bit more to do...maybe it will get finished this coming week.
Over a year ago, I finished the cross stitch for this Funky Rooster designed by Satsuma Street. It took 30 minutes to put together. I am not sure why I waited so long to assemble it. This the second finish at the retreat.
This potato chip I spy quilt has been put together since the summer and has been waiting patiently for quilting and binding. The baby was born this fall and I needed to move this to the finish line to gift it. I quilted it with my walking foot at the retreat and did the binding at home this week. It will be gifted shortly. This is finish number 3.
The back is fun--I did not have enough of the green fabric so I added the monkey fabric. The monkey fabric was not quite wide enough, so I added the red strip. The label is from a panel of Canada themed labels I bought earlier this year.
Over a year ago, Diann at Little Penguin quilts had a draw on her blog and I won four Christmas fat quarters. They have been out in my sewing room where I could see them while I figured out what to make. I decided the runner needed a circle in the middle (made with my set of Drunkard's Path rulers) and then stars seemed like a good idea for the other two blocks. I made the background look like a red and white checkerboard and really like how it turned out. The backing fabric was in my stash and was just long and wide enough for the backing. The dark green binding was made from the fourth fat quarter. This runner will go on my dining room table when I change the decor from fall to Christmas/Winter. Finish number 4!
My sewing this week has mostly been mending/repairing. My daughter's university quilt is over 17 years old and some of the seams were coming apart and some other parts of the quilt were threadbare. I used a mending stitch on the threadbare parts and did wavy line quilting on all of the seams. This took a few hours but I think it will hold everything together and give the quilt a longer life. She still loves to use this quilt and I am very happy about that.
I finished reading this book this week. A great read about an older woman who was convicted of murder as a child. The story unfolds chapter by chapter, flipping between her childhood and her life in current times.
Our Japanese Maple tree was glowing in the sunset when I got home one day this week.
I took this picture of the Canada Geese on my morning walk one day this past week.
Our Clethra bush is beautiful right now.
When doing some fall clean up this week, we came across several Earthstar mushrooms. I had not seen this variety ever before. Very interesting!
More sewing from the retreat. This first quilt top was a rainbow scrap challenge quilt for 2026. I had the three rows done at home and just needed to add the striped horizontal sashing to put it together. Four seams...not sure why I waited so long... I already have the backing and will get this one pin basted soon. I will be doing the quilting myself.
I'm still making blocks for my last two RSC quilts for 2026 and sewing these ones at the retreat.
Phew! That's it for now. There won't be this much to report next week but another retreat is coming up soon...
Finn is showing off the fallen leaves and his new hair cut as he and my daughter were out for a walk this week.
I will link up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers, Frederique and her gang as well as the Rainbow Scrap Challenge folks. See you next week.
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