Monday, August 03, 2009

Cupcake retreat gives me new creativity, thankfulness and joy


Mutiny Bay on Whidbey Island turns out to be the perfect spot to enjoy sewing and friendship and cupcakes....even though the temperature this year was either 100 or darn close.


This is what we were treated to each night on Whidbey Island-all of us very greatful....

Mel's Maui quilt ready to applique.......a GREAT story and colors, fabrics and theme......

Mel got her story quilt all put together with a Hoochy Mama border. It is going to be of her sons at the beach and will be a great memory quilt. Wish it was done in time for my book....oh well, it will be ready for the next one. So many good stories from my friends.

Above is one of the cool hoochy blocks Mel did with great fabrics.

The line up of Berninas- we are all Bernina girls.
My stash and my sewing machine ready to go........ plus a keen pin cushion of a cupcake that Laurie made for each of us..........so cool and a memory too!
Below, a lovely and delicious dinner prepared by Susan......

Eilene plans her quilts,recipes, measurements and Joe's pillowcase.......

Eilene gave us all tea towels for a gift and then buttonholed a cupcake out of her fabrics that we chose- then we use my glitzer to add some sparkle. A super memory

Just one of Laurie's many quilts she made. She is doing a complicated one with fabulous colors that I didn't get a photo of......I have another chance when I see her in two weeks on Lopez Island. It will be my 40th anniversary with Mark....I can't believe I can be so young and so old too.
Susan's Aprons she made

Below is one of my four projects I brought. I am working on a series of plaid quilts so I can teach "Plaid to Meet You." This is just a few of the many buildings I made- they remind me of Pacific Grove- that is the city I will move to when I win the lotto. :0)

The fabric below was a true find! Eilene's husband works for UPS-she made him a pillow case and we thought she should make curtains, shirts, quilts and anything else. It was so fun to find this fabric in Langley.
Mel is working hard on covers for our journals-Susan gave us fabric that has French things and we both love France so she offered to make the journals for us-she is a sewer with the mostest!

Here are the girls chowing down on a great first meal that Laurie made- fabulous!

Mel and Eilene- I am not sure why Eilene is not smiling but I think she doesn't like my outfit....

Here are five happy girls after a week of fun on the beach and at our machines and plates. We stopped a little girl on the beach to take our photo...very sweet. We gave her our cupcake serving plate and made her an honorary "cupcake"
My turn to cook with Mel and we make shrimp noodle salad- noodles with red peppers, yellow peppers, cashews, celery, basil, scallions and peanut sauce- My favorite is "Rock City" sauce-yum yum


Time to pack up and go home....where did the time go and why so fast???

The back seat of my car.......no room for hitch hikers.....or new furniture either......

Our trunk is more than full and so is the backseat of the car for only two people- quilter's and sewing people have to be prepared.........right?
SOOOOOOO, my battery light went on when we were going to the ferry and then luckily my car started up after the ferry got us to Seattle and so we drove to "Quilts Northwest" a large shop in Bellvue that has fabric and beads. We called AAA and our alternater was a goner. So here the guy from Jordon puts it on his truck and tells us his life story (interesting) and drops us off at the car place. There were hear the mechanics life story and how he is ADD and ADHD and the foods he eats and about his 2 year old and how his in law's hate him and he drops us off at the mall and we go to the Bellvue museum, California Pizza Kitchen and then have ice cream as I wonder how much weight I put on this week. Shhesh. Good time and then the mechanic picks us up asks for $500 and we are on our way with air conditioning working well and the car buzzing along nicely.
Memories-----
Bellevue Art museum outside- nice chalk drawing of Seraut's work.
Another lovely time with women I have come to love like family and lots to look back on, enjoy things we made and remember another good year.

5 comments:

Carole Kurth said...

Thank you Mary Lou for sharing your vacation. Times spent w/ girlfriends are the best, and we don't 'make it happen' enough. Great pictures, and it makes my heart happy today. What miraculous sunsets!

WoolenSails said...

Thank you for sharing your trip with us and all of the fun and quilts. I remember a few trips where we got stuck at a service station too, not something I want to do on a trip;)

Debbie

Sharon S said...

Aren't retreats with friends the best? Thank you for sharing the great pictures. My friends say I get too much sewing done at retreats. They left a "ransom" note on my sewing machine once & my quilting project was "missing".
LOL! Good times with friends are the best!!

Anonymous said...

Loved the travel commentary of your trip with good friends! My favorite memories are quilty trips with dear friends. Especially loved the picture with the giant bottle of 'happy juice'! :-)

Thanks for taking the time to share!

Molly

Carol said...

What a beautiful place to spend a week with friends and enjoy creating and sharing!

And even when the car acted up, you had all the help you needed right there, too!

You are truly blessed!