Retreat time!!!!

I'm getting ready to go to our semi annual retreat of the ABC Quilters in Ohio at Round Lake. It is a beautiful spot, and is near to the Amish quilt country, so lots of shopping and good food, as well as a bunch of sewing. I am leaving on Monday, and for 2 days will visit with my grandson and his family, then head to the retreat on Wednesday morning where I will stay until Sunday morning, then head home. There aren't many of us coming this year, but our 2 members from Scotland, Betty and Robina, will be there. And Arlene and Lolly from Chicago, me from NC, and 3 from Ohio. It will be fun, and I am so excited to get away and just sew for a few days.

I bought a little kit to make an apron from Pleasant Home to take along. It is so cute, and she always picks such neat fabric combinations. These aren't the fabrics I bought, but you can get the gist.

And we are having a teacher, Edith Dyke, come in to teach a class for a quilt called "You want me to make a what??". Should be interesting.

I think I will also take along a tablerunner I need to get quilted. Don't want to have any spare time on my hands, lol.

The blocks for the BLOCK LOTTO this month are interesting. Although batiks are my least favorite fabric, I seem to have a lot of it. I think the name of the block is curved rails, and they were so easy to make. I made 9. The perspective on this picture is really off. I should have kneeled down to take it.....

I am reading a book about John Muir called A Passion for Nature, that I find fascinating, especially after having visited Yosemite this summer.

(He was the founder of the Sierra Club). There is an area in Yosemite called Hetch Hetchy that was a beautiful valley similar to Yosemite Valley, that the government allowed to be flooded by damming a river in the early 1900's to provide a reservoir for the San Francisco area. Here are before and after pictures. Muir fought a long and hard fight to save this valley that ultimately failed. Sad. Under 300 feet of water. We didn't have time to explore that area, hopefully we can take another trip out there and spend more time.

One thing he says that I totally agree with is that he didn't think this earth was created just for the use of humans, it was for all of nature. And that each animal, plant etc is just as important as each human being. Nuff said.

Hope you all have a really nice day, and get outside and enjoy the end of summer. There are some beautiful things out there just waiting for you to come and see!!!!

Later,
WilmaNC