The Race is on

The cold of January rolled in and the Diva's and friends rolled to Amishland for what turned out to be our 10th Jelly Roll Race. We wanted to do something like this after the exciting Super Bowl races we would have at Erie Street Fabrics. Thanks Mary for those good times. The smell of the melting plastic snow still haunt us. ( I knocked a hot iron into the window display) 

 10 years ago Lori built our club house and the tradition was on, even after she moved.

 Thanks to Susie we had a choice of an alternate version. I believe 4 of us tried it. It was a beast to prepare and took forever to put together but we chanted, " Susie's number 1" with the appropriate hand gestures.

 The race took place on Sat after we had already been sewing for days. So a bit punchy.  The villain this year was uncooperative bobbins that struck  several of us. No matter. We sewed, had dance breaks and were our usual selves.  The winner... MaryAnn, again, I don't think she even basted her's this year, she is just that good.  Dianne ( all hail the goddess) won the alternative version. I came in dead last. Didn't realize how dead last until after lunch, after the prize ceremony, when I found two unused strips. Fran came in second to the last, also the alternate version, also we had stupid bobbin issues but I am totally blaming the cancer.

 We tried something new this time. Gwen and Dianne made soup for our Saturday lunch so no one had to go out in the sloppy weather. Enough left for supper. Jan brought extra food as well because that is what Jan does.

We had Yoga by Syd on Friday and Sat.

Plenty of time to shop and laugh and actually sew.

Syd was bordering, again, and putting finished block set together. She also did a bunch of small friendship stars. Jan was making pillow cases and baby quilts and then her walking foot crapped out. She also cut and pieced a pretty big Stripology top from the same fabric line Kathy was using. 

Lori was working on Long Time Gone and a Farmer's daughter quilt. She had cut dozens of kits for herself.  I worked on some friendship blocks, some paper pieced stars and made 40 simple blocks that I now have to trim and put together. Fran, buddy,  I can't recall what the heck you were doing besides making the strips for the alternate race pattern. But Fran has sliced up her finger pretty good getting ready for the retreat. A major piece, sacrificed to the god of the rotary cutter. 

 Dianne worked away on a kitty quilt for her niece. Wonderful. She started and finished the top there.

Lynnee, Something crazy, She was cutting and piecing like mad and got kind of crazy blocks done, lots of them,  She also spent some time laying out her alternate jelly roll and numbering the pieces to it would look really nice when done. ( I chose the Willy Nilly technique)  

 Mary Ann?  Something intricate. Small pieces.  A table runner that look like it would be easy, from a charm pack or two. Not as quick as anticipated but beautiful.  Gwen worked on some kids quilts. Piecing and pinning up. Prudie tied herself to the machine and turned out wonderful pieced birds. Caryn worked back and forth on that Wizards quilt and a strip pieced thing. Lovely.  Luanne and Laura were so glad not to be in surgery they sewed like daemons. Luanne had some sort of hexigon shaped piece. Laura put together a couple of kits that she had cut in the days of the old shop.  

My favorite part? Yelling for Susie to take pictures which she will post when she can. She does a great job of photo correcting and cropping.. We irritate the heck out of her, with constant interruptions.

Can it get better? I missed Judy of course. I also missed being young and being able to see and stay up late.

 The police stopped by to tour our creations. Then they ran out plates in the parking lot.

 Until the next time....