Camp Cheerio! Lots of tips, ideas, inspiration, and great fun.

beverly

Completing top (after top, after top) of someone else's blocks and actually getting them to 'work' well, though in some cases differently than the original quilter's plan.

Spending time with a quilting friend!
In August we spent a Saturday at a shop hop and in September we went to a quilt show. I haven't always had someone to do that with, so having a friend with an interest in quilting is a real delight! She's even more addicted to fabric than I am, so I never feel guilty when I'm shopping with her. :~))

Kate

Yes, Jennifer is the Champion of taking orphan blocks and making something wonderful out of them!

My high-light? finding the Jack/Jill pattern that was missing and.....finding the "tree" quilt for the retreat that I forgot to pack. Yeah.....I have trouble finding things.....;o(

Teresa

Taking a class at Quilt University! I'd been in a funk for a while. My sister gave me a gift certificate for QU for my BD in August and at the end of Sept. they offered a new T shirt quilt class. A T shirt quilt has been on my to-do list for a long time, so I signed up.

I really enjoyed it, and it helped get me in the mood to sew again!

Donna

I hit the thrift store yesterday and found a nice stack of quilting books for a mere 2 dollars each. Several were Eleanor Burns. Just looking thru the pages gave me an a few ideas and a boost I needed to get quilting again.

Finishing SBQ top was a big boost but nothing could over shadow the generous words that came from all my friends here on the forum with regards to it. Everyone was so kind and made me feel that maybe it was better then I thought it was. Jayne

I made a couch quilt earlier in the year for an uncle in WV, when he got it (I didn't let him know about it ahead of time) he loved it so much that he sent me a poem about the colors in it how each one reminded him of the colors of the foliage and mountains of WV in the fall. I just thought that was so sweet of him.

ahhhhh Rita~so sweet:)

Camp Cheerio and meeting some of my Quilty friends face to face (& sweet little Melanie). I was able to fly First Class on the return trip - that was a huge highlight - my 2 bags flew for free & no $90.00 extra for one bag that was 6.5 lbs overweight!

I think my high point this week has been receiving two boxes from Camp Cheerio - the fabric I bought at Mary Jo's and had shipped directly home and the box of stuff that wouldn't fit in my suitcase that Beverly took home and shipped on. Just opening those boxes reminded me of a wonderful weekend and it was like Xmas all over again.

Rita, that was so sweet of him.

beverly

Camp Cheerio! It was so much fun to meet everyone and get to know you all better! Melanie is the sweetest baby ... I wanted to sneak her into my suitcase! Going to Mary Jo's put me in sensory overload with the explosion of fabric choices - LOVED IT!

Sue

Finishing the DWR was my latest highlight. I have started a Bento Box in red and gray for DH's cousin. They love to watch Ohio State ball games together and are huge fans. It feels so nice to work on a new quilt.
Linda OH

I've loved reading all of YOUR highlights! With the sale of my mom's longarm I've been in quite a funk lately. And just thinking about storing nearly 40 unquilted tops...revs my perpetual headache to a nearly unbearable level. But you all have such wonderful mood-lifters posted, & I'd have to agree w/my fellow retreat-ers, Camp Cheerio was the highlight of my summer! The warmth of everyone there, how helpful you all are, the creativity...it's just amazing! DH & I were trying to think of something negative because we apparently gush about CC to our family & friends :) --- but we came up empty. Couldn't think of one bad thing! (Even tho it sort of is, we decided we couldn't count the wish for extra days as a negative ;) lol)

Thanks! Karlene for this great question! - you & everyone who has posted have lifted my spirits :)

~Cindy

Ladies, thanks so much for sharing! It is fun and encouraging to hear what others are doing and what happens in the process. I would LOVE to go on a quilt retreat some time. And that day may be getting closer since my youngest graduated from H.S. this year so a new season of life is starting.

Cindy - 40 unquilted tops and the longarm sold? I'm feeling overwhelmed with the 5 I have sandwiched that need to be quilted on my regular machine. I'm so sorry - I can see why you're in a funk. But what wonderful memories and stories must be in each of those tops! Did you and your mom make all of them?

Rita - how sweet, touching, worth-it-all to get that poem!

It is so nice and rewarding to have someone let you now that they appreciate the love and time you put into making them a quilt. Rita I think I would frame it!

I was asked to make 2 quilts for a raffle. We all know exactly how that can turn out lol.

I didn't really want to do it, the economy has really hit hard around here. But I did it anyway.

Tickets were not really selling at first and I was a little down about it, I kept thinking I should have just given them money. THEN one business bought 100 tickets and one person mentioned that the quilts were high quality.

The raffle was a success but I am still leary of them.

Rosa

Getting out of my slump and finishing 2 UFOs. I was going through some family 'stuff' and could not find energy or inclination to sew. I was beginning to feel that I would never get back to it. It's good to once again look forward to quilting.

~Geraldine

Rosa - This spring I did 3 quilts that were raffled off. I was never brave enough to ask how much money they raised!

Karlene,

Thanks for your kind words:) Yes,there are a lot of memories in those tops! A few of them were actually classes I 'took' from my mom when we owned an LQS together, some I made just to feature a new line of fabric we had rec'd. But those 40 are all mine - my mom actually has about a half dozen of her own! She gave me a few of her WIPs - those will be bittersweet to finish.

Is there any other art/craft with so much emotion attached?? I sure can't think of any!

Well, here is a pic of my quilt 'highlight'. It is nothing fancy, just something simple that could be done quickly.
Karlene

Here is a link that might be useful:

Karlene, what a great use of preprinted panel fabric. I have some and just don't know what to do with them. Your quilt is inspiring.
Making this quilt sounds like it was comforting to you as well as the recipient.
Thanks for sharing the picture.