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Saturday, September 06, 2008

And I'm away!

Tomorrow is the big day! I'm off to Elk Rapids, MI to spend a glorious week at the White Birch Lodge with Gwen Marston and the other BIQR (Beaver Island Quilt Retreat)second week campers! This is the 25th year for her retreats, and I've had the pleasure of sharing the last two of them, plus this year. This year's theme is working with solids. Since I am sort of a wild child and I love texture and bright colors, this is going to be a brain challenge for me. I'm not sure what I will come home with, but I will share whatever it is next week.

In the meantime, I DID finish the Fall Crawl sampler quilt. Here's a picture of it on my bed, and you can also see the triple border I used for it. The fabric line is 12 Days of Christmas by Nancy Halvorsen/Benartex. I really am happy to have a seasonal quilt for this time of the year! I hope it makes an exciting sale for the shop(s) while I am gone.


I've been very busy (in addition to moving) getting the last of the garden produce processed for the pantry. Here's just half of the green beans - the jars are three rows deep. Also on the shelf is canned chicken - our local grocery store was having a grand opening, and the skinless/boneless chicken breasts were only $1.87 per lb. How could I not can some of that while the canner was out? Low fat, low salt, and quite yummy, too.

There's a few jars of salsa on the shelf, too, but more has been made. Hubby is in charge of that, though. Here he is with the latest garden bounty after we stopped at all the neighbors and shared with them first. I think he has at least a couple more weeks of picking to do there...unless of course the house sells first.

We met one of our neighbors who walk by our house every morning. In passing, she offered some apples from her tree, and since then, I've canned 8 quarts of pie filling, 10 pints of applesauce and 9 pints of just plain apples. I told her NO MORE! I think we are ready for winter, said the ant to the grasshopper!

And last but not least, we had another birthday quilt day with the Amazing Quilt Babes. We all did paper piecing (the birthday girl's choice) which I am not fond of. But I AM fond of Ibby, our birthday girl, so I pieced along with the rest of them. Aren't the blocks beautiful?

5 comments:

dot said...

You have been busy. Enjoy your retreat. Hubby looks happy with his bounty.

Teresa said...

Wow! You have been very busy. Love the look of all your canned goodies. I used to do a lot of canning and once done and in my cabinet they all look so nice. The quilt is beautiful!

quiltmom anna said...

What a busy lady you have been- what gorgeous tomatoes - you have indeed preserved a bounty for winter- it is amazing when you have been moving at the same time as you have been canning and quilting.. The birthday girls blocks are indeed gorgeous- I love the colors..
Enjoy the retreat with Gwen- I am sure it will be wonderful
Regards from a Western Canadian Quilter,
Anna

Ms. Jan said...

Have fun at the retreat--I'm jealous! Ibby's blocks are darling and well worth the effort.
=)

Sheila said...

I have very few jealousies in life, but knowing how to can is one of them! It is my goal to know how by this time next year. I'm curious about the chicken too... do you parboil it and then can it, or is the cooking in the canning process?

Love the birthday blocks. I avoid paper piecing as well, but those turned out lovely.