On March 14, 15 and 16, I participated in the Stripology Virtual Retreat 2024, along with 200 other quilters!!! The following week, March 20, 21 and 22, 150 more quilters experienced the same virtual retreat! The 350 virtual quilters represented 43 US states and 7 countries: USA, Canada, Australia, England, Scotland, Denmark and Sweden!!!
We each got a super fun retreat box a couple weeks beforehand! For fabric, the retreat box included 12 half yard cuts in a bundle of one's choice (there were 10 different bundles to choose from), two 1 yard cuts for bindings, a 3 1/2 yard cut of background fabric, a "little bundle" to make a table runner and 2 custom printed labels!
You may be wondering what that silver ball is--it's a GE lo ball: put it in the freezer and then put it in your cold drink so it doesn't water down your drink. My usual drink is hot green tea, so I turned mine into a decorative ball, along with my Japanese blue & white balls!⤵️
The two quilts plus table runner we made during the retreat were all new patterns, only available to the retreaters. The first day Gudrun of GE Designs had several teaching sessions and we worked on making the "Billie" quilt pattern. This is the quilt that uses 10" squares, so it's the fabric that my Quiltin' Cousin Sue picked out!
Quilt Info #1:
Pattern: Billie from GE Designs
Fabrics: Kindred by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery (photo borrowed from GE website)
Size: 56" x 81"
Batting: Quilters Dream Batting 100% Cotton
Thread: Glide--Apricot Blush
There are 5 different layouts with this pattern! I went with the first layout.⤵️
Quilt Info #2:
Pattern: Winny from GE Designs
Fabrics: Verdigris⤵️ by Libs Elliot for Andover Fabrics
Size: 64" x 84"
Batting: Quilters Dream Batting 100% Cotton
Thread: Glide--Cream
My retreat box included 2 1/2 yards of this print for background.⤵️ It felt too busy for background to me, so I substituted a taupe Grunge for the background, and put the busy background fabric on the back of the quilt!
This is my favorite quilt of the retreat!
Quilt Info #3:
Pattern: Lil' Inga from GE Designs
Fabrics: Woodland & Wildflowers⤵️ by Fancy That Design House for Moda
Size: 14" x 42"
Batting: Quilters Dream Batting Poly
Thread: Glide--Putty
Next year will be the 4th annual GE Virtual Retreat, held March 14-16 or 19-21, 2025. Sign ups will begin in October. I hope to see you there!!!
Grace and peace!!! ~Nancy
Check out the quilt parties at Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, From Bolt To Beauty, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, Monday This & That.
Nancy what a great group of quilts from this retreat. I love how you and Sue exchanged fabrics, great idea. I love both the Winnie and the Billie, glad they were in different fabrics!!
ReplyDeleteAll three projects are fabulous, but Quilt #2 is my favorite too! You got a lot of goodies in that box.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading about your interactions with GE Designs. Gudrun's patterns and events are brilliant. I don't have the bandwidth to participate myself, so learning about your adventures are the next-best thing! And I'm loving your Billie in all those shades of red -- beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun retreat Nancy, and I love your projects, and the small changes you made in fabric choices.. The quilting patterns you chose are perfect!! (Missy V.)
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had tons of fun and that it was a well organized retreat. Love your quilts! Clever to trade fabrics so you could have more variety. Thanks for sharing on my weekly show and tell, Wednesday Wait Loss.
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It's always fun to see what you make with each of these retreats, and your enthusiasm is infectious. Love that Libs Elliott fabric line, and that design is my favorite of all of your quilts!
ReplyDeleteQuilt retreats are great fun. I love quilt 2. Hope I can remember to purchase GE’s new book. Enjoyed reading about your retreat while having my morning coffee.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a lot of fun, and you have beautiful quilts as a result! I love the red and white one. You've made me curious about what other layouts you could have with that block!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to have a retreat. The end result with your three quilts is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI love them. The retreat sounds fun. Thank you for linking up to Put your foot down.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun quilts and I totally love each of them. The red and white Billie is so fun and the back you made is just perfect. I do agree that my favorite, too, is the Winny. Boy those fabrics are awesome and fun that you switched up the background. I do love that print on the back...but it would have made it much busier and I think your way features the fabric. I love that both of those have the curvy pantos - perfect. The last tablerunner, Inga is also fun, but I would have chosen your way too, more organized is my favorite. Love seeing the box and all the goodies, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your retreat experience. I always am tempted hearing about the quilts and seeing the fabric. Seems like I always have a prior commitment. Think I’ll add the dates to my digital calendar now and maybe I can avoid over scheduling! I love Winny! I’m definitely going to make a note to watch for Gudrun’s book! And the fabrics are awesome!
ReplyDeleteSplendid! Each and every one of them!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun retreat and you have fabulous finished projects
ReplyDeleteWow! Those are some gorgeous quilts. Sounds like you had a great retreat!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun virtual retreat! I love all the quilts you made, and my favorite is yours too ;) Wonderful fabrics, and color combo, it was fun to switch fabrics with your cousin!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilting also, of course!
Thank you so much for sharing these pretty quilts, I'm looking for the book!
I love the autumn colours, Winny is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Starflash Quilts! Winny seems to be the all-time fav! (I'm answering here since your email isn't attached to your profile.)
DeleteIt looks like you had a great time during this event! My local friend, Rosemary @franticquilter was one of the 200 others who participated. What a great box of goodies to get started with! I really like the quilts you made. That Winny design is particularly appealing. Good for you to have had so much fun, and share it with a cousin... a quiltmaking cousin? Or a real cousin? No matter. It's great to share such an experience with a friend,
ReplyDeleteI like how you made Winny your own. All three quilts are spectacular. Can her patterns be. made without her rulers? I've seen a lot of really interesting patterns from GE Designs and yet haven't tried any of them. Maybe one of her books will go on my Christmas list this year.
ReplyDeleteWow! You had a very productive retreat! Wonderful quilts too. It's hard to pick a favorite, I like all your versions.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like so much fun and some of those fabrics are so pretty! How great to get so many quilts done in such a short time, too! I'll have to watch for that next year!
ReplyDeleteYou got a TON done during your retreat!! I am Impresed!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the quilts you made!!
Wow!! You did so much during your retreat Nancy!! It sounds great! I love the idea of a Stay at Home Retreat!! I have everything handy and don't have to sleep in a bed I'm not used to! LOL I've never heard of this. I would love to participate next year. Thanks for sharing with Monday Musings!
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