Here in the Real World {Retreat Round Up}

I'm back in the real world after a few days in the happiest place on earth -- Quilt Camp!

I was able to make a TON of progress on the projects that I took to Michigan with me!

1. Secret Test Quilt

This quilt top is done, and I can't show it off, but here are some work in project pictures.

2. Jolly Bar Meringue Quilt

This quilt top is done and I can't wait to share more about it! The quilt is made up of half square rectangles and I took a little bit of a creative detour with my color placement to give the appearance of pinwheels!

3. Christine's Kitchen 2.0

Lots more pictures of this one will come in October, but I am absolutely in love with the the London Fog line for this project! I've used the larger cuts of yardage for the paper piecing of the teapots and pitchers and grey solid for the background.

4. Radiant Jewel Quilt

This was my "just in case" project -- I ended up making more progress than expected on my other three projects and got to start some of the blocks for this quilt! I managed to finish nine of the 17 "diamond" blocks and start on the flying geese and HSTs for the next two. This was a mystery quilt at Craftsy about 5 years ago and my mom bought the kit on clearance for me. I have the "Jewel" colorway and the fabrics in the kit are a mixture of Kona solids and Grandeur prints from Robert Kaufman.

Now I have two tops ready to quilt, I'm ready to make the applique blocks for my Christine's Kitchen quilt, and I actually got to start a project just for fun! But here in the real world, I'm back to prioritizing deadlines, making do with what I have on hand for finishes, and having to fit in my sewing in between work and chores!

Alison in Wonderland {Retreat Prep}

Saturday I fly to Michigan to spend some time with family and go on retreat with my mom! Quilt retreat is the perfect combination of my favorite things: quilting, massages, junk food, and wearing comfy pants all day.

I've been making a serious effort over the last month or so to finish up a bunch of projects before I go on retreat. I have finished my Donuts quilt top and my Breezy Blooms quilt top over the last week and I also finished my Pansy Garden quilt and my Jungle Cruise version of Summer Patio which I will finally get to show off on August 28th!

Last year while on retreat, I worked on the piecing for my two Blue in Bloom quilts. This year I have three projects that  I am going to be working on.

1. Secret Test Quilt

The details of this quilt that I am testing are still a secret but I will at least tell you about all of the fabrics! I pulled everything out of my stash and the color scheme is orange/coral, brown, chartreuse, and purple with a Kona Oyster background. This one is actually baby sized so this should be a relatively short project. All of the cutting is done, so this will hopefully go together quickly.

2. Radiant Jewel Quilt

A long, long time ago, I managed to get my hands on a kit from Craftsy on sale for what was at the time a mystery quilt along. The fabric has sat in my stash all of this time, and I thought it was the perfect project for retreat! The quilt is called Radiant Jewel by Kimberly Einmo, but it looks like most of the original links are now expired. Here's the fabrics in the kit:

3. Christine's Kitchen 2.0

Our Island Batik Ambassador theme for October is paper piecing. My current plan is to use the London Fog fabrics that came in my most recent Ambassador box to make another version of our Christine's Kitchen pattern. My original version is green and cream; this version will be grey and blue!

4. Jolly Bar Meringue Quilt

I just got the supplies to make this upcoming Fat Quarter Shop Shortcuts quilt and I'll be showing off the finished quilt in early October! I'm using the Sweet Marion line.

I know that these are all new projects and I am trying to cut down on the new projects, but both the Jolly Bar Meringue and Christine's Kitchen 2.0 quilts will be done before the end of October. The Radiant Star Quilt is my "maybe" project -- but you can't go on retreat and then not have enough projects to work on!

What do you think of my project list? Which fabrics are your favorites?