Getting Ready for Red Top

We had a work day today at guild. We are getting ready for our annual retreat at Red Top Mountain in March. Each year we have a really great goodie bag. The first year I went to the retreat, we got thread catchers, with embroidery on them with the name of the retreat and year.

The following year we got bags with two quilters appliqued on them - with yarn hair. Last year, we got little notebooks embroidered with our names and the retreat information. So each year, we try to make something wonderful to remember the great time we have.

This year, we are going to give out sewing machine organizers. Last May, when we took a road trip to Mary Jo's in North Carolina, I bought many yards of Mardi Gras fabric. The theme of the retreat is Mardi Gras in the Mountains.

We decided to modify one of my sister's patterns and made sewing machine organizers for everyone who will be attending the retreat. First, some of the members with longarm machines quilted 2-4 yards of the fabric. We got backing donated from members and bought batting. We then asked if anyone had packaged bias tape that they weren't going to use at home. We got enough of that donated so that we didn't have to buy any. We just asked for any bright colors and got lots of them.

Today, we cut the screen, cut the quilted fabric, applied bias tape and make the organizers. They have lots of pockets and are very colorful. We actually made 56 of them today.

We have 56 people signed up for the retreat so we need to make a few more since we will probably have a few late sign ups. Dave (who is in charge of goodie bags) is going to quilt a couple more yards and we will make a few more next month at Special Projects day.

We are also using Mardi Gras masks as our name tags this year. We are giving them out at the general meeting and then will have a work day next month where everyone can bring their embellishments to share and decorate the masks with. Should be fun.