Attended a quilt retreat at Always Quilting, a LQS in San Mateo last weekend (07/13.14.15) and actually finishedthese two quilts! The retreat was great fun. Kit and Julie (the owners) and their staff really knew how to take care of us. They prepared our meals, provided snacks (as well as a constant supply of chocolate!), cold bottled water and were there to help and advise. And all for just $95 for the weekend. We started out at 0900 on Friday and while the day was supposed to end at 2100 some were still there until midnight. Saturday I was there until 2359 and others didn't leave until around 0200. Back we were at 0900 on Sunday. On Saturday we had a Harry Potter Trivia Contest. Good thing we were in teams and my team mates had read the books or I would have been sunk. My team won fat quarters for all by having the most correct answers.

The two quilts I made were variations of the pattern Between Friends Jr from the Happy Hour book by Terry Atkinson. She's also the designer of Yellow Brick Road. I made the black/white/red one on Friday and the other on Saturday.

Does it count?

Does it count as a craft if I made a shade for the raspberries or a carboy carrier? And how come you guys are lurking? You were never this quiet at the regular meetings. C'mon! :-)

About that stepping stone

The kit came from Michael's or JoAnn's and is made by California Creations. The kit consisted of 8 lbs of cement, a reusable plastic mold, a stirring stick of the variety you can get from the paint department of a hardware store, and some instructions. I used a somewhat sturdier stirring stick.

Here's a stepping stone with bits of glass and pottery from Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California.

And, I finally grouted the top of the bird bath or whatever it is, and painted the base in garish colors, so that project is now done.