Minding My P's and Q's Retreat - Bonnie Hunter Sand Castles Class

It's Day TWO!!  Well, truthfully, it's Day Six, but the second class.  Up today is Sand Castles from Bonnie Hunter's String Frenzy book.  I have loved this pattern since the very first time I saw her working on these blocks.  I KNEW I would make it and today is the time to get started.  Sooooo --- without further ado, let's get this class going.

Introductions are made and the first thing up is four patches.

I have brought a tub of colored strips and my  neutral as well.  It's time to sew some strips.

Once the strip sets are sewn, groups are taken to the lobby for cutting demos.

Learning just where to place rulers is a big deal --- it changed things for me the first time I heard Bonnie teach it.

Sewing and pressing goes on until it is our groups turn.  When I return from the demo, all my strip sets lay waiting for some sub cutting.

In all truthfulness -- I ADORE making four patches and the cutting is a big part of why.  When done with her method, it's quick and painless.

The next demo is learning to cut the background pieces and layout.

These lozenges are WONDERFUL and as soon as I return to my seat, I have my own ready to sew.

Using one as leader/ender for the other, two are complete lickety split.  The orange is too busy but it wills stay in the quilt and a lesson has been learned.

All of this has been before lunch.  Wow.  With happy tummies, it is Show and Share time and I've brought my Easy Street to share.

Bonnie asks me to show the back, although this one is relatively simple --- just some orphans with  no other place to go.

And a label share too.

While the first group is getting the next demo, I tackle more lozenges and really like this purple.

Now it's time to string.  I set to it with the goal of completing a couple of blocks.

I've made four lozenges, so now the goal is to finish these four with their strings.  Sew, girl, sew.

Ooooh, ooooh, ooooh.  Tiny little sashing strips to make it all fit together.  Love it just so much.

Woohoo!!!! I have four finished and really am pleased.  I want to make more NOW but time has ended for this class and if I'm honest, I'm pretty beat.

The group gathers together with our blocks to make a quilt top.  Isn't it great.  So many different ideas.  I think the yellow/blue ones are going to make such a fun quilt.

How do these pictures happen?  Well here's a glance around the area -

This day has been perfect in every way.  It was great to spend some time with Jennifer and pictures just make the memories hold even longer.  I'm off to dinner with Bonnie and it is freezing outside.  Mexican, it is.  See ya manana and I have a roommate arriving tonight too.