Mine and Tracy's Scrub Stitchin' retreat projects and progress

My Scrub Stitchin' sewing story...

Where to begin?  Jo, Raewyn, and I had been friends online for years starting when they joined a Row by Row swap I started.  One day Jo asked me to join a zoom group hosted by Chooky.  We have been socializing for years although I have not participated as much in the last year.  Chooky invited me to AUSTRALIA!  I knew coming alone was not what I wanted, so I pitched the idea to my sister Tracy.  She said yes!

Here I am, sewing at Scrub Stitchin'.  Chooky took this photo of me being the first one up and rolling in the morning.  This photo and Chooky reminded me that Jo had gone and found me a brick to put my foot on because I am so short.  It worked perfectly.  It was also Jo that told me to stack two chairs together to sit on.  She is always taking care of others.

Here is Tracy's sewing story that she CHOSE.  She has kind of been living in storage for a spell having all her belongings packed up in her garage as she bounces from one airbnb to another as she is fixing them up.  Locating her sewing machine and tools was a challenge, so I asked if she wanted me to bring something for her to sew.  She accepted.  Basically, everything she sewed was a mystery.  I cut it all out (except white fabric for the tulip quilt), and she happily sewed it up.

Her first project is shown at the bottom of this post, but here is her second project - a baby 3-D pinwheel quilt.  It turned out super cute.

My Diddles Bag story...

It was Sylvia's fault.  Thank you for the help, Sylvia.  She is on the left with Tracy and Raewyn to the right.

Here she is again.

Sylvia made a few of the zoom ladies this adorable bag.  She pieced each one of them a little different to fit different personalities and fabric likes.  This one she made for Lou.

Jo's had hand pieced hexies...  I loved the green!!

She also made ones for Chooky and Gail and I'm not sure who else.  I wish I had taken photos to show how unique they each were.

I just had to have one!

Well, the story grew a little when Lea (pictured below) put some treasures out on the table for the ladies to take if they wanted.  They were fabric and bits from her friend they called Diddles who is no longer with us.  Several of the ladies knew her, but I did not.  Well, I fell for a Holly Hobby fabric and some smocking pieces Diddles had made.   I never have made smocking, but I was drawn to it.  I decided to make my own "Diddles Bag" from the Holly Hobby fabric using the smocking on the outside.  It was perfect.  For some reason the Holly Hobby fabric style and colors reminded me of Sylvia's quilt style. 

I tried to attach the smocking piece myself, but struggled.  Lea offered to help by doing it for me and suggested adding some piping.  It was GORGEOUS!  Thank you Lea.  Here she is sewing it for me.

My little bag needed some more color, so I purchased a fabric bundle from Jude.  I had always drooled over her little bundles as seen on her blog and at Zoom sewing.  This little bundle had the perfect colors as well as the piping fabric Lea used.  It brought me joy to add Jude's fabrics to my Diddles Bag story.

Jo offered a piece of batting and someone picked up a long length of zipper for me at the local quilt shop.  It all went together pretty slick.  Sylvia had brought the pattern, but she also did a lot of coaching to help me.

One side looks like this...

The other side with the inner pockets looks like this.

I asked everyone  to sign on a panel on the back.  What a treasure it is to me to have all their signatures!!  Some names of ladies who had gone home early were added by their friends.

Jo gave me a bobbin with pink thread so I could finish the binding on the way home.

Ta Ta...  Here is my "Diddles Bag".

It really holds a ton of stuff.

Other projects...

Tracy and I both made these Chevron Braid Quilts.  She does not like to show her progress but the ladies made her do it.  I don't think she "chose" it.

Here she is working on her braid.

The ladies would all cheer when someone had a finish.  Being short, I chose to stand on my chair to help them see it better.

We also worked on tulip quilts piecing 32 flowers.  I didn't get a photo of Tray's, but here is mine.  My fabric came from a kit I purchased in Altamont a few years back.

I did not get a photo of Tracy's progress.

My other project was this flower Buggy Barn project.  This is how far I got.  You can see the middle is done and the top and bottom sections are still packaged together to keep them in order.  I think I can get the blocks sewn together in an afternoon.

I am linking up today with Frederique's linky party.

Also, Design Wall Monday.