Once again, the gals of the JSS Bee have proven their talents with some fabulous quilts at retreat.  Let the show begin!

You saw these blocks just a few months ago.  When we all made them for Lani just before she moved to NYC.  Lani doesn’t let any grass grow under her feet when it comes to getting quilts completed.  She surrounded all those beautiful Texas blocks with houses (or is it barns, Lani?), offset them a little and voilà!  Another Lani quilt was born!  And it is just fabulous.  Of course, we can all take credit.  And we do.  I, in particular, am happy to take credit for helping on a wonderful quilt.  Can’t wait to see it quilted, Lani!

By the way, you can’t buy this pattern anywhere.  Lani made it up!  She’s good at that.  She should start writing patterns and get money for these fabulous creations. 

Here’s Lani with another quilt top.  This one was actually made by Sally.  You see, Sally got Lani’s fabric in our Brown Bag Challenge last year and stitched together this fabulous top.  Lani added another border or two at retreat and now it’s finished and ready for quilting.  Lani always completes lots of projects at retreat.  Just like me.  Not.  I should have said Lani is just the opposite of me.  I complete one project every 6 or 7 retreats.  Lani does the opposite.  It’s good to have all kinds of quilters in the world, don’t you think?

Any excuse, that’s my motto.

Look at Betty’s pretty quilt!  These blocks are from last year’s Saturday Sampler at Quilter’s Dream.  Betty got them all together, including setting blocks and triangles.  And it looks fabulous.

Look at this cool quilt Melinda put together in a day.  She’s quick that Melinda!  And she even struggled through the pattern on this one and had to rewrite half of it.  I told her to buy patterns written in English next time.  It would be much easier.

Here’s a great quilt that Melinda brought along to show us all.  Made from souvenirs of a trip to Disney World.  And wait until you see the back!

It’s a creation all its own!  With fabulous quilting by Melinda – so fun!

Newbie Linda put together this cheerful quilt top in the first day.  She works at the same speed as I do.  And anyone who believes that must now go stand on their heads in the corner.

Linda showed this one too.  I think she pieced this whole thing on Day 2.  Maybe.  Or maybe she had part of it done before she came.  Not sure.  I know one thing.  It sure is beautiful!  Good job, Linda!  And it was so fun to meet you.  I hope you come back again soon.

These are some blocks that Linda worked on too.  For a fabulous quilt.  Here.  I’ll show you.

This is one of my infamous “pictures of a picture.”  This one comes from the pattern that Linda is making with the blocks above.  Very cool quilt!

This little gem was made by Phyl for a grandson.  Isn’t it cute?

And Phyl also put together this cute little Irish Chain.  With snowmen!  Very nice.

Pam put together this cool T-shirt quilt for some friends.  So glad you fixed that stem, Pam!  It looks way better now.

Pam also made this cute laptop bag.  I love the fabrics, Pam!  Sorry I cut Pam’s head off in this one.  It wasn’t a particularly flattering picture of Pam and I wanted you to see the bag!

Newbie Tracie put together all these New York Beauty blocks.  She said something strange about thinking that we’d all think she was a slacker or something.  I assume because she only worked on one quilt?  Slacker.  Right.  I told her to sit by me next time and she’d never feel like a slacker again.  Yeah, like these blocks would make anyone feel like a slacker!  They are more than spectacular!  Can’t wait to see how she sets them together.  She’ll probably have them finished by our next Bee day.  I need to hang around Tracie and take lessons on accomplishing something.

If number of things worked on and finished at retreat got a prize, Patti would win hands down.  She made this cute little bag for her iPad.

She also made this cute quilt top.

She finished this one….. and even slept under it a few of the nights.  But don’t let her fool you.  It’s that neato cheater panel in the middle – like I made for Christmas in July in red & black.

She made this cute apron, too.

And she made this cool thing to go under her machine to store her tools as she sews.

Karen finished this great Shop Hop quilt that she started way back in the Dark Ages.  Karen has been taking lessons from me on how to make things take a long time to finish.  Or she’s been making lots of quilts and finishing them while this one was hidden away somewhere.  One of the two.  And I don’t think it was that she’s been learning from me.

Karen made a cool little gadget holder to put under her sewing machine and keep all her tools handy too.  Great quilting, Karen!

Sue H added borders to this great quilt that was made out of her Brown Bag fabric by Sarah last year.  Very cool Sarah and Sue!

Sue also stitched up this cool applique block for her Baltimore Album quilt that she’s making in a monthly class all year.  Very nice!

She also made these cute little houses and trees blocks for another project.  And besides that……..

……. she made a gazillion of these aprons for her daughters and their friends.  Or maybe it was for all the cousins?  Can’t remember for sure.

See?  A gazillion.  She was certainly challenging Patti for the “Person who made or worked on the most projects at retreat” prize.  Too bad there’s not a prize.

Davene made cute Halloween things.  Like this wonderful sweatshirt.

And The Ghost and Mr. Spidey.  And remember the crazy doll she was working on?

Not so crazy when she comes with her own quilt.  Good job, Davene!

Dolly even went for a flight to the top of this quilt one night while we were all sleeping.  Scary Dolly.  She’s definitely not hanging.  She’s flying.  Or so says the culprit who put her up there.

Another Brown Bag quilt from last year.  This time it’s Sue G’s and she added borders to make it bigger.  Nice job Sue and whoever!  UPDATE!  “Whoever” is really Patti with an “i” – as opposed to Patty in California, who Sue G thought had done this.  Sorry, Patti!  It’s a great quilt!

Sue G also put together this cute quilt for Sue H’s new granddaughter.  I think she did it because her middle name was Susan.  Everyone named Susan has claimed it was after her.

LaNelle made this cute quilt.  And I think she had great fun sticking the little animals on!

Here are Suz’ fabulous circles.  She worked on these and also the cute little nine-patches you saw in an earlier blog.  And we did a cool video tutorial with how she did the nine-patch process.  It’s in final editing and will hit the YouTube air waves soon!  I’ll give you a link when it’s ready.

Here is the vertical row that I finished on Janna’s T-shirt quilt.  Or as some might say “column.”  I love the way the T-shirts look like they float on the black musical notes fabric.  Isn’t it going to be great, Janna?  I’m using the Cotton Theory process to quilt these and put them together and it’s going quite well!  At this rate, Janna will have the quilt well before her 92 birthday.  Hurray!

And I pieced all the nine-patch blocks that make up this Magic Trip Around the World quilt on the last night.  For a friend who’s having a baby in December.  I made these blocks mostly after everyone had gone to bed.  Many thought I’d made it up that I did them that night.  They don’t know that I really can accomplish something when I set my mind to it. 

And when I’m trying to overcome my slacker reputation.

Off to sew those blocks together.  And watch the Rangers beat the Giants tonight! 
GO RANGERS!
Barb