Throwback Thursday - CCLQ @ The Bluff 2018 - Retreat Repeat

PLEASE NOTE:  These events took place ONE YEAR ago.  The original post was never fully completed, but I still want to share the experience with my readers.  As such, you may notice duplicate photos (resulting from a computer glitch), any number of "undocumented" photos, and photos that refuse to be resized (no matter how many times I tried to do so.)


Disclaimer:  This is a PHOTO HEAVY post!  Skip it, if you have no patience for non-quilty stuff.

Welcome to CCLQ @ The Bluff 2018!!  (NOT a typo!!  Throwback post here.  Remember?)  I was pleased to be able to attend my Weekly Quilt Group's retreat.  Here is a recap of my time on the shores of Lake Ontario...

The subtitle for this post could be "2000 miles, and counting"!!

Why, Joyful???

Because I had just driven to TN the week before driving up to NY.

Thank you to Ruth S. for hosting this fabulous Retreat Repeat.  It's been 3 years since our last retreat.  This one was every bit as wonderful as the first!

There were meals, quilting, sunsets, quilting, sunrises (supposedly), quilting, Retreat Repeat Mystery, quilting, and MORE quilting!

Are you getting the feeling that this retreat was all about the QUILTING?!?!?  :o))

I worked on the following projects...
My sweater project
BLUE scraps for the RSC
My own Bluff Mystery 2018 (Special thanks to Libby for allowing me to use her Magical Mystery instructions!!)

Monday - Making the journey from North Carolina to New York in two pairs, Linda and her daughter made it to The Bluff by mid afternoon, not long before the flyers arrived.  They left at the crack of dawn, but Candy and I talked by 5 hours all the way to 9 hours. We stopped for the night in be Williamsport, PA - the home of Little League Baseball World Series.

Tuesday - We finished out the trip with just three hours of driving time...

Passing Seneca Lake.  One of the Finger Lakes.  We're getting closer to our destination:

 ... Arriving just in time for lunch with the other campers.

Let the cutting begin!!

Candy's CCLQ @ The Bluff Challenge hanging above the quilt we made as a thank you for the owner of the Sewing Cottage:

Linda is cutting more fabric:

Next, it was time to sew (some binding) maybe!!!

Gayle is working on acrylic felt applique animals:

Donna and Margaret are enjoying other artistic endeavors:

Wednesday - More sewing.

Deborah with her cutting plan:

Finally, the clouds parted and we were graced with a glorious afternoon:

I took some time to work on trimming some dark BLUE scraps for Septembers RSC goal:

I tracked down a neighbor to act as our photographer:

Margaret sews on her mother's featherweight...

As Linda applies binding one her other machine:

Machine app;ique is the order of the day for our hostess, Ruth:

Here I am, preparing to cut these brightly colored FQs:

Just like in days of old, some of my pieces have been pieced:

Deborah was kind enough to make a Hostess Gift:

Thursday - MORE sewing!

Cheesy grins and a BIG hug:

It's hard to catch a butterfly... or a photo of one:

And this is where "The Bluffer" completes her quilt top:

The erosion observation tour:

What's that, Margaret???

A four leaf clover:

Gayle helps Ruth hold up her completed border:

Last year, I must have known what this quilt plan meant:

Linda has made progress:

Candy is happy with her completed unit:

Deborah went for scrappy:

I'm a bit behind the others, as I am answering questions between sewing sessions and running out to take more photos of out beautiful surroundings:

One arrangement of my sample blocks:

Linda completes her first block:

Photographing the sunset AND the sunset watchers:

The Sewing Porch is lit up for some evening stitching:

Ruth will be making this for her son's cottage:

Hmm... someone found SEWING pajamas:

Historic photos of the area:

(Some of) The cottages...

Chain piecing:

Candy's got blocks:

Linda's happy to have her A and B blocks done:

More applique prep work for Ruth:

Deborah is happy to have a block done:

Playing with placement:

Attempting to photograph the bald eagle circling near the Sewing House:

Quilts gracing the beds in the Sewing Cottage:

Out the window...

Just LOOK at the view:

Laying out block components:

Block halves ready to be sewn:

Completed blocks.  Pressed and waiting to be assembled into rows:

Donna is donating this lovely quilt to the Carolina Hurricane Quilt Project:

Another group shot:

Friday - One set of drivers and the flyers left for home.  Candy and I stayed.  I went for a morning walk on the beach, we went apple-ing, and got even more sewing done:

A tour of Wolcott:

A stop at the marina:

And, one more afternoon at The Bluff:

TOP!!!  Of the quilt variety.  Done before the trip home:

One last series of sunset photos for this trip:

Goodbye, Lake Bluff:

Saturday - My travel companion and I began the long journey home.  We made it to northern Virginia before stopping for the night.

Sunset.  NOT at The Bluff:

Mountains in the distance:

What a wonderful getaway!!  Even if two of us drove 1200 miles to be with friends that we see nearly every week of the year.  It was SEW worth it!

Until next time...
RETREAT REPEAT!!!