REGISTRATION FOR NOVEMBER 2021 QUILT RETREAT

November Mid-week retreat with One Loose Thread

 

Gravatt Conference Center, Aiken, S. C. 

Tuesday, November 9 – Friday, November 12, 2021

Registrations will be taken as received. Attendance will be controlled by Covid-19 guidelines and is subject to change. Register early!!

This is a UFO event. You work on your own projects and just have a relaxing good time. Quilters of all levels from beginner to professional.
All meals are provided by the fantastic Gravatt kitchen!  No dishes to wash!!! 
Walking paths all over the camp so that you can get your daily exercise. Walk by the lake and just lose yourself in your surroundings.
Nothing is structured except mealtimes.
Your fee includes
Neat and clean lodging in either Cole Lodge or Our quaint cottages.
The rooms in Cole Lodge sleep 2 and have their own bathrooms.
The cottage rooms have adjoining rooms, each sleeping 2, with a shared bathroom.
All meals starting with dinner on Tuesday night and ending with lunch/brunch on Friday.

A 6-foot table all to yourself as your work area
Ironing surfaces furnished by One Loose Thread
Raised cutting surfaces
Snack Area

Massage available
Lots of Laughter
Of course, a few surprises will be thrown into the mix. 
Any Questions should be directed to:

One Loose Thread Quilting, 630 Planters Drive, Columbia, S. C. 29209

630p@bellsouth.net

Questions? Call 803-776-5801---the Studio

November Mid-week Retreat with One Loose Thread

Gravatt Conference Center, Aiken, SC

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 – Friday, November 12, 2021

 Name:_________________________________________________________

 Address:_______________________________City,State,Zip__________________________________

Phone: Home________________Work_________________Cell________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________

√	Lodging Type	Rate
	Motel-Single	$679.00
	Motel-Double	$580.00
	Cottage-Single	$619.00
	Cottage-Double	$550.00

One Loose Thread is not responsible for finding roommates. If you reserve a double and no roommate can be found, then OLT will bill you for the difference.
These fees include lodging and all meals beginning with Tuesday supper through Friday brunch. Check-in no earlier than 1:00 PM on Tuesday. Check out of rooms by 10:00 AM on Friday. Check out of Sewing area by 1:00 on Friday.

A deposit of $200.00 of your fee and signed registration form should be sent to:

One Loose Thread Quilting, 630 Planters Drive, Columbia, S. C. 29209

You do not have a reserved space until I have this paperwork.

Total included: $________________ with registration form. If you have special dietary needs, contact me and we can discuss how these can be handled.

Request Massage? _______. Requested Roommate___________________. Sew-Ezy Table?___________

 Email confirmation when registration is received.  Remaining balance is due October 15, 2021.

                I understand that by completing this registration form and making my deposit, I am obligated for the total cost of this event. Also, if, for any reason, I am unable to attend and cannot find someone to assume my reservation, I am financially responsible for the full amount of the balance. Personal liability waiver and indemnification agreement:  Your safety and the security of you and your equipment is taken very seriously, but neither the retreat organizers nor Gravatt Conference Center will be held liable for any personal injury, loss/theft or damage anytime during the retreat. Your attendance constitutes your agreement to indemnify the organizer and Gravatt Conference Center from any claim for injury, loss or damage for any reason. You are responsible for any damage to the retreat center property, facilities, or equipment caused by you through negligence or willful intent.

Signature: _________________________________  Date: __________________   

 

May Mester, Judy Neimeyer, and UFO'S!!

 Mark these dates on your 2022 calendar!!  

MAY 18 - 22, 2022!!

These are the dates of our quilt retreat that will be the first time in a while we have tried having a dual retreat. One building will be for 'Sit and Sew' UFO projects and the other will be featuring a Certified Judy Niemeyer instructor, Elsa Neubauer, for 3 full days of instruction! More on that in a minute.

One building will be our usual 'Bring your own projects' type of set up. You can bring out all of those UFO's that you started in 2020/2021 and work to finish a few. Or, you can start something new and exciting. Start sewing on Wednesday evening and sew until you leave Sunday after brunch!! You will be working independently but will have others with you that have many different levels of quilting skill from beginner to seasoned professional. You will be sewing in a sharing environment where if you need some help or an opinion they will be readily available.  We all learn so much from each other. Especially during retreat time. I will furnish your ironing surfaces and ample cutting surfaces. You will have a full 6 foot table to use all to yourself. 

The class for the Judy Niemeyer quilts will be a closed class where those attending will have the full attention of our Certified Instructor. She will not be available for those attending the UFO side of the retreat. 

I am looking forward to introducing the 'Frayed Knots' to Elsa Neubauer, Certified Instructor for Judy Niemeyer and Quiltworx. 

For 3 full days!!! That's right!! We will start our class on Thursday morning and you will have 6 hours of instruction each day!! That is on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!!! Your evenings can be used to work on your Niemeyer projects or something else that you might like to use to 'clear your brain'. The choice is yours. 

Elsa will guide us through the different techniques of many of the Quiltworx patterns. Those that you have had in project boxes that are partially finished, this is the time to pull them out and get excited about finishing them up. I know I have 2 or 3 that I need help 'finding' a starting point again. If you are new to these quilts, Elsa has a good number of 'beginner' quilts that she will be glad to use to introduce you to Judy's process of quiltmaking. 

I will furnish ample cutting and ironing areas for the group to use. You will have a full 6 foot table, so plenty of area to spread out and work. 

Here are just a couple of the recommended beginner projects. There will be more.

The whole weekend will be full of fun and laughter. Friends and fabric. Great Gravatt food and just an all around fantastic experience. 

In the evenings we will share stories and quilts that we have made. Everyone will get to meet and be with everyone else attending for the weekend. Elsa will present  a trunk show for all of us to enjoy. I'm sure I can come up with a surprise or maybe even 2.......as most of you know, you can never tell what I might come up with. 

And yes, there will be massage available. There are those of us that will really need some attention from our Licensed Massage Therapist. 

So, mark your calendars. Start planning what you will stitch on. Get your registrations in early. 

Once you have registered, Elsa will be available to assist in your choice of patterns for the Niemeyer group. We will also need to know, in advance, what pattern(s) you will be working on so that Elsa be up to date with instruction for those projects. 

Due to the need to plan patterns and fabrics for the Judy Niemeyer class, you will be allowed to register earlier than usual. Fees will be published by the first of November 2021 and we will start registration. The retreat fee for those taking the Judy Niemeyer class will be different than for those doing 'sit and sew'. This would make a great Christmas gift and I do sell gift certificates.

So, watch the facebook page. Check your email. Watch the blog!! If I don't have a current email address for you, send me your new one to 630p@bellsouth.net  (remove all of the spaces in the address). 

Please be aware that I will also be registering for November and February retreats at the same time, so things could get a little confusing. I'll do my best to keep all of this straight!

That's it for now. There will be more to come in the next few weeks. I am so excited to be able to offer this to everyone and I look forward to seeing some new 'Judy fanatics' becoming 'Frayed Knots'. 

QUILTS OF VALOR AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE

 I took some time this morning and ventured into downtown Columbia, SC. This is my hometown and I love driving around to see what's going on. I knew there was an event happening at the State House today and law enforcement would not be necessary. 

This is the sight that greeted me as I drove down Main Street toward the capitol building. This was what I was looking to see. 

I am so humbled to know that I was a part of this tribute to our veterans. What you are looking at is almost 500 quilts of valor AND presentation bags that have been stitched over the last few months. Several years ago the South Carolina Longarm Group did this:

Since that time, this event at the State House has been a dream. A dream that Anne Mixon and the SC Quilts of Valor Foundation has made real. If not for Anne, I am not so sure this would have happened.

While I sat at that stop light, tears just flowed. I am so proud to know so many of the men and women that made these quilts. So many hands worked on these quilts. From the collection of fabric, the cutting of the patterns, the stitching of the blocks, the quilting of the quilts, the binding of the edges,the sewing on on the labels........and don't forget the construction of the presentation bags. So many steps. So many hours. So much love. 

I personally want to thank the members of the South Carolina Longarm Group that really stepped up and quilted over 100 of these quilts. Many donated not only their time and expertise, but batting and thread and so much more. Doing this would have been more difficult without your help. Every time I ask for your help, you are right there and give freely of your time . Thank you so much. 

So, now I am going to over fill this post with pictures. Every picture that I have been able to capture/steal from facebook since I left my camera in my car. It was a beautiful day!! I really hope that many of you could see this 'live and in person'. 

It was a beautiful day and a outstanding event. Congratulations to Anne Mixon for a job well done!!

A Long Journey Comes to an End

 Well, it is finally over! I logged this quilt top into the Studio on February 14, 2019. I'm sure that Sally intended it to be shown at one of the Guild Shows in Aiken. That didn't happen. It hung for quite a while before I actually loaded it on my machine. 

As you can see, it didn't start to load until July of 2020. So many things had happened in my personal life that somethings had to wait and Sally was kind enough to allow this to wait too. 

So, it was loaded and I started the Stitch in the Ditch to stabilize the quilt. Everything went well. Stitching around ay type of applique' takes time and ditch stitching is one of the most difficult things to do on a longarm machine. Anyway, I worked through that over a period of time. Then it was time for the backgound fills on each block..................and she sits and waits..........and waits.........and waits. 

There are days that I can walk up to a machine and just start stitching. Other times it will not let me take control. So I waited..........then I finally figured out what I wanted to do in the background. Something simple that would showcase the applique' and not just jump off of the quilt. 

So, now I had all of the backgrounds locked down. There were some blocks that had interior areas that I would decide on later.........much later. Time for the sashing. 

And she waits..........and she waits...........and she consults with a quilting mentor..........and she waits. Finally, I decided to do something a little unconventional. I set up my Statler and placed this design in the sashing areas. 

This is the only part of the quilting on this piece that was computer assisted. So, the sashings are done.

Time for the borders. And, she waits........... and she waits...........and she draws........and she thinks........and she again consults her quilting mentor...........Then one day, she stitches.

Don't pay attention to the white lines. That didn't happen, but, it got me started and soon the border was complete.

Then I still had some blocks where the centers were open and those need 'something'. And she waits.....

Do you see now why it takes me so long to complete a custom quilt?........

At any rate, yesterday February 4, 2021, I took the last stitch in this project. Pulled it down so that I could actually look at it and I just cried. That happens to me when I am so into a project like this and then get to the end. It is done. I am really happy with the end results. And, I can't actually believe that I did it. 

So, here it is. It will soon be on its way to Virginia, because Sally moved recently. Lot's of life changes for both of us, but, now we can put this one project aside. 

If Sally will allow, I hope to take this to Quilt Camp in a couple of weeks for 'Show and Tell'. Then I can get it on a rack and get some really good pictures. 

For now, it's off on another adventure. I have custom clients listed for the next few months, so it's off to start on another exciting journey!!

Have a great day!!

A Plan for the Future

 I had lunch with a fellow longarm quilter yesterday. We do that periodically just to touch base with each other and to talk about our chosen avocation. It's always good to bounce ideas off of each other, share thoughts on different subjects, and possibly work out joint projects.

While we were talking the subject of my quilt retreats came up. I think I have convinced her that she needs to come join the fun really soon. We have all been so confined, more so than usual, and getting around other quilters will always raise your spirits and help with getting the creative juices flowing. Seeing what others are working on always jump starts our creativity. 

One idea that came out of our lunch was for me to re-start 'May Mester' in 2022. I have had requests for that type of retreat where we are in class for several days and then have the option of staying around to sew for a few more days. I have also set this as a split retreat where some are there for the instruction and some to work on UFO's.

 I have actually missed this 'teaching' retreat. My opinion is that we need to stretch ourselves to do somewhat more difficult designs so that life doesn't become dull and boring. Here lately we tend to do alot of  really fast quilt tops. Now, don't get me wrong, as a longarmer I love those types of quilt tops as they keep me busy. However, I love seeing someone tackle something that they thought they could never do, and then see it to completion.

So, I have added a poll to my group facebook page to test the waters as to the type of quilt that you might like to 'tackle'. For about 4 years we did Judy Neimeyer quilts, and I am not against doing them again. Many of us thought we could not do those quilts and I have seen many of them completed over the last couple of years. (I have a few myself that need to be quilted) A similar quilt would be one from Jacqueline de Jonge. I have always wanted to work on one of hers, but, have heard that the instructions are somewhat convoluted and difficult to follow and understand. That said, I have someone who can carry us through that maze. With either of these choices we could pick a specific quilt or two and all work together to learn how to put them together. If you didn't want to pick your own fabrics, Batiks Etc. is always a great place to have a kit made up. I have used them often and always happy with the results. There are several local quilt shops that might want to step in and help with this too. These are just 2 examples of the designers. These are not the actual quilts that we might choose to work on. 

This is one from Jacqueline de Jonge.

This is one of the many Judy Neimeyer quilts.

Well, that's as far as I have gotten with this idea for now. It does add a little spark of excitement to the coming years at One Loose Thread. I do love doing retreats. I do love the planning stage. It's like I can invite everyone to my home studio for several days of sewing and the joy it brings. Add to that the peace that we feel when we go to Gravatt for several days, it makes all of the work worthwhile. 

So, think about it. Let me know what might interest you. But in the meantime:

LET'S  GO  SEW!!!

It's a New Year!!

I cannot believe that we are more than half way through the month of January!! 

I haven't done a 'true' blog post in a long time. I can remember sitting at this computer in the evenings and doing some pretty good writing. With Covid, keeping up with Mr. OLT's health issues, trying to keep a small business running, I just haven't found the time or the energy. However, it's time to get back to 'real living'.

Quilt camp is coming up in a few weeks, so I am working on getting ready for that. Letters with supply lists and forms have been mailed to everyone. This is the retreat where we do an optional mystery. I say optional because everyone gets the clues and they decide if they will be participating. The mystery, again this year, is one from Deb Caffery. She writes great directions and I have always been pleased with her quilts. Sometimes not my fabric choices, but, that's not the quilts problem. 

I haven't really come up with a theme for this camp. In November we did 'Purple'. In August we did Dr. Seuss (that was really fun!). Last February we did Mardi Gras. I'm thinking that 'Spring' will be a good idea for this February. Nice bright colors. Lots of flowers. Keep it light and fun.

I have been working on some client quilts. Here are a few pictures of those. Some, I can't show you for one reason or another. 

I do have a couple of custom quilts in the works and a couple of commissions that I'm working on. I have a few personal projects, but, we'll talk about them another day. 

I hope this new year finds you healthy and happy. We have to make the best of the situations that we currently have, that's for sure. 

Have a great day and LET'S GO SEW!!!

Questions Answered about Quilt Camp

 

I have been asked about how I operated my retreats during this terrible time of Covid-19. This is how it works.

Even with all of these precautions, I cannot guarantee anything.

This is the way things stand TODAY..............

 1. All rooms will be singles charged out at the rate of a double. No one may share rooms.

2. Everyone will have 2 6 foot tables to work with. There will be no 'pods' as we usually have.

3. I will only supply one ironing surface per building, so everyone will be allowed to bring TRAVEL irons and their own ironing surfaces.

4. I will not supply cutting surfaces..........everyone will need to cut on the extra tables that I have provided.

5. Masks will be worn whenever you are out of your chair and moving about the room.

6. Temperatures will be taken at check-in and every morning at breakfast.

7. All meals will be plated. There will be no salad bars or buffets.

8. Masks will be worn into the dining hall and as you move around in there. Once seated at a table they can be removed.

9. The number of people seated at a table for meals will be limited.

10. You must bring your own pillow.

11. Once on site, I ask that no one leave and no one is allowed to visit. That limits the possibility of exposure.

12. I also request that everyone limit people contact for at least a week prior to camp, in a effort to keep everyone as safe as possible.

 We will be in 2 buildings, so, you can imagine that the number of campers will be reduced. At this time there is space available.

Hopefully you can tell that I have done everything to keep everyone as safe as possible. We still find it necessary for all attendees to sign a disclaimer for both Gravatt and One Loose Thread.

 This is the way I have operated my last 2 retreats and it has worked well. We do the best we can.

 Joyce Greer-One Loose Thread, llc