Our last night....

We went to the neatest place for our celebration dinner, The 356th Fighter Group , located just off  the Canton Airport.  The 356th Fighter Group Restaurant is the area's only authentic WWII restaurant dedicated to the heroes of the war. The 356th Fighter Group was an actual airborne team that saw combat in the European Theater. Three squadrons of planes (the 359th, 360th, and 361st) made up the 356th Fighter Group. These Pilots flew the P-47 Thunderbolt and then the famed P-51 Mustang while escorting the B-17 Bombers across the English Channel to safety. This group was stationed at the Martelsham Heath Airfield in Suffolk, England. The 356th Fighter Group completed a total of 413 combat missions.  The outside of the restaurant is decorated with old trucks, sentry posts, airplanes, ambulances, and other war memorabilia.  When you enter, you think you walking into a sand-bagged bunker.  Lots of actual newspaper clippings and photos adorn the walls.  What a great place!  If you ever get to Canton, make sure you plan to have dinner here--the food was fabulous!


Bonnie E, Michele, Ruth, Marcia S, Molly, Josie, Lyn, Trish



Eva, Suecat, Marilyn/Marcia, Nan, Merrily, Marcia L, Marcia/Marilyn, Rosie

Jodi, Bonnie S, Sharon Z, Donna W, Lanette, Jean, Sharon T

After a wonderful dinner and lots of laughs, we went back to the sewing room and began the painful process of trying to pack up all our sewing stuff! Most of us went home with more than we brought--it must have been those visits to the quilt shops. Oh, and did I tell you, Canton has a HUGE Jo-Ann Fabrics?  It's 2 to 3 times bigger than the one we have at home. The saleslady that cut all our fabric said it was a "Super Jo-Ann's". I've never seen one so big! And lots of quilting fabric that we've never seen at our local store. I think all the NY gals bought at least some fabric and a pre-cut kit. AND did I mention they were having a BIG SALE!!!!

Before we had everything packed up, we went out to the lobby and had a group picture taken by Scott, our clean-up man.

Front Row-R to L

Nan, Merrily, Ruth, Suecat, Marcia L, Eva, Rosie, Michele, Jodi, Lanette

Stairs Bottom to Top

Josie, Mini 1, Sharon Z, Debi, Donna W, Mini 2, Ann, Sharon T, Diane S, Jean

Top Row R to L

Donna G, Jill, Bonnie S, Molly, Marcia S, Bonnie E, Gail

A great time was had by all.  Now to just finish up everything we started on retreat.  Then bring it back next year, so we can all "ooh" and "aah" over all our completed "ta-das". 

It was a long, hot trip back home, but we did break it up a bit by stopping at the Casino in Salamanca for lunch.  Half the girls left early Sunday morning so they could gamble, but the rest of us just met up with them for the buffet, then we headed home.  The others stayed to gamble some more, and I guess one of the girls was a very lucky girl that day.  Now the rest of us just have to save up enough money for next year.

And that's the story of my quilting retreat to Canton, Ohio.  Until next time...

Happy quilting from Sharon. Katie, and Patsy Cline

Pajama Party.....

If you clicked on the link I posted a week or so ago, you got a look at all the craziness that goes on at the PJ party.  Here are more pictures of the wacky women I spent that week with.  CAUTION:  Adult content follows--watch at your own risk, lol.


The Bag Ladies-Marcia L, Suecat, Eva, Rosie

My roomie-the jailbird, Bonnie E

The Iowa Chicks

Debi

Michele

Jean with her popsicle

Lanette parading


the M & M's (Mini-sister's Marcia and Marilyn or vice-versa)

or Marcia and Marilyn ?

NY Beauty Gail laughing with The Stripper-Jodi


NY Beauties Diane S and Donna G with Bonnie E

NY Beauties Donna W, Bonnie S, Jill B


"Jerry" aka Sharon T

"Jerry", Jodi, and Lanette

Donna W, Jill B, Gail P, Eva, Rosie, Suecat, Marcia L

The M & M's acting like they're NOT little devils!

Michele, Eva, Suecat, Rosie, Marcia L

NY Beauties Bonnie S, Jill, Donna W

Donna G, Bonnie E, Sharon Z

Ruth and NY Beauty Ann

Ruth, Ann, Trish, Lyn

The NY Beauty Block

The NY Gals made the above NY Beauty block and put it on the front of the T-shirts we wore this year for the PJ party. On the back we fused the letters "N Y BEAUTIES" and danced into the sewing room and then sang a little ditty. To see our routine, you have to watch the video from before. Here is the link again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7WE6X3EYnM

Had enough fun for one night?  We'll finish up tomorrow with the last evening of our GTG retreat.  Until then...

Happy Quilting from Sharon, Katie, and Patsy Cline

Our talented military personnel...

not only are they willing to lay their lives on the line for our freedom, but they share their other talents as well.
The following video links are for the band Sidewinder. Sidewinder is part of the 571st Air Force Band, 131st Bomb Wing, Air National Guard. They are deployed as the U.S. Air Forces Central Command Band.

Sidewinder is Capt John Arata - officer in charge, keyboards, fiddle; Tech. Sgt. Kevin Maret - NCO in charge, percussion; Tech. Sgt. John Cavanaugh - operations/logistics, bass; Tech. Sgt. Joseph Castilleja - guitar; Staff Sgt. Tobias Callaway - saxophone; Staff Sgt. Ransom Miller - trumpet; Staff Sgt. Devin LaRue - trombone, guitar, keyboards; Staff Sgt. Brian Owens - vocals; Staff Sgt. Angie Johnson - vocals; Staff Sgt. Sean Navarro - Audio, Trombone.

 

The first song is "Price Tag'" by Jessie J.  Each song gets better.  Make sure to watch them all, especially the last one when Angie belts out the Adele song "Rolling in the Deep".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3lgrCvsgsw        Price Tag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoDx0fcvyLw     Forget You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBaskRZDbNA   Rolling in the Deep


Sure wish they'd make a CD--I'd buy it!  

Check out their Facebook page, too:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/SIDEWINDER-Air-National-Guard-Band-of-the-Central-States-Rock-Band/227968950578975?sk=wall#!/pages/SIDEWINDER-Air-National-Guard-Band-of-the-Central-States-Rock-Band/227968950578975?sk=wall&closeTheater=1

Our 2011 GTG retreat give-away quilt...

Last year's GTG retreat give-away quilt was won by Diane S, from our NY group.  Because she won, she was required to choose the theme for this year's big give-away quilt, collect all the blocks, and make a completed top ready for quilting--to be drawn at this year's GTG retreat.  Because we gathered in Ohio last year and this year, Diane decided the Ohio Star block would be perfect for the quilt.  She chose batiks as the fabric for the stars with a white-on-white background.  Everyone attending the retreat had to donate a block and anyone not attending could make one if they chose, but you had to be present to win the top.  This is the beautiful result : 

Diane enlisted Donna G's help to decide how to lay out the quilt blocks.  They decided to set the blocks on point and used other batiks for the setting triangles.  One of the club's members, Diane C had planned to come, but health issues kept her away.  She sent a block made by a friend and Diane S and Donna G used it to make a very special label for the back of the quilt.



Quilt Label





This year's very lucky winner was Marcia S, who has had a big part in the planning of past GTG retreats, holding mystery quilt-a-thons during the year, and always has a new tote bag for us to do at retreat.  She has never won the give-away quilt before, so everyone was very happy that she was this year's recipient.



Donna G, Marcia S, Diane S in front of the Batik Beauty



Donna G, Marcia S holding the quilt label, Diane S



Until next time....

Happy Quilting from Sharon, Katie, and Patsy Cline

Still more quilting retreat...

After we previewed the mystery quilt, Marcia S showed us the new mystery tote bag we were going to do this year.  It turned out to be a smaller version of a Bow Tuck-type bag.  With lots of inside pockets and one on the outside, it's the perfect size for everyday use.   

It's a bag I've wanted to make for quite a while, as some of my quilt club girls have made the larger size.  I did get the outside done and the lining and pockets done, but haven't gotten it together yet.  But here are pictures of the ones some of the gals got done before we left for home.



This is Debi's bowling tote.

Here is Nan's sewing-themed tote.





After we saw the tote bag, some of the gals wanted to go shopping for new fabrics for their mysteries.  The Iowa Chicks seen below are Debi, Molly, Josie, and Michele. 

They shopped on the way to our retreat and shopped all though the retreat, lol. They caravaned with our 2 NY Beauties cars, plus 3 or 4 others cars to this neat quilt shop. The ladies in the shop were wonderful and we bought lots of bargains. If you're ever in the area make sure you stop at Angelics A Quilters Haven in Canton, Ohio.  The ladies there were so nice, they insisted on taking a group photo of all of us. Here we are in all our glory.

We had a wonderful time there, then went on to another quilt shop.  We should have stopped at the first place.  The second place wasn't nearly as nice.  Oh, the shop was lovely with lots of gorgeous fabric, but they were getting ready for a Shop Hop the next day and let us know they couldn't put out any of the bargains they had saved for that.  In fact, they were quite unfriendly for a while, then one lady must have realized that she wasn't being very nice/business-like, and she did do a demo for us of a new ruler they had.  The NY girls decided that didn't make up for her first impression--and we won't go back there next year when we come on retreat again.

After shopping we returned to our sewing room, where we drooled over all the Amish blocks hung up for a drawing.  Everyone attending had to make one block, then our name went in the hat.  This is the 2nd year we have done this.  Last year we all made a block in AMish colors with our choice of block to represent the Amish countryside we were retreating in.  Debi won all the blocks and made this quilt.

She had enough blocks left to make a 2nd quilt.  Nice lady that she is, she did a drawing for the 2nd quilt top and guess who won it?  Yep!  I am the lucky recipient of that Amish top.  And my block is in my quilt! 

I was thrilled to win it, as I never win anything!

Here are pictures of our sewing room with everyone making like busy little beavers, just a-sewing away, surrounded by this year's Amish blocks that will be won by a new lucky winner.

And this year's new lucky winner was one of our NY Beauties, Bonnie S.  She is a crazy little thing--but she can't skip!  Do you believe that?  I've never met anyone who can't skip!! 

But she is lucky and is the proud owner of all those lovely Amish blocks.  Now she just has to get them together in a quilt top by next year's retreat. 

Still more to follow tomorrow.  Until then...

Happy Quilting from Sharon, Katie, and Patsy Cline