Projects from the sewing retreat:
1) Organized my sewing project bags and tools. They were a mess from several months of hauling to charity sew-ins. I tried to be organized about packing for this retreat, but ran out of time and just started tucking things I thought I would need into the bags. I knew I would be too tired to sew Thursday night, so used that time to pull everything out and sort all of it so I could set up the machine first thing Friday morning.
2) Started
and finished the little kit I posted about in August, for what they called a "clothespin bag" in the shape of a little girl's dress.
3) Finished an apron that I had started at the spring retreat last March. This one is a floral cotton print for myself. Here is a site with reviews of the pattern, called the Tamari Apron from Sewing Workshop:
http://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/44144) Made a very simple computer bag for my little netbook from some pretty upholstery fabric I found on the free table.
5) Took a favorite old cardigan that is wearing out, and traced around the sections to create a pattern. I have not been able to find a replacement to buy ready-made, so I need to find fabric to make one.
6) Assembled the pattern pieces from the jacket pattern on CD that I also mentioned in August. I suspected that it would not have a large enough size included, and that suspicion was correct. I copied the pieces I had traced from the cardigan that I know fits, and modified them to the shape of the new jacket pattern. I had practice fabric with me, but ran out of time to cut it out.
7) We prepared our meals as a group. The organizers had the menu for each day planned in detail, and everyone signed up for which meal they wanted to cook and clean. We worked in teams of 4. As a member of the event planning committee, I also pitched in to help with other basic duties. That took a lot of time away from sewing, but I thought the whole experience was fun.