Montana retreat - ahhhhhh......

I recently attended a quilting retreat in the mountains of Montana.

I love this retreat and setting. 

It's located at the Upper Canyon Outfitters lodge and cabins.

They are such gracious hosts - it's a family affair.

Donna Trischman, of Timelessquilts, is our quilt hostess.

Here are a few snapshots of our 3 days together...

I'm packed & ready to go.....including my mud boots....it's been raining in the mountains.

 

 

I love the variety of mud boots that showed up.

 

 

Such a welcoming sight - the lodge where we all gather for our meals.

 

 

This is the Upper Canyon Outfitters office - lots of pups hanging around....love it!

 

 

The cabin where I stayed with my sister, Vicki,

and my friend, Carol.

 

  

I love the antler hanging over the dining hall door.

 

 

 We get to eat with the family and the ranch hands - it's always fixed up so nice for meals..

 

 

 Mmmm - pork, green salad with huckleberry vinaigrette, baby broccoli, and mashed sweet potatoes. 

It's the best treat ever to have someone else cook for you!

 

 

Here's Donna - the owner of the ranch, pouring something sassy from Willey's Distillery on Donna's (our quilt hostess) brownies.

 

 

 Warm brownies with ice cream.....the food, to me, is just as important as the sewing!

 

 

OK - now on to the projects. 

Donna offers classes and a mystery project. 

This is one of the classes - "Sugar Cookies".  

 

 

It's a darling quilt - so I bought a kit!

My friend, Carol, had one finished before the retreat - it was such fun to quilt - some swirls, straight lines and feathers.

 

  

 Here are some of the gals who attended - I'm not going to attempt to remember names but I'll show projects

 that were created...

Bonnie's blocks - love the autumn colors.

 

 

 These pretty fabrics were incorporated into Dianne's trellis quilt top.

 

 

So many pretty pastels.

 

 

This was Dawn's first retreat - I think she's hooked!

 

 

 

 Such nice ladies - that's one more thing I love about retreats - you get to meet new friends.

 

 

Chain piecing - oh, yeah!

 

 

And more chain piecing...

 

 

Here are my "parts" to the mystery quilt.

I am finally using some of my Kaffe Fasset prints.

 

 

 My first block - I love it!

 

 

Mystery revealed - it's a Fig Tree pattern.

 

 

Here is a finished table runner Donna made

up for the "reveal".

Her quilting is gorgeous!

 

 

 

 I also worked on these cute basket blocks. 

I'm using Amy Smart's tutorial from her

blog, "Diary of a Quilter." 

Here is the tutorial from her blog.

 

I also worked on these funky tree blocks.

They also came from Amy's blog here.

Thank you, Amy, for such cute quilt block tutorials.

 Carol was busy, busy creating these amazing blocks.

 

Don't you just love them? 

I can't wait to see them in a quilt.

 

 

Mr. Elk watched over us the entire time. 

 

 Thank you, Upper Canyon Outfitters, for letting us soak in your surroundings and hospitality.

 

 

Here's the link to their beautiful ranch.

 

 

 I know just how you feel, Mr. Pup. 

I'm all relaxed and ready to tackle the world again.