Fall Retreat at Shipshewana, Indiana

I spent four wonderful days at the Dear Jane Retreat in Shipshewana, Indiana.  I worked on some fall doll quilts, and started a Christmas doll quilt.     There are so many great quilters there that it is a treat to walk around and see what everyone else is working on.  Here is a picture of one of my fall doll quilts in progress:

It is from a kit I bought at a quilt store and has tissue paper-piecing help for the little bear paws.  It will have another two borders before it is finished.

The retreat provides opportunity to see some vintage quilts up close and personal, and here are two that were interesting to me:

Interesting for three things:  1) We couldn't determine what the bird was holding in his beak.  Some thought it was a match.  I think it is a baton, and the pattern is one that was used to celebrate the country's centennial.  So it would be like a band leader's baton.  2) the bird's wings are appliqued upside down.  Why?  We don't know.  But other quilts very similar to this one have the wings on with the curved part at the top.  3) Most quilts similar to this one have a shield in the middle of the eagle.  This one has the main part of the bird as three appliqued pieces - tail, shield, and head, but they are all black, so the shield doesn't show up as it does in other similar quilts.

As I said, very interesting.  It was bought in Pennsylvania by my friend Susan Kraftcheck, and she brought it to show to everyone.  

The next quilt has such beautiful vibrant colors that I just loved to look at it:

Here's Susan's little Hitty doll admiring the beautiful colors.

This quilt is just loaded with beautiful fabrics, and the colors are so vibrant.  I wanted to take a picture of each square.  Lovely!  I hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving week.