I do hope you’ve been enjoying my little recap of the Peaks 7 Retreat weekend. If you’ve missed days one and two then you can read all about them here and here.
On day three the weather broke. The views, although still wonderful, were sometimes lost to the clouds. While there may have been a loss of colour in the sky outside there was certainly no loss of colour in the sewing room. Saturday morning was colour theory class. Playing with colour wheels, with fabric samples and learning how to combine and choose colours based on colour wheel relationships.
I must admit that while I am very much a “judge by eye” person when it comes to picking out combinations I like it is always very interesting to learn about the theory of colour, why certain combinations work well together etc. I know that while I am almost certain to not consciously grab for a colour wheel when I am planning my next project I will definitely sub-consciously draw on the new knowledge that I have.
The afternoon was, as ever, free time. Some worked on their Peaks Harmony quilts and there were frequent progress updates on the design wall.
Others worked or on works in progress they had brought with them, while I got to basting and quilting my “Painted Harmony” quilt, and also working on a mini quilt I had planned. Do you remember that back of envelope pattern I showed you all when I was packing for Peaks? Well I think you will agree that by day three it was starting to translate nicely into a mini quilt. 
My original idea was to alternate pieced and plain strips of the Kate Spain Horizon fabrics for the mini, and that’s what I had brought with me. However my plans were quickly changed when I saw the collection of fabrics that Suzie from Snowflakes Fabric had left for us to shop. Yardage of Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Elements in Tender Green, Fresh Water and Cozumel Blue just jumped into my stash and you have to admit that with a little free hand curved cutting and piecing they make for a wonderful underwater background when combined with the Horizon fabrics. Add a tangram EPP fish in orange and pinks and my mini was definitely coming together nicely.
We took a break from all the creativity for dinner. Now I know I said at the start that I wasn’t going to go into all the deliciousness of the food at Peaks but I really do have to say that this was the dinner to end all dinners, the one that had us all wishing, or cheering, that we had brought some elastic waistbands with us, so I hope you’ll forgive my little rave and my don’t-do-it-an-ounce-of-justice photos.
It was the dinner that started with melt in the mouth steak and chips and the most amazing gravy ever, and ended with sticky toffee pudding. And because were were so very spoilt pudding came with cream. And icecream. And custard. It was the kind of custard that you can’t stop eating, that you know will never be left over because if it is you’ll be the one to take a spoon to those last few bits left over in the jug. It was a very fitting celebratory end to our last full day at Peaks.
Dinner was followed by some fun and games with a fat quarter dice swap. We all brought three fat quarters to the swap and after many rolls of the dice I was more than pleased with what I won as all three fabrics that I left with were amongst those I had my eye on at the start of the game.
The rest of the evening I spent binding and quilting, finishing my “Painted Harmony” quilt and working on my mini. It was a late night and I was one of the last men standing so to speak, but it was well worth it to get my quilt finished and progress the mini.
Tomorrow is day 4, the grand finale. There will be tales of shopping and the final reveal of all the weekend’s projects. I do hope to see you all again then.
