The Berkshires: It's Pratt-tastic!

This quilt isn't called Omigosh for no reason... keep reading for more....

You've met Kim and Karen Pratt in my blog before. Both are prolific quilters and frequent contributors to the Hoffman Challenge. In addition, Karen has her own line of quilting patterns, QuiltLily Designs, as well as a quilt retreat business, Berkshire Quilts, with business partner Kate Mitchell.

Karen is our hostess with the mostest at our Berkshires Quilt Retreat. She started the retreat for us 17 years ago. It began because Karen enjoyed coming to our Brown Bagger weekends (her sister Kim is one of the original Brown Baggers) and sewing with us in the Boston area, so she decided to set up a retreat in her neck of the woods.

Kim with Mom, Caroline

This year, Karen and Kim's Mom, Caroline joined us from Florida. Caroline surprised all of us with hand made coasters. We are definitely inviting her back next year!

Caroline kept busy working on a variety of projects. Below she is working on a crayon quilt challenge from her quilt guild. Each member chose two crayons from a paper bag and had to make a wallhanging using those two colors. Caroline got turquoise and orange.

Hard at work.

Here is Caroline with daughter Karen. I bet her quilt is a winner at her guild!

Caroline with her Lucy Boston blocks which are hand-pieced with paper foundations.

Caroline and Karen both worked on this beautiful table runner, which is Karen's original pattern, Trillium.

We were delighted to hear that Kim's Omigosh quilt will be exhibited at the Vermont Quilt Festival this summer. This pattern is by Sue Garman. Kim purchase it many years ago at the Houston Quilt Festival. Kim put the binding on it at our retreat. Some of the finished pieces in this quilt are half an inch in size! Omigosh, indeed!

This quilt is even more stunning in person!

She also quilted and bound her Row by Row quilt. Kim threw in a new twist by making her quilt in vertical rows.

Kim also made a bag but I didn't get a photo.

Last, but not least, Karen quilted two quilts, worked on her next Hoffman Challenge entry and finished another quilt top. And there may have been more projects, I lost track!

Karen's Hoffman Challenge in progress.

Karen's original zig zag pattern. I don't think this is available yet in Karen's shop.

The two quilts below were quilted by Karen. They belong to Karen's clients who coincidentally both chose to make one of Karen's original patterns. Who better to quilt them than Karen herself?

This striking grey and white quilt was a recent mystery at one of Karen's quilt weekends.

This is Karen's pattern, Tranquility.

Karen was really lucky and won the conversation print fat quarters.

Karen and Caroline also worked together and made each of us a pincushion using a variety of different containers. And they made us choose them Yankee Swap style! Marion got the best number and chose a purple pincushion in a Nantucket basket style cup.

I was very excited to go home with the purple flower shaped pincushion near the bottom left.

Still more to share with you about our Berkshires' adventures!

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy