Hey, everyone!

Both sessions of my 2026 Cabin Fever retreat at The Gathering are in the books, and with spring finally starting to nudge winter out of the way here in Wisconsin, the timing for sharing what we made this year couldn’t be more perfect. I’m happy to report that after a week of home-cooked meals, great company, and some seriously focused sewing time, everyone went home happy and loaded up with beautiful spring projects to show for their hard work. Normally there’s a bit of a wait before retreat projects make their way out into the world, but we’re actually ahead of ourselves on the creative schedule for once — so before I sign off for a much needed recharge weekend, let’s take a look at what we made!

What’s your favorite spring flower? Nothing says spring quite like daffodils pushing up through the snow and cold, which is exactly why Early Bloomers is such a perfect project for a “cabin fever” themed retreat. Measuring 10½” x 31″, this fresh wool appliqué project features three white daffodils with bright orange centers on a gorgeous grass green wool background, and the word “SPRING” spelled out across the front.

If you know me at all, you know I always say that pillows are one of the quickest and easiest ways to switch out your seasonal decor. Part of the reason is that they can be just as fast as they are fun to make! Have a certain spot in your house that needs a little touch of spring? Early Bloomers not only works beautifully as a pillow but it can also be done as a table mat or framed piece — that means three great finishing options to fit your specific needs! Not to mention, delicate stitching throughout the project gives it an extra bit of signature handmade style, making it that much more special and unique. Chef’s kiss!

If wool appliqué is your muse, Early Bloomers has you covered, but if you’re looking for a spring quilt project to get your seasonal creative juices flowing, Spring Fling is calling your name! This 65¼” x 81″ beauty is made using 10″ squares of 37 different fabrics, making it the ultimate opportunity to go diving into your scrap stash (although pulling from a single favorite fabric line works just as beautifully). Spring Fling consists of five light and dark 9-patches, three churn dash, and three shoo fly blocks.

What do you think? Is Spring Fling your next quilt challenge? While the small blocks that make up this quilt might make it look intimidating at first glance, don’t let them fool you — she’s far more approachable than she looks… just like me! To make things easier on yourself, I highly recommend using Primitive Gatherings 3/4″ Triangle Papers when making Spring Fling. They create perfect half square triangles and will make the whole process so much smoother — trust me!

Since we’re on the topic of retreat projects making their debut to the rest of the world, I have one more to share — this one didn’t come from Cabin Fever, but from a teaching cruise I was lucky enough to be on at the beginning of the month. Everyone — meet Sara the Sea Turtle. At appx 16.5″ W x 18″ L, she’s a gorgeous wool on wool appliqué sea turtle, adorned with flowers and whimsical stitching throughout. She is, without question, the prettiest turtle in the sea!

You may have heard me mention that precut kits for Sara were available a week or two ago, but that ship has definitely sailed. I hate to say it, but if you dared to blink, you missed them… they were gone pretty much right away — what a problem to have! Jess is currently working to see if we’ll be able to bring those back, but in the meantime, uncut kits are still available so you can still get rolling on this beauty right away if you don’t mind doing the cutting yourself.

Spring is supposed to be all about new beginnings and fresh starts, so what better way to embrace the start of the season than with a brand new project to work on? Patterns and kits for Early Bloomers, Spring Fling, and Sara the Sea Turtle are all available right now, both in the shop and online by clicking the buttons above!

Whew! Now that we’ve got that out of the way, the weekend is here and I am more than ready for it! This last week had a funny way of flying by and dragging on all at the same time — does that ever happen to you? Either way, I’m thrilled it’s finally time to go home, put my feet up, and dream of more things to create. I will see you all next week. Take care and happy stitching! ~Lisa