Stitching Bee Retreat

What a wonderful weekend.  

We left at 8 am on Friday morning.  The stitching room was open at 1 pm but, we had stops to make.  

You have to understand, where I live has minimal amount of retail.  We have a Walmart and a small JCP.  The little shops are more gifty or auto parts.   We are getting a new shoe store and I'm hoping it isn't like a Payless, already got one of those.  So, when the opportunity arises to shop, we do.  We did not go to anything really mainstream.  So when we got to the resort, Arttie and Patty had to go through their booty before we went to the stitching room  

 We stopped at the Stitching Bee to pick up supplies and I had two patterns waiting there.  Kendra would have taken them to the retreat but I knew we would be stopping.  We also stopped at JoAnn's to pick up some things there.  There was the huge Veteran's Day sale and I got a new pinking shears.  When I did the PS Nevermore ornaments my old shears kind of massacred the backing felt.

After lunch, and before we hit the highway we stopped at a quilt store.  It really wasn't to everyone's liking.  The quilts and the fabric tended to the modern.  Patty was on the search for jelly rolls.  I found a chair but, also found some fabric that my geeky math and science daughter would appreciate with all kinds of equations on it.  I thought it was funny so, I bought a half yard for her.  We did some cute little quilted ORT holders that story is coming later.    

What I picked up at the Stitching Bee.  Fell in love with them when they were introduced.  

This was hanging on the wall of the shop, getting ready to start with Christmas samples. I absolutely fell in love with this jolly little elf.  He had to come home with me.  

 I picked these up at the retreat.  I sometimes consider it my duty to keep the brick and mortar in business.  This With Thy Needle and Thread reminds me of a freebie I did two years ago.  Someday it will get done.

 Not a very good picture but, it is a Shepherds Bush pouch that is all sewn up but, just needs to have the placket stitched.  One of the retreat stitchers had one that her mom had stitched for her and it was just soo cute.  It will be a very quick stitch.

I am partial to Thanksgiving Turkey's and this Homespun Elegance was just too cute and it came with the charms.  

 I got this as a door prize, a designer I had never seen before, Country Garden Stitching April.  A collection of very sweet pansies.  It might make a very quick and fun spring stitch.  I don't have a lot of those.

 So, at the first Quilt store, I had seen the ORT holder.  Of course, I had to nag at Arttie about making each member of our little stitching group.   I mean I was relentless.  The first night of the retreat, we got a small plastic mesh project bag filled with little things.  A little later we each got a paper bag, that everyone opened at the same time.  Kendra and one of the participants decided to make a little special prize and it was...

OMG!  A QUILTED ORT CATCHER!!!!!

I had to cheer!

 On Saturday, since the first quilt store was a let down, we backed tracked a little and went to Sturgeon Bay to Barn Door Quilts.  It was a little store that was packed tight with quilting fabric and supplies.  I don't quilt but, I do buy fabric.  Mostly I use it to finish projects but, sometimes I buy fabric for may mom, the quilter.  Mom is 87 and having problems with the visual perceptual aspect of quilting and sometimes needs help.  We were talking on Thursday about Christmas presents.  I recommended she make some Christmas hot pads.  I found some really sweet panels that would make really nice hot pads.  I also got some of the coordinating fabric.  Hopefully she will like the idea.  It would be something she could handle and I would help her cut the strips.  

 On the way back to the retreat, we made a little side stop at the Mistletoe House Shop that is stuffed full with Christmas decorations and ornaments.  Every year, I pick up an ornament or two for the kids.  When they are ready to start their own homes, they will have a collection of ornatments.

 It was a very magical shop.  Amazing ornaments displayed incredibly!

What a great weekend.  We didn't do much stitching but, did a lot of laughing.  They both want to return next year.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Keep on Stitching.
Monica