2013 Retreat Post - FINALLY~

I do apologize for taking so long to post about the retreat. One day just seems to run into the next and before you know it....it's six weeks or so!

I am so happy that we had the interest and turn out that we did this year - 22 CQI members! Let's begin with the group photo. Then you'll know the "Cast of Characters" as you read through the post.

Back row, left to right: Colleen, Connie, Wilma, Gayle, Shari, Beth, Sharyn, Donna, Elizabeth.

Middle row, left to right: Carol, Ingrid, Josie, Barbara, Diane, Bev, Maggie.

Front row, left to right: Lorraine, Hideko, Susan, Cathy, Gerry.



You will notice that Lauri is missing in the group photo, and I'm sure she thought she had escaped being caught on 'film' but she didn't! Here she is with Diane. BTW, this is Lauri's quilt - beautiful, isn't it?



We are also missing one more of our members in the photo, and at the retreat - Maureen was not able to attend. I know that those of us who haven't met her yet were disappointed, as were those of us who have met her and spent time with her. But, maybe next time :-)


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I guess we should begin at the front door...



And don't forget to grab a name tag...



We kicked off the retreat on Wednesday evening with a Meet and Greet, and distribution of swag bags. We were very fortunate to have so many attendees and vendors contribute to the swag bags. Just look at them, and what was hidden inside!!!!



Maureen sent a beautiful and generous selection of laces, chenille fibers, and hand-dyed ribbons. I added a fairy silky, some laces, charms, beads, and other embellishments to the baggie with a variety of Monece satins. Diane sent a huge selection of gorgeous silk threads in every color imaginable. Cathy sent a lovely package of assorted fabrics and beautiful Venice laces, along with pretty beads and buttons. Hideko made these darling little bags full of vintage buttons and some hand-dyed Venice lace. Donna made this adorable little thread/ort catcher. Each one is lined and finished with a matching button. And they got lots of use during the retreat! Nicki Lee sent us all a few pieces of her beautiful Venice lace and hand-dyed motifs.



Lorraine sent a huge package of the most beautiful, assorted white laces along with some of her scrumptious hand-dyed threads. Carol sent everyone a handcrafted seam ripper. Her dear hubby turned all of the assorted woods and assembled them from scratch! They are so beautiful. Connie sent these cute little photo squares that she made. They are repurposed Scrabble tiles with Mod Podged vintage images on them. Wilma sent a beautiful handcrafted bookmark with a card of vintage buttons. Elizabeth sent a variety of beads and embellishments, a piece of tatting and a charm, a lovely piece of dyed lace and this sweet little silky. I wish I had taken a photo of the boxes she sent them in - they were the most darling little things I've seen in a long time. Cute, cute, cute! Barbara made these little drawstring thread/ort catchers for everyone. She used the most darling, themed cotton fabrics. And needless to say, these little beauties came in very handy during the retreat. Maggie sent this lovely and generous selection of fabrics.




In this photo, we have one of 25 magazines that were donated by Janet at Vintage Vogue. She also sent a little flyer with the magazines, giving all those attending a 25% discount off of an order! We also included a note book and pen, just in case. And finally, the booklet that Cathy and I put together. It turned out so much nicer (and bigger) than we ever expected - 50+ pages.



The cover is a collage of handwork by me, Diane, Cathy, Wilma, Connie, Colleen, Hideko and Lauri, printed on cardstock with a clear vinyl cover on top. Inside there are a number of tutorials, color photos, helpful links and credits, a poem, a directory, etc., etc., etc.

Okay, now that the drooling has subsided, we move on to the meeting space. I wasn't sure that we would all fit into the space available but in the end we were just fine. My DH (Gene) helped me set up the tables and outfit them with multi-outlet power strips. We also set up a card table in the study/office area with a sewing machine, and ironing station. We managed to leave the family room a non-stitching zone for taking a break, or catching a nap.

Before:





After:













We had a fairly packed schedule of events and activities and actually did a wonderful job at staying on task and on time. We even had time to play some games (Crazy Bingo, Anagrams, Word Search) and there were lots of prize drawings, and giveaways throughout the retreat. A big thanks to Cathy for all of the books she brought, to Sharon B for donating 2 sets of her templates, and to everyone else who brought or sent a little something extra to throw in the pot!



Of course there was Show and Tell, and what a pleasure it was to see all of the beautiful work everyone brought. It's just not possible to show all of it here, but here is a 'taste' anyway.





Below is Connie's DYB Victorian Ladies quilt. And while it's not completely finished, it is GORGEOUS!





Hideko also brought her DBY Victorian Ladies quilt. See photo above, upper left hand portion of the photo. Cathy is still working on putting her blocks into a finished project, as am I, so we didn't have anything to show at the retreat except for our finished blocks. And even now, mine is only at this stage.



Well, as you might imagine we worked up quite the appetite during this flurry of activity. So....we ate, and ate, and ate. LOL! There seemed to be a never ending supply of fruits and veggies, cheeses and other assorted goodies, including the occasional glass of wine. Wilma and Hideko brought sweet treats from their homes (The Netherlands and Japan) to share with everyone. Most everyone had breakfast at their hotels but we did have our lunches and dinners together at the house. And to take the guess work out, there were daily menus posted.



At this point I would like to say, "THANK YOU!!!!" to everyone for all of their help in the kitchen. I couldn't have done it without you - seriously!

As always, there was the stash dash (no photos, too many pairs of scissors flying around) and of course, the White Elephant Exchange. Everyone really out did themselves this year with their gifts. Watching the 'stealing' frenzy that ensued was hilarious!



And while Josie took home the bear that Lauri made (for the second time!!)...



Lauri did manage, eventually, to take home the elephant that I made.



And what about that adorable shoe??? It went home with Hideko! (I believe that Donna made the shoe)



And what would a retreat be without SEX (Stash Enhancement eXpedition)?

You are not going to believe what's behind these doors....



This is Christine Hause's shop, A Stitching Shop, in Denver.



Our shopping day included a number of thread, bead, and fabric stores, with lunch along the way. Needless to say, everyone had a wonderful time - from beginning to end - during our few short days together in September. And planning is already underway for next year.

In the meantime, I leave you with the LOOK OF FRIENDSHIP!



Have a nice day!
Gerry