Good Times

I am sad to say that our retreat is over and I am back home to everyday life again. 5 days and 4 nights was a wonderful time with great friends...laughing and stitching...priceless!

I have lots to share as I wasn't able to blog during the retreat. Joan and Cathy both did and you can go to their blogs for additional info.

We always give each other a little goody bag. Our theme was Under the Sea and I went with fish--a school of them!



These pinkeeps I made are based of a Carriage House Samplings pattern, "Big Fish". I used DMC Variegated threads in each persons designated color and added a pocket on the back.





The next thing I made was beaded needlecases.

I made an extra one of these, the pink one. I gave it to Joan's daughter, Kelsey. She and her hubby, Dunncuan, live with Joan and her husband. When us stitchers are over there, Kelsey is alway willing to do stuff for us. Cooking, running to the store and running to pick up dinner are just a few of the things she has done. Thank you Kelsey!

These needlecases are so fun to do! I just love them! I have made quite a few different ones now and I am sure I will do quite a few more!

I also made beaded scissor fobs for us.


These were fun to do also!

Of course you need a new scissors for these fobs...


Aren't these great? I got these at Silent Stitches. I have to say that they work great too! They are sharp and work smoothly. I used mine during the whole retreat.

It was a bittersweet moment when everyone opened these from their bag.



My mom had made us slippers for the previous 2 retreats. When I came home from last years retreat, we were at Joanns that next Tuesday looking for a fish slipper pattern and yarn. I bought all the supplies and sent them home with her. I found the bag of finished slippers in one of her closets when we cleaned out her house last December after she passed away in November. They are awesome! I know she was smiling down at us. She loved to hear about our retreats.

I also gave everyone one of the Kelmscott Fish Winders with the floss that I used on their pinkeeps.



First, Cathy, gave out her goody package--


Cathy made us a very cute mermaid scissor fob and a fabulous pin cushion, which is very cute! She also included some fish shaped soaps, 2 GAST (Shrimp Cocktail and Deep Blue Sea), and S'more flavored Goldfish. All set in a nice tray with sea life on it. Thank you Cathy!

Here is what everyone got from Jackie--


Jackie and her family went to Hawaii for a vacation earlier this year and she got the most wonderful bags for us. It has sea turtles on it and we each got one in our designated color. Inside the bag was a cup with fish on it, a fish shaped bowl, notecards and post it notes, a coaster that she made with stitched fish on it, a scissors and tape measure that both light up, a goldfish on a key ring that the eyes light up and makes bubbly noise and fish magnets. Great finds! Thank you Jackie!

Next, was Lori to distribute her bags.



Lori gave us paper plates and napkins, a small ort jar with painted sea life, a fish candle, a fish key ring, a fish cookie cutter, note cards that her mom made, gold fish crackers, swedish fish candy, a nice project bag and a zipper pull that has my name on it with a fish! Look closely at this, it is attached to the bag. It is very cool! Lori also stitched a scissor fob for us but ran out of time to put together. I put mine together at the retreat. It is pictured below. Thank you Lorus!

And finally, Joan, and her goodies.


First off, Joan made us a quilt. Last year our theme was Snowmen and she bought all the materials for quilts but did not get them done because of them moving and all. She made them for this year and are very cute! She also made us a mermaid floss tag with several crystal adorned pins, a regular size pillowcase and a pillowcase for our "retreat" pillow. She also gave us some note cards, post it notes, some homemade clay sea creatures, a cheese spreader and a pencil. Thank you Joan and thanks to you and your family for allowing us to "move in" for 5 days. It was great!



After we exchanged our goody bags, we started the finishing on our group project we worked on during the last year. We made With My Needle's "Ackworth Friendship Books". There was 6 of us that participated in this. Cathy, Joan, Jackie (no blog) and I completed all finishing.




Mine is the purple and green one--


These were more putzy and time consuming than what we expected. Some of us were not very happy with the tedious work. Kudos to Jackie for being the trooper who kept at it until it was done and never complained. I am glad it is done.

Chris (no blog) came just for Tuesday to complete her book. She had been to Joanns last week and found something new.


A new ott lite...table top...battery operated...OMG! Perfect for our finishing project. Within a few hours, Jackie, Joan, Lori and Cathy went to buy all of us one.
It is incredible. A definite "had to have". The bonus was, when they got to Joanns, they were 50% off...no coupon! YAY!

ADDED NOTE ABOUT THESE NEW LIGHTS: It's a good thing we went and got these. On Thursday, we lost power 2 different times for about 1.5 hours total.

I worked on my book all day Tuesday and for about 4 hours on Wednesday. When I finally finished it, I got to stitch on whatever I want. Here are my finishes.



I stitched Shepherds Bush "Home", Lizzie Kate's Cat Flip It, LHN's Libery Belles and finished the stitched fob that Lori gave me. I did work on a couple of other things but no finishes.

On Wednesday, Joan and I quick ran to Joanns right away. I needed some floss and she needed some fabric for something. I had mentioned to Joan that I wanted her to make me a zippered pouch for my mom's knitting needles. She was keeping them in a plastic bag from newspapers. Eagle eyed Joan spotted one in the clearance section at Joann's. It was regularly 32.99 and I got it for 7.97...What a deal! There was also a knitters handbook to match for 5.00. They came home with me.


I am going to try me hand at knitting now that retreat is over. I have all of my mom's knitting stuff so all I will have to every buy is yarn.

Well, I think that about raps up my retreat. If you are still reading...thanks. This was a long post.

I need to do a little organizing today. Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching:)

JillMN