Sampler Guild of the Rockies Summer Retreat

Yesterday was the http://www.samplerguildoftherockies.org/joomla/ third annual Summer Retreat. We don't meet in the summer and this is a fun way for us to get together! What a great time we had. I'm sorry this post is a bit picture heavy, but I love sharing.

When we arrived, we received a bag to carry all of our wonderful treasures home in and a tree pin cushion with our names on it - is that so that I won't forget I'm sitting??? LOL On the table at our places was the cutest house that a member and her daugher made for each of us! Sadly, I've forgotten who - but I still say a great big THANK YOU. The mouse (every house needs a mouse!) and the scissors on the right side of this picture were inside the box. There was also a Lizzie Kate kit - Bless Our Home - that included the fabric and threads.

Our first project is a Country House Ort Keep. A cute felt project. The first picture is the supplies we received and the 2nd picture is the house pinned together and ready for assembly.

I was able to get a little stitching done on this one before we were given our next project, but this is a "sneak peak" at what it will almost look like!

Our next project was a Needle Fold Up. The first picture are the simple supplies and then follow pictures of the finished piece! YES, I actually finished something from a class/retreat within a reasonable amount of time (believe me, this happens rarely!!!).

We were also treated to lunch made by one member's husband - the "soup". Also wonderful salad, rolls and the yummiest of desserts (made by a member's husband and another member). Separate tables were set up for lunch so that we didn't have to clear our spaces of stitching. Each of the 6 tables were decorated with a different bird house - here is one of them.

The most fun activity for me (and the whole day was totally awesome up to this point!) was learning how to make a "box", the finishing instructions. Our Lizzie Kate piece is the piece that is intended to be finished as a box - of course, we don't have to use that one. I've often wondered just how to make those and am so glad to have learned one of the techniques used!

We also had several prizes and fun kits that we did not work on. Here is a picture of those items.

The fabric on the left is the fabric to use in the box finishing; the flower fabric is for the back and the plaid fabric will go around the sides. The cute little "bag" (white) at the top is an ort bag supplied to us for our orts during the retreat. There is a small kit that has a Christmas ornament in it - chart, fabric, floss and all finishing material. The brown piece is a Vera Bradley card holder - and it came with a Starbuck's gift certificate!! (This prize was given by "table"; each table picked a bag by color of tissue paper and each table got something different! One table got a Vera Bradley pen, another a Vera Bradley luggage tag, there was the Vera Bradley note pad holder and the last table got the "lanyard" that will hold scissors, name tags or whatever!) Then, at the bottom is a Sajou needle card with a whole bunch of sharps and tapestry needles. I never can find my sharps when I need them - this will definitely stay in my Basic Sewing Kit (BSK) so that I don't have that problem any longer - this was a prize where we picked a bag when our name was called and each bag had something different.

If you are still with me, thank you so much for sharing in the fun day that me and 40+ of my best friends had yesterday!

Thank you so much for your visit and I love hearing your comments. Hug family and friends and take time to stitch today!

Debby