Retreat - The Fairlee Creditable Bowheads

Retreats!!

We eat too much, sleep too little, make new friends and if we are lucky actually finish something.  Here is the quilt top that I managed to get put together while at the retreat.  Memory quilts have taken on a whole new meaning for me.  I will forever look at this quilt and shake my head, in a funny good way.

It all started with one headband, or a 2.5" strip of my leftover fabric sitting in a bag ready to go to my scrap tub. Melynn didn't have enough hot water to shower before breakfast so she pulled a strip to tie back her hair. Then she decided I needed one, then someone felt left out and away went another strip, and it just grew from there. Before we knew it just about everyone had a headband with a cute little bow. Melynn does a fabulous bow that everyone just had to sport for the day. Here's a picture of Melynn and I...

It simply grew from here, to these....

Just about everyone fell prey to Melynn and her beautiful bows....these guys were really good sports!! Yep, there were a couple of men at this retreat!  This is Andy, he's the delightful hubbie of Sharon.  Andy and Sharon host this first class, fun, exhausting retreat. 

Here's Roger. He brings his camera and video recorder and takes tons of pictures and film, then puts together the most amazing video of the retreat.  The pictures he takes this year we will see at next years retreat.  I think we gave him plenty of material this year!  Roger is a sweetie!!!

Lining up to go to the front porch for the group shot, see all of the Bowheads?

More bowhead victims behind Sharon

Moving on....Here's the main house where we ate and ate and ate, did a little sewing and a whole lot of laughing and socializing...

Beyond the main building were the cabins that we stayed in.  There were 4 rooms with 2-3 people per room, some lucky gals got the top bunk!  Thanks Chris!!!

Of course we were not short on supplies, here's Sharon and Andy's trailer.  Don't you just love the logo??

Here's the setup inside...they thought of everything!!

We took a road trip to the shop...

Here's a fun picture that I managed to get at the shop.

Yep, we had it all....Of course, I just had to pick up some really cute fabric.  Stay tuned, it's going to be in a giveaway!

These cookies were drop dead delicious!!!  Loved the lemon jelly ones, and then the Buckeyes, and the brownies!!  Oh my goodness!!  They were all way too good.....

Here's Donna, she is personally responsible for the extra 5 pounds that I gained from baking all of those delicious cookies!!  It is all her fault, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

If you haven't ever had the retreat experience here is a couple of shots of our work area, aka the Sweat Shop.

Some really, really crazy people thought it would be a good idea to try the Cathedral Window.  We started at 10:30pm and finally called it quits at 1:30am.  And nope, they weren't done.  Rachael was so patient and sweet, we were so tired we got extremely punchy and were laughing so hard we couldn't see to stitch!

Here's Tita, she did manage to finish this cute little spool block.  She made a lot of progress on a quilt that she is making for her sister.  I've done a quilt and a table runner for Tita recently, keep an eye out for it.

I think that Melynn was just about everywhere!!  Wanted to show that yep, some work does get done, notice the pretty top in progress??

Can't write this post without thanking the wonderful staff, (isn't she cute?) at the Hulbert Outdoor Center.  In this picture the staff member is leading us in a variety of stretches, waves, bends and even the macarena!  Roger will of course use this later against us in his video clip next year!    (just kidding, I've had the pleasure to see last year's video, but it is definitely something the gals look forward to seeing year after year, thanks Roger!!)

Quilters are wonderful people, but we all ready knew that.  This year Rachael coordinated signature pieces that she made into a quilt for Sharon and Andy to thank them for all of the hard work and coordinating that goes into putting these retreats together.  I love this picture of them, they are very special people...

Can't forget to add a picture of the quilt....if you click on the picture

you can see Rachael on the left.

  It was a super fabulous, fun, exhausting retreat, I've already signed up to go again next year! 

Thanks for checking on me,

hugs,

joanne

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