Salty Yarns Weekend Retreat, April 30 - May 3, 2009

Note: You can enlarge any of these pics by clicking on it.

First, I will reveal what was in the two wrapped presents I took to the retreat with me.

I made this cigar tin for Carol:

I stitched this last year. It's a "Doodles for Leftovers" by Hob-Nobb designs called "I'd Pick You."

I laced the stitched piece to a padded piece of cardboard. Then I spray-glued fabric to the top of the tin. I took my rotary cutter and used the lip of the top to act as a guide to trim the fabric. Then I tacky glued the cardboard to the fabric. Getting the fabric cut to the exact size of the top and bottom of the inside of the tin took the most time, but I was afraid of cutting too much. Therefore, I made tiny trim cuts until the pieces fit and used Tacky Glue to affix them to the tin. I covered the raw edge of fabric on the outside of the tin with 1/8" satin ribbon, and, finally, I put two phone books atop the closed tin to ensure the cardboard adhered to the fabric on the tin while the glue dried.

I wanted to give Carol something that wouldn't just sit around, something she could use. This was my solution. Uncle Wes gets cigars in these tins when he takes his trip to Florida each winter. He always stops at JR Tobacco in North Carolina. He gives me all the tins after they're emptied. This is my second tin and I'm much happier with it than I am with the first one I did.

This is what was in the second package. It was my first attempt at lacing a project and I'm very happy with the results. I gave "Friendship" by The Sweetheart Tree to Sue V. I had her in mind when I stitched it because stitching is what brought us together.

At the retreat, three people asked me who the designer was after they saw it sitting on the sideboard where we left it while we ate dinner. I'd like to thank the ladies for the compliments on my framing, too. I've never had anything professionally framed because doing it myself is so easy.

So, about the retreat...the first word that comes to mind is overbooked. Mom left to walk the boardwalk when she saw there was no place to sit for the welcome dinner. Sue, Laura, and I sat on the stairs to eat. Kasey loved the attention, but got frazzled at the dinner because of all the noise. There was room for 30-40 people to gather comfortably, yet there were 70 ladies registered for the retreat, plus a few spouses. Sue, Laura, and Carol came to the condo so that we could all sit comfortably together, hear ourselves talk, and not lose our seats when we got up.

The rule at the retreat about not saving your seat was a complete joke, however. When someone got up, she left her stitching in her seat and then came back to it. How asinine would we look if we were to go over, move their things, and sit down? Exactly! Which is why I said the rule was a joke. The same people sat in the same spots all weekend. Funny thing was: they were all Sally's "regulars."

The other problem was that the Lankford is a historic building. There is no elevator and they put Sue and Laura on the third floor. Laura had a total hip replacement last year and Sue has bad knees so the stairs were excruciating, not to mention exhausting, for them. There was a bureau, a double bed, and a twin bed in each room, so there was no room to take folding chairs upstairs or anything.

Sue and Laura said that they were stared at when they arrived and that the ladies seemed snooty. I guess having Kasey with me all the time opens more doors and makes people want talk to me because I didn't notice that. I did notice, however, that they got warmer towards me after seeing my finished book. I think my stitching/finishing did alot of speaking for me.

Kasey was a huge hit at the retreat. I wound up just taking her leash off and letting her loose inside the hotel and LNS. She didn't wander, only went far enough to find the nearest hand willing to pet her. She basked in the attention whenever we were at the hotel.

Her biggest fan was Sally's grandson, Solomon. You could tell when Kasey walked into the building, without even being able to see her, because Solomon would start saying "Woof! Woof! Woof!" as soon as he spotted her. He was a little intimidated by her size because her face was his face-level but as soon as she would lay down, he was right in front of her, talking to her. He loved playing with Kasey's toes. She would move her feet away, but she didn't get up to get away from him. She's so patient with little ones!

Sally's daughter, Mary, thanked me for letting Solomon play with Kasey during the retreat. She said that Solomon's actions over the weekend convinced her that he needs a dog. I told her to look in the local shelter because Kasey was rescue and they make the best pets. She said she was going to the Ocean City shelter to see if she could find a suitable dog for him. I hope they find a great one!

While the hotel was a bust stitching-wise, Myrl's condo was wonderful! Mom and I both had our own bedrooms and bathrooms. There was plentiful seating in the living room for everyone to spread out...and we did! The best part for me, though, was that Kasey felt at home the minute we walked in on Thursday. I emptied her bag of toys on the living room floor before bringing in the rest of my bags and she grabbed her Stinky Ol' Raccoon (he's earned that name, believe me!), squeaked him a few times, and laid down in the middle of the floor.

Here is everyone in their stitching spots in the living room.






Mom worked on her Knifty Knitter scarf at the dining room table, where I also did the framing of Mary Ann's Christmas present (Yes, Christmas in May! We finally had our 2008 Christmas on Sunday!), the Wolf Totem UFO I completed earlier this year.



This is us! Sue, Laura, Me, and Carol!







And this is me and my mom, Jan.










Kasey also liked being able to sit in front of the sliding glass door to look outside. While we couldn't see the ocean because of the dunes, we could definitely hear it when we cracked the door open. To the left is Kasey at her lookout post and to the right is the view from the porch.



This was Kasey's first time at the ocean because I can't stand sand. I'd much rather head west to the mountains if I were going on a vacation. You won't find me out on the beach soaking in the rays, especially not with lots of noisy people around. I like peace and quiet.

That being said, I did take Kasey out on the beach Thursday after getting everything into the apartment. My Plantar Fasciitis has been flaring lately which made walking in the unpacked sand painful for me. It was the only time we went out to the beach while we were there. The picture on the right was the closest Kasey got to the Atlantic Ocean. I think the water was too cold for her to go wading (Thank Goodness!). There was a small stretch of sand between the front of the condo and the sand dunes, where Kasey wandered around when she went outside.

The goody bag we received was quite nice. Not only did we get one of these cute canvas totes, but inside was also a bottle of Stitcher's Lotion, a Stitcher's Shopping List, highlighter tape, a Just Nan Needle Slide, a Helmscott Designs' 3" Mother of Pearl ruler, and a kit to make a case for the ruler.

I arrived in Ocean City a day early because I stitched with the Salisbury, MD EGA chapter on Thursday night. I would like to thank Barbara, Virginia, and all the ladies of the Chesapeake Chapter for welcoming Kasey and I. I enjoyed the stitch 'n bitch thoroughly! Your work is superb! If you want to do a class on making the book, Barbara and Virginia know how to reach me!

I also did all my shopping on Thursday before the influx of guests arrived. I took twelve charts with me so that I could finish kitting them up. I was so good! The only two charts I bought were two more Doodles for Leftovers. Both were designs I hadn't seen before. I will make a separate post of everything I bought (with pictures) so you can see the design, fabric, and fibers together.

I'm very happy for Sally and her family that the retreat seems to be expanding, but disappointed that it was overbooked. I wasn't the only person who arrived on Thursday, and many ladies were staying through Monday. As she said on her blog, there were no shortage of rooms. The problem was space downstairs for the stitchers. Luckily I had Myrl's condo where Mom and I could host my friends, but I don't like the fact that people who paid for the retreat yet weren't in the "in" crowd were forced to find another place to stitch. Sally also said in her blog that the bookings were made early this year, and THEN her "regulars" started calling and saying they were coming.

I feel that there should have been a cut-off when a specific number was reached, not trying to pack us in like sardines. Additional tables and chairs should have been brought in to ensure there was room for everyone, at the very least. As Sue and Laura said, they didn't pay to stay holed up in their room all weekend; being with the group is part of the retreat experience.

Carol, Sue, Laura, and I have decided that we won't go back for the retreat specifically, but we'd love to spend a weekend together during the off season and visit Salty Yarns while we're there.

I'm going to stop there and finish telling you about my weekend when I get all the pictures of my purchases posted. I never knew I could be so exhausted, but I am! Spending my two "off days" (Tuesday and Thursday) this week with my sister and the kids has really wiped me out. Tuesday is usually my day to rest while Thursday I go to the Barnes and Noble stitching group. Instead, I cooked dinner and played with the kids til midnight on Tuesday and drove all around Annapolis on Thursday looking at rentals because they're moving down here from Elkton.

I don't want anyone to worry, but I'm not as awake as I usually am at 2:30am. No late nights for me lately! I'm off to bed!

Hugs,
Beth

Down the Ocean!

April 22-25, 2009

I played hooky from dialysis today. I wasn't feeling well so I stayed home. I thought this evening was the Borders Books meeting but I was the only one there from 7-8pm. Kasey quietly slept on the floor beside my chair as I stitched. When no one arrived by 8:00, I left to return home.

After posting a message to Facebook, Genia replied that the meetings are the last Wednesday of the month. I was told the 4th Wednesday, but I got in a half-hour of stitching that I probably wouldn't have done at home. This is the progress I made while at Borders. My house is growing flowers!

Thursday was the usual gathering of needle-workers at Barnes & Noble. Audrey gifted me with this wonderful Sampler Gameboard by The Drawn Thread. She also included a 1/4 yard of linen to stitch it on. Thank you, Audrey!

Pam stayed late because she had a 5:30 yoga class nearby. Since there was no sense in her driving all the way home to turn right around for class, we hung out, chatted, and did more stitching. My flowers now have stems, a bird for companionship, and the vine is growing up the opposite side of the fabric.

I did absolutely no stitching on Friday. Mah Jong sucked me in. As a matter of fact, it's sucked me in almost every evening this week. Why is that game so addictive? And I can't go to sleep until I beat the last one. Even if I have to re-start it over and over, I have to finish it.

Saturday was an entirely different matter as far as stitching. I haven't had a day this productive in a long time. It felt wonderful! Not only did I wake up and take America out on the front porch, but I also went into a finishing frenzy! When I woke up I noticed how warm it was so Kasey and I went out to the porch to enjoy the fresh air. I stitched on America for a couple hours.

I was able to complete the lower part of the vine on the left and began the flag. I've been putting off stitching the other side of the house because it's all one color but I think I'm going to have to start stitching at least one length of floss on it each time I work on America.

Then I realized that I only have three days to prepare for my retreat! I did some packing and remembered that I had some gifts I wanted to make. I can't give details and spoil the surprise, but I had my first encounter with lacing and am very happy with the results. After a couple hours' work, I have two finished gifts. You'll have to wait until Friday when I hand-deliver them to see what's inside.

One of the things I wanted to accomplish before the retreat was to finish my stitching book, A Stitcher's Companion. There is going to be a show and tell at the retreat and I was hoping to be able to show off my finished book.

I'm still not thrilled with the finishing instruc-tions, as I think a few simple changes would have made the entire process a whole lot easier, but I tackled it. This is my progress as of midnight, with the first panel closed around the backing board and part-way attached to the inside cover of the book.

Panels two and three still need to be closed, but the backing board is in place. I may yet have that book finished for the show and tell!

February 22, 2009

At last! After not stitching for the past two days I put needle and thread to fabric this evening! I slept in today, watched some movies from my DVR, and spent time on the phone with both Myrl and Sue, but I stitched, too!
I completed the diamond-shaped border of Lasseter's Reef and am working on the corners now. My hope is that I can get in some more stitching time before going to bed tonight as well as tomorrow upon returning home from dialysis. I've been very bad about stitching at home lately and that needs to change.

Myrl and I were discussing that on the phone this evening. She mentioned that she gets grumpy if she doesn't get to put in a few stitches each day. I've noticed lately that I start feeling very frustrated with myself if I don't stitch every day. It's just like my reading; even if I only read for a minute or two before my eyes close I'm okay. I need to apply that mentality to my stitching and make a better effort to get out of my laptop trance and pick up my current WIP.

If you're wondering why I've only stitched three of the smaller eight-pointed stars around the center motif I will let you in on my reasoning. There is a method to my madness! It's as simple as this: the unevenness tells me which side is the top! I had to frog two separate times while working on the center because I turned my QSnaps a quarter-turn one way or the other. By leaving one motif unstitched, I now can see in a glance which side is the top of the design and all my stitches will face the same way.

I'm very happy to report that Myrl gave me permission to have guests in the Ocean City apartment, so Sue and Laura will join Kasey and I for the weekend of the Stitcher's Retreat! We're all looking forward to having two full days to stitch to our hearts' content. I'm also considering the possibility of having my dialysis treatment done in Berlin on Wednesday and Friday so that Kasey and I can go down early to enjoy a couple extra days of peace and quiet, as well as more time with other stitchers. Myrl told me her EGA chapter gathers for dinner and stitching each Thursday evening and it would be wonderful to meet up with these ladies. I'm so excited about the retreat and the time I'll get to spend with my stitching sisters!