Stitchaway 2011

See my header with all the lovely snow?  That was taken at last year's 2010 Stitchaway Retreat.  2011's was this weekend and it was great.  The only bummer - I forgot my stinkin' camera.  I was too excited to turn around and go back for it.  You'll have to check out Jenny's blog, One Stitch Closer to Nirvana,  for real live photos of the action taking place. You get to see the gifts and stash from the weekend taken when I got home.  Go check out Jenny's blog for real live photos of the action taking place.  This was put on by  Keepsakes Framing and Stitching, my local LNS.  They do an amazing wonderful job.  It takes place at Hueston Woods an Ohio State Park outside of Oxford, Ohio.  It started for me, on Friday morning and lasted 'til Sunday.  75 stitching women, laughing, eating, conversing, making new friends and catching up with each other.  And lots of beautiful stitching projects to see and oooh and ahhhh over.  It was a little bit of heaven.  So, on to the meat of it....

This was our first gift of the weekend, given out on Friday evening after the pizza party.  We had noticed this vase on the drink table.  It was all made up with a wooden dowel coming out of the middle of Spanish moss and a really cute Valentine stitched on top.  Surprise!  We each got one filled with candy and the valentine chart to go with it.  Awesome.

Barb had a room set up as the Keepsakes Annex, for shopping of course.  She had quite a few trunk shows going on - Elizabeth Designs, Jeanette Douglas, Puffin, Erica Michael's and a couple more.  It was very hard to decide what to get - very hard.  (Cause you have to get SOMETHING - Right?)  There were lots of other goodies besides the trunk shows.  I made my picks Friday night and then slept on it.  Went back Saturday, and made my final picks.  So HARD to decide. The thread packs go with the JD quilt charts.  The Erica Michael's is done on 40 ct. silk gauze which is provided with the package.  There were a couple dozen all made up - you can't believe how delicate and beautiful they are.  I decided I had to chose one to at least try it and see if I liked it.  It was very hard to choose just one.  I love bees so I HAD to get the 'bees knees' needle minder.  It's like jewelry.

At the buffet dinner on Saturday night, these gifts were at each place setting.  It includes the mat board, the chart, and the batting to put together a cute thread holder.  We had to guess what the blue thing was.  I had no idea until they said it was medical - AHA.  I should know as I work with them all the time in the lab - a pipette tip holder.  How clever and what a good 'green' idea.

This was given to us after the door prizes and show and tell.  The linen, the threads, the cute chart and three big beautiful pins. ( I have an antique hat pin that will fit right in with them.)  But that wasn't the end.  Because this chart will fit into

 the most bestest, wonderful gift - a wooden box to hold the stitched piece in the frame that fits as the lid.  Isn't it marvelous?!?  I was speechless when they handed them out.  Too wonderful for words.

All of these boxes were handed out randomly and I am a firm believer in 'there are no coincidences.'  So look at the letters in this box and you see from the middle left an M then over to the right and down an L and then on the bottom to the right again a K.  Now you could say cool, Martin Luther King but those are MY initials too!  How awesome is that!  My own box made especially for me.  Thanks Barb and Joe who made each and every box. 

Here is our last surprise.  Each year on Sunday, before everyone leaves, there is a make it and take it session.  Last year we did the cute bottle cap needle minders.  This year we each got a mason size jar with everything provided to make a stash jar.  The stitched piece fits on the jar lid and there is a rustic material ribbon that ties around the jar.  Very cute.  I started to stitch mine but was too tired to finish it.  I could hardly focus.  Hopefully Jenny has a picture so you can see the finished item.

Well, that's it.  I'm too pooped to stitch tonight.  Can't wait to eat some soup and hit the sack.  Ahhh, flannel sheets, electric blanket, home sweet home after a wonderful stitchy weekend.  Life is good!


Marsha