The bestest weekend!

I have just enjoyed the most fantastic weekend with the retreat ladies. What a weekend! Thank you girls - what a fabulous gathering!

Preparation for the retreat started way back in about March I think but as always a few things got left to the the last minute, such as making these tags for the goodies bags. I think that was Thursday nights alloted task! They were great fun to make, I used a gorgeous stamp given to me by Barb, stamped on cotton duck and then just stitched it to the card with a yummy polka dot button.

It was an early morning start on Saturday for Jake and I - setting up the displays

and the rooms.

Then the doors were opened and Stitchery Retreat 2008 was under way! There was much much laughter and chatting, and oh the decisions - which design to stitch first! Maybe it would be Barb's ( http://www.theodoracleave.com/ gorgeous lavenders - either in the peg bag or dilly bag designs.

Or maybe it would be Rosalie's beautiful flower garden (www.rosaliequinlandesigns.typepad.com). I have to confess to running out of time a little on the Friday night (yes really!) and fairly hastily attaching the bordered stitchery to a canvas. So I have only photographed the stitchery as the finished project, whilst not being too off line, is just a little and looked even worse in the photo! I bordered it with a narrow green spot, then a little wider pink spot to match the colours of the stitchery.

If not Rosalie's or Barb's, then maybe it would be Brenda's stunning brooches (http://www.brendaryan.com.au/). I lost count of the number of these that were stitched over the weekend, some even made two, and the colour choices were fabulous. Thank you Brenda for very kindly lending me your brooch samples - take a look at these - told you they were stunning!

If you are a Christmasaholic (like myself) then the first choice was easy - Marg's delightful Christmas tag bunting and little pillow and gift tag (http://www.marglowdesigns.typepad.com/).

Natalie (http://www.cinderberrystitches.com/) had given us a tiny little sneak peak of her design a few weeks back on her blog, so there were some Cinderberry fans ready and waiting - here is a pic of her sample that she very kindly lent me and you can see why some started stitching her gorgeous little creatures straight away can't you - who could resist them!

And last but most certainly not the least is Melly's adorable Little Floss (http://www.mellyandme.typepad.com/). Little Floss was going home to quite a few little girls, perhaps not quite at the end of the weekend but very soon after. Although I can recall atleast one little dilly bag that was complete, with Little Floss as the stitchery in the centre, and it was so gorgeous. Wonder who will be getting that one.

In between all the stitching there was plenty of time for some of this

and some of this

and some healthy stuff too, but I haven't got any pictures of that!

And there was lots and lots of this! My goodness, the urn and kettles rattled away all weekend.

Here's some of the girls at work!


I hope that you all enjoyed yourself as much as I did, and from all accounts I will be seeing quite a few of you again at Retreat 2009!

I have been doing a bit of a catch up of my favourite blogs over the past couple of days and have to tell you to go have a look at Barb's one (www.theordoracleave.blogspot.com) to see her gorgeous new Christmas creations and there is a very yummy giveaway happening.

Time now to go and make some cushion samples.

Happy stitching.

Jenny