On Retreat at Mystic

It's been a wonderful experience. The other stitchers were a joy, the food was grand, the venue was comfortable, the goodie bags fantastic, ditto the door prizes, the project was interesting and just challenging enough, the on site LNS in Room 108 ... well, the less said about that the better ... I have given into temptation wholeheartedly buying charts in total disregard for my vow to limit my stash buying to fiber and fabric. Today, I will show some of the odds and ends. Tomorrow, I will post about the actual project and the stitching.

Pictured on the left is a little kit that was the gift of Chris from Chris's Collection who set up the most fantastic on-site LNS and the other two photos are of my purchases at said on-site LNS: Homespun Elegance's Witches Stitch, Too, La-D-Da's Something Wicked, The Primitive Needle's Witches Hollow [$20.00 - ouch!! - but I love it and couldn't resist], The Cricket Collection's Ladies' Night. The second stash purchase photo shows Erica Michael's Needle Nut and some triangle Tokens and Trifles I wanted to make the needle sheath from Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly, Summer 2009. This puts me way over my annual goal to limit myself to the purchase of just five charts. Such a goal is easy enough to stick to when you limit yourself to on-line shopping as I generally do. But when you are in an actual shop and see things up close and personal, the temptation is ever so much stronger. On the other hand, my wish list shrank as a result of these purchases. It will be so much more manageable for Bill to do his Christmas shopping for me this year. If one is truly determined, one can find the up-side to any eventuality!



And, of course, all the stuff in the goodie bags.
In the photo on the left, starting in the left corner and travelling clockwise: Rosewood Manor's Six Silly Spiders, Cherrywood Design's Smell My Feet, Trail Creek Farm's Grumpkin Patch, Glory Bee's Happy Halloween, Elizabeth's Needlework Designs Jolly Halloween, Olde Colonial Designs' Happy Boo Day, Lavender Wings' Hitchin a Ride and a tiny little Halloween notebook. In the photo on the right are the non-Halloween themed goodies, again starting left and going clockwise: Prairie Schooler's Christmas Tree ornament card, Calico Crossroads' Cheat the Devil, Lori Birmingham Designs' Sweetest Holiday Wishes [with 5 tiny brass charms], 2 skeins of DMC, Calico Crossroads' One is Not Enough, Victoria Sampler's Connecticut State Heart ornament, Morning Glory Needlework's A Victorian Pin Cushion. And the second photo on the right shows the very foo-foo bag all the goodies came in as well as a little beaded fob kit with black and orange beads and a small pumpkin brass charm as well as a complimentary needlepoint chart from one of the retreat participants, Denis McLoughlin: her Mini-Haunted Quilt. She also previewed her own counted needlepoint Mardi Gras quilt. No wonder I have such a deep stash! This is my third Mystic Stitcher's Hideaway and Sue always puts together a great goodie bag.

These are the doorprizes I won: a lovely machine embroidered Halloween themed guest towel and a Monsterbubbles chart: Where's my present? While I really love Monsterbubbles, this is not a chart I would have chosen myself but I find it is growing on me. No doubt, I'll find a reason to stitch it somewhere along the line, probably changing the wording. Next is the Shepherd's Bush Boo Sheep that was my prize in the Spooky Exchange. It is already hanging on my Halloween Tree. It is an exquisite little piece, beautifully stitched. The twisted cord hanger is so fine and delicate ... quite an eye-opener for me ... my twisted cord tends to be a bit chunkier. I am going to have to try making some delicate cording myself. One of the great things about retreats is one always comes away with ideas.

Tomorrow, I shall post a few more photos of the gathering: concentrating on the project from Ann Pettit of Brightneedle and all the charts she generously gave us ... over and above the class project ... as well as the last gift from Sue herself: a little Halloween ornament kit souvenir of the retreat. I did finish the Prairie Schooler 2008 Ltd. Edition Santa on the car trip to Mystic. Though I worked primarily on the class project on the retreat, I did need a few breaks from the over one workon the project. So I got a bit more stitching done on Brightneedle's Esmeralda's House and started the Monsterbubbles Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun ornament on the trip home.