2015 Fall Retreat Review
Happy 10th Anniversary Fall Retreaters!!!
You know it was another great event when even the coordinator actually got to sew while checking in 24 sewists this year! Kudos to Leenie Risser for hosting her 7th consecutive annual weekend at Beachcombers Haven in Gleneden Beach. In truth though, it stopped being just a weekend retreat many years ago. Who wouldn’t want to jump at the chance to come early and stay late?
Yes, it’s true that the retreat starts officially on a Friday but this year by Wednesday night we had all but 3 of our group already checked in and busy sewing away in their personal spaces. Cutting tables, irons and 24/7 snacks were all in place along with power strips at the ready for a good work out. I had the pleasure of hanging the first finished project, one of 8 finished passage quilt tops, on the show n’ tell wall and from there those hangers filled up mighty fast with more and more finished projects to admire when break times rolled around.
Everything from Beth Schwab’s machine appliqued coasters to the quilting job that Sandi Meacham did on my quilt was awed by everyone. It was Leenie’s tiger though (from the night owls group) that surprised the early birds the most on Sunday morning. Add in Leigh bringing her spinning wheel (and actually spinning yarn!) and wherever you looked, someone was having a very productive time of it. And that means factoring in a walk on the beach took some doing.
Nobody showed up late for dinners though. They wouldn’t dare risk working through these celebrations of fine dining, no matter what the plate. Paper or ceramic, they were extraordinary meals once again thanks this year to Teresa Kruse, Leigh Wheeler and Devon Carberry expertly taking the lead with their very talented crews.
Every year I always seem to be happily surprised with some sort of take-away gem and this year was no different. Thanks to Susan Herrera and her diligent basting efforts before sewing her blouse together for the final time, I now can’t live without YLI’s dissolvable “Wash-Away” basting thread. This actually really, really works AND dissolves…. But a word of caution. She warns that a steam iron is ……… well, bad news! Here’s one link where it is available if any of you would like to check it out. Her blouse turned out fabulous!
And then, as if great food, a perfect beach and loads of happy, chatty gals all having fun in one place isn’t enough to fill your sails, there was once again the traditional program agenda options…. Wine and Chocolate social on Friday night, rug weaving on Thursday and Friday at Elsie’s Discount Roving, Saturday’s massages by Sean McDonald, Saturday’s glass blowing at Jennifer Sears Glass Art Studio………. And the infamous annual round of late night “YMCA” dancing – which this year was (OMG!) caught on video too! Thankfully the newcomers Jeanne Garritson, Carolyn Montigue and Diane Heins have a marvelous sense of humor so are signed up already to come back next year.
Cheers to celebrating the 10th Anniversary with many more years to come.
Submitted by Jennifer Baker
