Mys 2013-ONE

Stitcher’s Hideaway

Mystic 2013
Fun Report

Wow! A Christmas-themed retreat with designer Thea Dueck of Victoria Sampler brought in so many stitchers that two back-to-back retreats were held to accomodate everyone! They came from CO, CT, FL, MA, MD, ME, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA andVA. Both retreats were absolutely fantastic! We were all VERY excited for the retreats to begin!

Each attendee received a Fun Pack loaded with goodies from designers and companies -- Bush Mountain Stitchery & Framing, Chris’s Collection, DMC, Giulia Punti Antichi, Jeannette Douglas Designs, Kreinik, Lavender Wings, Nordic Needle, Rosewood Manor, Stitcher’s Hideaway, Tempting Tangles, The Prairie Schooler, ThreadworX, Udder Cream, and Victoria Sampler! We had a little time before class and began to do some fun Stash Enhancement, courtesy of Chris’s Collection, who set up a special shop for us. What treasures we found! I noticed several people looking for the materials they needed to complete some items in their Fun Pack!

Look at our incredible retreat project, the Mystic Christmas Sampler! Thea’s design was inspired by the earliest printed version of the modern Christmas Carol, “I Saw Three Ships.”

“There comes a ship far sailing then...
Saint Michael was the stieres-man
Saint John sate in the horn.
Our Lord harped and Lady sang
and all the bells of heaven they rang
On Christ’s Sonday at morn”

This version is from the 17th century, perhaps from Derbyshire, England although many versions were sung since then. Thea loved the references to the three ships, the Lord and Lady of the manor, and the bells of all the churches ringing on Christ’s birthday. She reflected them all in the motifs. At the bottom there is a rendition of old Mystic town, with tall buildings close to the water, and the church where the bells ring on Christ’s morn.

How wonderful to have Thea’s expert instruction as we learned Hardanger, hemstitching, drawn thread, bargello and much more. Her patience and good humor made even the most challenging technique fun. We were able to learn new skills, tricks, and tips that we will be able to use all our lives.

Thea did a lot of one-on-one coaching and she was so encouraging! You’ll see her all over the classroom in the retreat pictures having fun along with the attendees. Just imagine having two full days and nights with this talented designer!

We had all done a bit of pre-work to prepare for class, including working Kloster Blocks for the Hardanger at the bottom of the Sampler. For some this was a very new experience, so a few of them chose to do their kloster blocks on some doodle cloth for practice. On the first day of class Thea guided us through the Hardanger. It was pretty awesome to see it form before our very eyes.

Here begins the story of the Mystic ONE Retreat. Click here to jump to the Mystic TWO Retreat.

Thea helping Peggy

Thea and Gladys

Throughout the retreat door prizes were distributed. They were donated by A Sweet Stitch, Bush Mountain Stitchery & Framing, Elizabeth’s Designs, Glory Bee, Jeannette Douglas Designs, Karen Capello, Kreinik, Nordic Needle, Praiseworthy Stitches, Rosewood Manor, Stitcher’s Hideaway, ThreadworX, Udder Cream, With My Needle, and two friends of Stitcher’s Hideaway, Denise McLoughlin and Karen Cappello.

Barbara with door prize from Nordic Needle.

Janice with doorprize from Kreinik

Linda with door prize from Kreinik.

Mary with door prize from Nordic Needle.

Loretta with door prize from ThreadworX.

We had an optional Christmas-themed stitch exchange and it was fun to see what each person received!

Jenny

Ellen

Robbin

Kathy

Kathi

Loretta

Linda

Taffy

Tori

Lori

Ellen

Look at all the lovely stitching!

What fun we had when Santa stopped by with his naughty and nice list and gifts for all the good little stitchers!

Thea and I had a great time snuggling with the right jolly old elf!

With this large and enthusiastic group, you can just imagine how wonderful our Show ‘n Tell time was!

Bruce is the husband of attendee Kathy and he came in during our Show ‘n Tell to show us some of his work!

Kathy and Jenny with Santa

“Thank you for another wonderful retreat! Thea is such a wonderful designer and teacher, and I felt so blessed to be there with you and so many other special ladies again, learning to stitch another one of Thea's gorgeous designs.
Sue, you are such a great retreat hostess, and those special little touches of fun that you add to every retreat make them so special. Bruce said that he had a good time, getting to spend a little time with us too, and loved sharing his needlework with everyone on Show & Tell night. He loves hearing all of the ladies "Oooooh's and Ahhhhhh's" about his work. It really boosted his spirits!
Blessings in Stitches & Friendship.” ~ Kathy

“Thanks again for a great Stitcher’s retreat. I, again, had a great time. It was wonderful to meet Thea – I’ve now done 3 of her designs and am not going to stop now!” ~ Janice

The retreat was great!! You outdid yourself once again. I thoroughly enjoyed the class with Thea, as well as meeting some new stitchers and catching up with those I hadn't seen in a while. And our surprise visitor on Friday night - SANTA - was so much fun. Loved the goody bags and food too. Looking forward to another retreat.” ~ Cynthia

“I just wanted to thank you for another great retreat ... you do put on the best I've ever been to. Your ears were probably burning for a few days because my blog posts are all about the retreat. I sat down at the computer yesterday and this morning and wrote about the experience while it was still quite fresh in my mind.
      By the by, I was delighted to receive the door prize you donated. I had already stitched the first Brightneedle tuck case for my calculator but this one will be stitched as a case for my phone or my notebook. It'll be fun to have matching accessories that keep my purse organized.
    I treasure the retreats I have attended.”
                                                      ~ Regina

“Thank you for another wonderful retreat. It was so nice to sit among all those women in a non-competitive atmosphere and share all that beautiful stitching. The show and tell was inspiring, as was the love everyone has for my favorite pastime. Thea was a great, supportive teacher, and I'm so happy I now feel confident to try hardanger....or was that "dang harder?!" Can't wait to finish that beautiful retreat sampler and try more like it. I also love my exchange ornament. Wish I had gotten the maker's name to thank her again...maybe I will get it from your pics. Thanks so much again for all you do to make the weekend so comfortable for all of us.”
~ Ellen

“I hope Mystic Two was as successful and everyone had as much fun as we did in Mystic One. Tori and I really enjoyed everything you had arranged for us. As someone who has organized various conferences and special events, I realize how much work goes into an event like Stitchers Hideaway. You did a wonderful job. Tori's etsy shop is etsy.com/shop/ToriTurning.”
~ Kathi

“It was my first time and it was wonderful. Thea is my hero and she was every bit as knowledgeable and patient as I thought she would be. My friends and family say I seem "renewed" after my weekend retreat. Thank you so much. I will be back.”
~ Chris

“I just wanted to let you know that you are appreciated. Thanks so much for all the work you put in to make the Stitcher's Hideaway events so much fun. The gift bag was great and all the Christmas decorations were so perfect. Santa was way beyond any expectations. Not only did he look great but he was everything I would hope Santa would be. He is a dream come true. Sue you go above and beyond. Thanks, Thanks, Thanks! U Rda woman!”
~ Peggy

Each of the attendees received this little keepsake design from me.

Well, it sure was a lot of fun and we sure learned a lot -- from Thea and each other. Read on to find out what happened at the Mystic TWO 2013 Retreat!

Sue

Mystic TWO 2013 Retreat