Part II

Sturbridge, MA 2005 Fun Report Continued.....

The next morning we gathered for a delicious breakfast and more door prizes before heading to class. We spent most of our time working on the sailboat portion of the Call of the Sea because it called for several different stitches. The sails especially are a very creative use of stitchery.

That evening I had yet another surprise for everyone! I created a Sturbridge 2005 design just for them. We were so fortunate to have Olde Willow Stitchery donate their beautiful threads for this project! I turned mine into a little pillow (here it is deflated for scanning).

Next we had our own Show ‘n Tell time. It was GREAT!! We are SO talented!!! I’m not kidding!! LOL!! I see something new and fascinating at each Show ‘n Tell. At this one there was a book one stitcher had made for her granddaughter. It was absolutely sweet and adorable, with stitching done on many pages. It was one of those things that just makes everyone say, “Aw.....” There were so many masterpieces. One person brought in some bead work. Oh, I love Show ‘n Tell! Ellen said, “I have never seen such a group of creative stitchers all in one group.” I have to agree. It was just fabulous.

During the retreat Ellen told us that Jackie du Plessis of It’s Fine-ally Finished! has done some of her finishing for her, and what amazing work she does! What’s really great is that Jackie will be teaching at Sturbridge 2006!

Peggy models the latest in Alien Wear Fashions!!

What a wonderful group of stitchers! What a blast we had! It was just so much fun. There were many hugs and teary eyes when we finally had to part, but there are so many opportunities for us to meet again in the future. Until next time, everybody!

Love from Sue

“I wanted to say thank you so very much for such a wonderful weekend in Sturbridge. Thanks too for the wonderful door prize from Sudberry. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness in making my birthday special and one I won’t soon forget! I’m looking forward to Sturbridge next year.” Barbara

“I really must reiterate what a wonderful weekend I had with you and all the 40 other stitchers at the Sturbridge retreat. Ellen's design is beautiful and her teaching style is informed and entertaining. She is lovely. Thank you for all of your efforts and gifts and for the creation and management of Stitcher's Hideaway. I don't know how you do all that you do! And I especially thank you for the opportunity to meet some very talented stitchers who know how to have fun! I enjoyed every moment and am looking forward to next year.” Bev

“What a wonderful weekend we had!! This was my first Stitcher's Hideaway weekend and I had a ball. The project by Ellen Chester is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to get back to stitching it again. Everyone was so nice, the food was fantastic and you took care of each and every detail. It is very obvious that you put a lot of time and thought into the entire weekend. You are a pleasure to be with..always upbeat and happy. The door prizes were wonderful and even though I was almost the last one to win (as is usual for me!!) I got a magnificent prize..WOW!! Thanks so much for the beautiful Sudberry box. I am thrilled to death with it and it was worth the wait. I thoroughly enjoyed the talk and display of antique samplers by Aimee Newell and also loved the "show and tell" portion of the last evening. What inspiration I got from all the beautiful items that were shown...all in all it was a wonderful weekend. Please keep me on your mailing list as I do not want to miss the next wonderful event .Hugs and "goodbye" from me to you!!” ~ Carol

“I thought everything went great - but seeing the antique samplars was the best!” ~ Joanne

“Thanks so very much for the opportunity to attend my first retreat. Everyone couldn't have been nicer, the food was perfect, and I enjoyed Ellen so much. Kudos to you for the time and energy you have to have put in to make it a dream weekend for us all. ;>) The door prizes were so cool!” God Bless, Colleen

“To say "thank you" just doesn't seem like enough. This was my first retreat and I cannot begin to tell you the experience I had. Magnificent, wonderful, astounding. You are one first class woman. This past weekend will be an experience I will never forget. I met lots of new stitchers, learned a lot from Ellen, shopped for new stash (which was all so beautiful) and ate like no tomorrow. Last night I told my family all about it and showed them everything that I received while there. I couldn't stop talking. I am sooooooo looking forward to the next one. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!” ~ Cynthia

“I just want to thank you for all the work and effort you put into Stitcher’s Hideaway. I had such a wonderful time at Sturbridge. The projects and surprises were spectacular. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” ~Barbara

“Once again, you outdid yourself this weekend. I had an absolutely wonderful time! I am so glad I got the opportunity to meet Ellen as I'm a fan of her work. Everyone is always so friendly at these events. The atmosphere was so laid back and comfortable. Great choice of shop owners too! My only fear is that word of mouth will spread the news of this fabulous hideaway, making it difficult to get into in the future.” ~Deb

“What an AWESOME weekend it was at Sturbridge! Gosh, where do I start? It was only my second Hideaway, but as usual, kudos to you for putting it all together and making Stitcher's Hideaway what it is! I also LOVE my new shirt...that melon color is yummy and I love the 3/4 length sleeves. A stitcher's "Must-have"!!! :)
    Ellen Chester is a fun teacher, isn't she? The vendors were great, too. I picked up several new tools for the stitch bag, as well as STASH! I went through it all yesterday and now I just want to start about 5 new projects! I belong to a "Monday-Night" group; we meet each week, and tonight I'm bringing the "Fun Pack" to show them, plus Ellen's piece for "Show-and-tell". WICKED!!!!
    I know I shouldn't wish the time away, but I'm already looking so forward to Mystic, and meeting Thea Dueck! And I really can't wait to start stitching "Gingerbread Garden"...what's not to love? Even the name is so cool!” ~ Karin

“Once again, you have made this retreat so special for everyone. You are totally spoiling us with the wonderful bag of goodies and door prizes. It never ceases to amaze me how much fun stuff you get for us and that everyone wins a door prize!! Aimee was very interesting and the vintage needlework she showed us was awesome. The food was outstanding and delicious! Loved Ellen and her project....I can't wait to finish it!! Both vendors had really nice stuff for all of us. And last but not least, thank you Sue for all of the work you put into these retreats...it is truly appreciated!!” ~ Linda

“You did a wonderful job!....so organized and thoughtful! Sturbridge was my first visit with Stitcher's Hideaway...but it won't be my last! I'm hoping to make it at least an annual trip!” Nancy

“Another wonderful experience at a Stitcher's Hideaway. It was great so see old friends and meet all the first timers. Ellen is a wonderful teacher and a delightful person--soooo creative! I truly had a great time even if I had NO will power and blew my diet to smithereens! OH well, as Scarlett said "I'll think about that tomorrow". Thank you Sue, and all your helpers, too. Sue - what a fabulous, fun weekend! Many thanks - you're doing a terrific job!” ~ Sali

“What a great weekend, we sure had a good time. Everything was wonderful, ....Ellen Chester, Aimee Newell, Olde Sturbridge Village, the food, and all the participants made it just delightful - but it never would have happened without all the hard work and planning you put into it. Thanks again for everything, and I hope to be able to attend another one of your retreats sometime.” ~ Martha

Thank you again for one of the nicest Stitching Memories ever! I had a wonderful time at Stitcher’s Hideaway! You did such an outstanding job organizing the event, and were out-of-control-generous with giveaways and surprises and extra-special kits! Every part of those 2 days had your special touch – your thoughtfulness, your enthusiasm over sharing all your surprises with us, all the lovely little touched (right down to putting together OSV as a site with Ellen, Chris, Old Colonial, and Aimee – what an in-sync choice of participant/presenters!). Thanks again for everything – God bless you – and enjoy the pics!” ~ Ann Marie

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