Sturbridge 2003 Fun Report Continued

Sturbridge, MA 2003 Fun Report Continued....

Rosemary from Wales easily receives the gift for
the Stitcher Who Traveled The Farthest!

We all enjoyed seeing what each stitcher received.

Next we returned to our stitching area for Show and Tell. WOW!! What a talented group of stitchers! There were many different styles shown and good stories to hear. Some had worked hard to complete other samplers by Betsy Stinner in time to show them to her and to us. It was very interesting for all of us to see a work in progress by Rosemary from Wales – the Lord’s Prayer in Welsh stitched on black linen. The piece was quite different from designs we see in the States.

Many of us continued to sit and stitch that evening, with Betsy on hand to assist, and to talk until we could fight sleep no longer. We began saying farewell to fellow stitchers who were leaving for home that night.

For some of us, the fun continued on Saturday when we visited Old Sturbridge Village and a local craft show. That evening about 8 of us remained and gathered in a room for supper and to sit and stitch and chat. Jodi Merusi of Vintage Designs, who attended the retreat and is also a designer, brought in some of her stitched works of art for us to admire. On Sunday some of us still remained and went to the craft show and lunch before reluctantly heading home. “Amazing” Grace from NJ – master of hotel bathroom lights {wink} -- and I were passing each other on the highway, waving as we went.

Want to know what the stitchers had to say about the Sturbridge retreat? Read on!

Sue

“Where to start raving about the Sturbridge weekend? The location was great - easy to get to and reasonable in costs. The food was outstanding and the staff was really friendly and helpful. The overall organization of the event was flawless and Betsy was a fantastic teacher. I really liked that there was enough time to learn the stitches at your own speed and that the teacher was there to help whenever needed. The project is just fantastic and I loved having a preface piece of the stitches to be used so that I could gain confidence in my technique before starting the sampler. I especially enjoyed learning more about the various sampler schools Betsy discussed in between teaching stitches. It was also great to have both Wyndham Needleworks on Friday and Needle Pulling Thread there on Saturday so that we could browse and add to our stash. I'm sure we all found something we just "had to have" while we were there. The location was great too because if you came with a spouse or family, there were things they could be doing while we were stitching so the location choice was a really smart one.” ~ Patti

Grace receives a door prize from Glory Bee!

“Thank you so much for a well planned, well executed hideaway weekend. I’ve just gotten back and can't wait to go again. So, Mystic, here I come!” ~ Grace

“Thanks so much for all your hard work and for a fantastic time at Stitchers Hideaway in Sturbridge! Having Betsy back was great and her piece was incredible. I, too, finished the preface piece and the ornament........major accomplishment for me, and enjoyed every minute!” ~ Debby

Rosemary admires her new stash -- kits from Earth Threads.

“I was stitching last night when I got home from the retreat and realized that I missed everyone stitching with me. I really really enjoyed the whole weekend and was glad that I decided to stay on Saturday night. Sue, you did a wonderful job and thank-you for the great time. I try to think what was the best of it all and keep coming up with different things. I think one of the top things was hanging out with stitchers who love to stitch as much as you do. The group was a perfect size and to be able to shop and stitch was the best. I also love show and tell, everyone knows the work done to complete a project.” ~ Jeannette

“The goodies were great, the food was excellent and the Quality Inn was comfortable. Keep up the good work. Oh yes, Betsy was really a great teacher and I am glad she is doing so well!!! Thanks again for a great stitching time.” ~ Betty

”The Sturbridge retreat was so wonderful. Sue did a great job of organizing everything. Thanks Sue! Betsy Stinner of Earth Threads is such a great teacher! Even though I have been designing for a few years I have so much to learn and Betsy started me on my way! She is very knowledgeable and her lectures on the New England schools were fascinating. I look forward to stitching the sampler. Thanks Betsy! I hope to see some or all of my new stitching friends in Mystic in November. Join us, you won't be disappointed. ~ Nancy Boyarsky, Glory Bee

“The retreat was great fun, and well worth my time and money.” ~ Peggy

“The entire weekend was wonderful! A few of my favorite things of the retreat were meeting wonderful stitchers, sharing some laughs and techniques, having Betsy teach us a beautiful sampler and learning more about the history of samplers. The food was awesome and sinful, the gift bag of goodies was great, the door prizes were wonderful, the vendors had nice stuff, etc., etc., etc.!!!!! What can I say...I really had a great time! All of your hard work in setting this up and getting all of the goodies for us was truly appreciated by everyone!!!! Thanks so much for a wonderful time.” ~ Linda

“Thanks again for a really wonderful time. Look forward to next year.” ~ Marjorie

“I just wanted to let you know what a terrific job you did on our Stitcher’s Hideaway Retreat. The accommodations were fine and the meals were great... more than I had hoped for. I still haven't gone through all the goodies you had for us but some are just what I need for a scissors fob that I have to make for our FCE group in our December Exchange. We enjoyed the fellowship and of course Betsy was the greatest teacher. One super lady! ~ Jean

“Glad to hear you are taking a well-deserved vacation after working so hard to make the Stitcher's Hideaway in Sturbridge such a rousing success!! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The whole experience was delightful from start to finish. The food was excellent, accommodations clean and comfortable, wonderful (and seemingly endless) "giveaways", not to mention the companionship. And as usual, Betsy outdid herself. I loved the project and will definitely finish it.”~ Deb

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