I returned home from the retreat late yesterday morning, but I was a bit too much of a zombie to put together any semblance of a blog entry yesterday.  I returned back to work today, and oh boy was that hard.  I’m now battling a bit of post-retreat exhaustion as well as a bit of a sore throat (which I’m not worried about yet, but we’ll see – because a few people were ill this weekend).

Bottom line – Stitcher’s Hideaway is a blast.  I’ll admit I even preferred the Alumni Retreat in some ways because it was just a massive Stitch ‘n Bitch for two days.  No real schedule aside from meal delivery – just show up and stitch on whatever you want, for however much time you want.  Seriously – if you ever have a chance, please go.  And then make sure you go to an alum retreat!  :)

I’ll admit – bringing down my entire rotation was a bit silly.  I know, however, that had I not brought the batch, I would have been sitting there with the itch to stitch on the one piece I’d left at home.  It was easy to transport anyway – it took half of the roller suitcase.

So – onto progress.  After splitting my day in two on Friday, I had plans to do the same thing on Saturday and spend the first half of the day on my HAED and the latter half on Floral Bellpull.  Somehow, I got into a zone on the HAED and worked on it all day (we’re talking 8 am until about 10 pm, with only a couple short breaks).  I finally stopped when my eyeballs were burning.

Progress pics before and after (images pop):

I’m quite pleased. I think I got about… 400 stitches done, perhaps? For me that’s quite good. I’m a bit of a slow stitcher, even on Aida.

For a couple hours on Saturday night, we had a show & tell session of all of our projects.  I brought my two ornaments that weren’t sent off as gifts this year, and Lisa was kind enough to bring the one I’d stitched for the RI Stitchers Exchange.  There were an astonishing variety of pieces, and the work is just gorgeous (including a WIP of “And They Sinned,” which is absolutely insane… I wish I would have grabbed a shot of it – I’m sure the Hideaway report will have it).

There were so many that I just added the photos up to my Flickr set of the Hideaway.  Feel free to browse and enjoy!

So… Stash Enhancement eXperiences.  Oh yes, there was lots of S.E.X to be had!

I was the lucky recipient of a door prize from Rosewood Manor:  a rainbow butterfly pin kit, complete with the frame, pin, jewels, Sullivans floss for outlining, and the options for the butterfly.

Our gifty bags (all wonderfully donated material from the designers/distributors):

• Sew Many Stitches (Sue Hills Designs)
• Frolicking Amongst the Bluebells (Tempting Tangles Designs)
• The Frog Prince (Giulia Punti Antichi/”GPA”)
• Bee Hive (Elizabeth’s Designs)
• The Carrot (Trail Creek Farm)
• Established With Love (Blue Ribbon Designs)
• Three Birds and a Butterfly (Rosewood Manor)
• Deruta majolica biscornu (Giulia Punti Antichi/”GPA”)
• Appalachian Spring (Jeannette Douglas Designs)
• Barney Stonerich (Calico Crossroads)
• One is Not Enough (Calico Crossroads)
• Think Spring! (Calico Crossroads)
• Poets Heart (Lavender Wings)
• Birthday Bellpulls w/threads – Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec (Victoria Sampler)

I also received a copy of the bellpulls at the October retreat – so if there’s a VS fan out there who might be interested in exchanging my spare copy for something in their stash (new or gently used), please drop me an email.

Of course, our generous gift bags were not all of the stash I came home with.  I also went shopping!  As in past retreats, Chris’ Collection set up a little shop in an emptied hotel room with lots of goodies to peruse.  My goal this time was to go through the “scrap bin” of lots of little cuts of fabric for ornaments, small pieces, etc.  I have a bunch of overdyed fabric, but I have a few pieces I’d like to start that really do need neutrals – and preferably antique or primitive toned neutrals for the best effect.

So the photo to the right shows the fabric I returned home with.  Some of it is for ornaments.  Some of it I have an idea for.  Some of it is just going to float probably until the next Just Cross Stitch ornie issue.  :)

Counter clockwise from top left:

• 28 ct Starry Night
• 30 ct unbleached northern cross
• 30 ct Garden State Java (R&R)
• 28 ct Glasgow Natural
• 32 ct Autumn Red

And I raided the sale bins at the store for patterns.  Aside from one new piece from the Prairie Schooler, I don’t think anything that I bought was over $5!

• Queen of the Needle (Just Nan)
• Cape Cod Garden (Medeiros Needlecraft Design)
• Thistle House (Ewe & Eye  Friends)
• Tiny Tree Exemplary (Ewe & Eye & Friends)
• Happy Mom/Mom Day (The Trilogy)
• Special Stitcher (Elizabeth’s Designs)
• My Cat (Trail Creek Farm)
• Christmas Packages (Ewe & Eye & Friends)
• Rhode Island (Eventide Designs)
• Holiday Homestead (The Prairie Schooler)
• With My Needle (The Goode Huswife)
• Birthday Needleroll Kit: January (Victoria Sampler)
• Rose Cottage Sampler (Ewe & Eye & Friends)
• Folks Eggs (Prairie Schooler) <– my one full-price design

I also bought a nifty little stitching caddy that I can bring with me to hold all of my stuff.

So yes – awesome weekend.  I wish I could afford to go to the next one in Sturbridge, but I’ll just have to save my money for either October or next winter’s alumni retreat!