The retreat

There is nothing more exciting than going on a quilting retreat!!!!    I can't say enough about Fireside Retreat - this house is absolutely stunning!  I will say that if it were mine and I was using it as a quilting retreat, I would set it up a bit differently (just rearranging furniture) but we managed just fine.

Oh oh - I was searching for a picture that I KNEW I had taken during the retreat. Not on the camera. That darn camera!!!  Ooops - did I by chance take it with my cell phone?  Yep!  There were a few other pictures there as well that I only took with the phone. Perhaps the camera is working just fine!!!!  Now that I am thinking about it - I think I put an empty card in it just before leaving for the retreat. Ah - the wonders of slowly losing your mind!!!!

But here we go - I have ALL the pictures I want for the post.

Fireside Retreat house (from the side). The setting is gorgeous

Fireside Retreat house (from the parking area)

Here is one thing that I would change. It is NOT a big deal, but then I didn't have to clean it! But there is a sitting area near the sewing area and it has a beautiful BLACK rug.

The rug BEFORE we started to sew

The rug after one day. 

Yes - it got progressively worse and I meant to take a final picture, but I forgot. We left everything else neat as a pin but we left the rug!!!!


This is what it looks like in the sewing room (the great room).

Here are two sewing tables - beautiful windows and this area has a sky light

The middle section - the table on the right is the same table as the table on the left in the above picture

This is the space on the left - the sitting area

There are three tables and we find that having two to a table is just right. So Viriginia and I brought small portable tables (more on those another day) and we set up in the sitting area. (there are two small tables that you could set up if you don't have your own) We rarely use this area and only a few at a time, so it wasn't an inconvience to have the sewing tables set up there. But this is the area with the rug!!!!

While I took a LOT of stuff, I left most of it in the car. I know from experience that I don't touch most of what I take, but it is with me. Paula brought ALL her stuff into the house. Thank goodness we didn't have to use that door in a hurry!!!!!

Paula's stuff

As for tidying - Claudette seemed to always have that broom in her hand!!!!  Notice how dark it is outside and there is Claudette - sweeping!!!!

Claudette tidying up!!!!

And I found a couple more pictures on the phone of projects that people had completed. These got posted on Facebook!!!

Paula completed the top for a baby quilt

Susan got a table runner pieced

I have to tell you the story of the election sign. On the first day - I stopped by Thimbles and Things. On the way back to Fireside, I was looking at the side of the road. They have chopped down trees and will be widening the road???  Not sure since the situation looks the same as when I passed through the area a month ago.  I did spot a squatter's campsite near the chopped trees so maybe there is some political issues going on???

Anyway  - as I was glancing at the chopped trees, something caught my eye. Red and white. Hmmm - I wonder if that is an election sign????  I didn't stop. Who needs more election signs?

Later that day, Paula is making a chubby charmer bag and we got to talking about election signs and how she needed that for the bag. Hmmmmm - I haven't been out on my bike - I could take a quick trip to pick up the election sign - if that in fact is what it was.

I didn't even dress up to ride - just hopped on in my jeans and I was away!!!!  (Which probably confused the heck out of the road bike rider I passed at one point - serious riders wear bike shorts and jerseys).  I saw the red/white flash on the opposite of the road, but I decided to make my trip worth while so I rode all the way to the quilt store - 4.5 KM. That is very deadly to have the store that close to the house.

On the way back, I came across the red/white thing in the ditch and INDEED it was an election sign!!!!   Seriously - I have a sickness!!!!!

I tucked that sign (remember this is one of the BIG ones) under my arm and rode the bike back to the house.  A little challenging since I could only brake with one hand, had to steer the entire way with one hand and couldn't go too fast or the wind would catch the sign and start to lift it and had to hang on tight when someone passed by on the road.  I know - thank god - no one took a picture!!!!!

The sign was tattered on one end and dirty, but no big deal - we had bag bottoms!!!!!   And that corrugated plastic washes up like a charm.

The salvaged election sign!!!!!!!!!

I think all the bags made this weekend got an election sign bottom and this is the scraps that went in the garbage.  Oh - that sign sat in the hallway for a day before anyone started to cut into it. But we had to get a craft knife from the store owner. You should have seen the look on her face when I asked for the craft knife. She was probably thinking that we needed it to do something to the house?????   Never mind the look I got when I needed an adjustable wrench to set up my table!!!!

Election sign scraps

This is a bit bigger chunk I brought home - nothing goes to waste!!!!

Of course - we ate like kings and queens.  Everyone brought so much food - it was obscene. No let me rephrase that - there were a lot of baked goods.  I wonder why? Most people don't eat like that at home - well I didn't have a talk with them about it, but I will next time.  Amazing how many times I put out e-mails about the food and still people didn't get it!!!!!!!!   People are so damn polite - it hurts!!!!   Speak up!!!   I am kidding - although we did have a LOT of baked goods, we ate pretty healthy!!!!

Delicious cake pops

Yummy pies from Crawfords!

Before you run out to Crawfords for pies - they are CLOSED forever. Karen had stockpiled a few in her freezer and shared them with us! Thanks Karen - they were very yummy!   However we have heard that one of the bakers from Crawfords will be opening a store in Brampton - no idea what time frame, but close to The Rose Theatre!!!

We had Bailey's - before noon one day!!!!

 I wanted a group picture of everyone. The house sleeps eight but we were nine. Well just for a few hours. We had two people that came for two days each and so when everyone was there - I snapped a couple of pictures. But trying to get everyone together - that is hard!!!!

Aren't we missing someone???

Oh yes - here we all are!!!!!!!!!!

Have you ever seen this????   There was a small mishap with one of the irons (which we replaced). The iron fell right onto its' point and the point broke off!!!  Well cracked right across!!!

Broken iron tip!

 Now this next thing belongs to Maureen. And what does it look like???   A box of goodies right???  Made by Tupperware.

Dessert carrier???

Nope - it is a sewing basket. Is that not cool or what!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sewing basket

She has had it for years. I love it - it is a great thing to carry all those bits and pieces.  I wonder if it is still around????   I have other hard plastic cases that I don't use so not sure that I would use this, but would be nice to be a bit more organized than I currently am!!!!

Don't forget - it is nothing to organize a retreat. This house is very reasonable - we each paid $225 for four nights and we had to make one meal.   Just find eight like minded people and you've got enough for a retreat. The rental rate is for the house so less people, each person will pay more.  But I recommend retreats - they are so much fun!!!!!  

Hmmm - one day I should do a blog on prepping for a retreat. Yes - I will do that.


Well - there you have it - I still have to show you what I did. That's a story for tomorrow.

Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!