Needle Girls Retreat - November 13 - 17

It's that time of the year again!!!

Be warned - long post. 
Off to Glenrose for a few days of sewing laughing chatting drinking eating shopping etc.

This year - the options have changed, so we arrived late Sunday afternoon - unpacked and got set up - then had a nibbles & drinks dinner.  Cheeses, meats, crackers, smoked salmon on blinis, and a few treats . . .

Food & Fun

I had bought a couple of bottles of bubbles to share - I bought these based on name only - fingers crossed they tasted OK - they did, fortunately - Chookyblue also bought a bottle based on the label.  (mine are Born Wild and Rewild - Chooky's is in the middle with the chook label - seriously we really do have good taste!!!)

I took a baked camembert and this Scottish Cheddar.

Sewing

My first project was to complete the top of the next baby quilt.  I had the pieces all cut, so it was relatively simple to put it all together.

and I was able to pin it late one night when the table was clear.

Then I added the sashing to my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks - it has turned out quite big - about 72" square . . . 
From a random / crazy thought - and mostly from my stash - it has come together reasonably well - I did miss one month's colour - a blue before the lime green - but I needed to keep the blocks to a maximum of 20.5"

I used this as my "Volunteer Leave day" from work - it will be a donation once it's finished.

The Thursday before the retreat I was gifted a pattern (early Birthday present) - from my SIMS group - My Kinda Town - it is meant to be very scrappy - and I am planning on resisting the urge to buy new fabrics for it . . but - I am on retreat - at a patchwork shop - with another one nearby - so - I had to buy a few bits for it.

I am using whites/greys as the backgrounds and I was able to sort the bits for these blocks to make on retreat.  Two stars and two trees - a church goes in the middle.

I also helped Helen (a little bit - sorry Helen - I did mean to do more) with some stockings she is making for donation.

Swap

We have a swap each year - so we repeated the same as last year and each made a stocking and added a pin - we did a random draw to share them around.

Here are all 6 stockings with their pins.

I made this one - it went to Sandi:

and I received this one from Maureen

Challenge

We also set a "Challenge" last year to make a zippy pouch - any shape and size as it was for ourselves.

We decided last year we needed a logo - and after a lot of messing around earlier in the year Sandi machine embroidered them for us - We had to include the logo in our pouch.

Here is the group of pouches

and this one is mine.

The challenge for 2023 is to make some matching coordinating accessories.  Since I am a matchy-matchy person - this is not hard for me.  We have spare embroidered logos so I will use them in my extras....I already have a list of what I might do.

Birthday

Last year the girls surprised me with a big birthday celebration - it was a 0 one . . LOL - so I figured this year it was not going to be a "thing" - wrong!!!
I received this lovely glass - it goes well with the zippy pouch I made - so it will become my "retreat" glass

and some lovely coasters.

(very spoilt...thanks girls)

Out & About

Eating and Shopping is always a big part of this retreat.
Monday was lunch at Warwick Garden Centre - by this time of the year - the front of the shop is full of Christmas decorations.   
The food is amazing....my lunch

Tuesday night was take-away from Charchy's.
Maureen and I had discussed Chicko rolls on the way to Warwick so we each ordered one of them - along with other things such as Sweet Potato scallops and onion rings...really healthy stuff!

Wednesday - we went out of town to 

This time a smaller lunch so I could fit in some cake afterward...I had a bacon banana and cheese melt.    I am not a fan of cooked banana, but this was good - the banana was just warmed so not mushy

On Thursday we had to leave before 9 - so after farewelling most of the group

We (Maureen, Chookyblue & Miss Jules) ventured out to Stanthorpe to visit the shop that was Canning Town and is now Busy Bee - via The Christmas Farm at Applethorpe - heaps of Christmas decorations there.

and a lovely little cafe.   I had to try the apple & rhubarb crumble.

Chookyblue & Miss Jules had the passionfruit tart - how beautifuly presented.

(Shame about the takeaway cups and bamboo cutlery)

Purchases

I tried to resist - but "resistance is futile"!!!

I bought a bit of monkey fabric and a lightly sparkled cream, some Christmassy fat quarters and a novelty piece, a white with black for My Kinda Town and some flannels - suitable for a baby quilt or ....something baby...again that word "Wild" seems to crop up from time to time.

 There might have been a few more odds & sods . . . 

It was a wonderful few days - we are booked to do it all again in 2023