Gimli Retreat February 2007

Well I had a lovely weekend after a not so enthused start and ended up really enjoying my quilting retreat at Lakeview Resort in Gimli Manitoba. This year my sister Sylvia joined Pat (her daughter) and myself once again and are all in favour of repeating again next year. Some arrived Thursday evening and had all day Friday and Saturday to sew along with Sunday morning and I just may have convinced them to try this next year. It's only an hour's drive or so out there - that is if you don't take the wrong road and land up on the riverbank - literally a DEAD END!!! Sylvia laughed so hard and said she didn't have her ice fishing gear otherwise we could continue onto the river!!!! YEAH RIGHT! This happened to me in Mexico but there was a rope pulled ferry that took us across to the island - definitely not here!!! Pat had her ski pants but did not relish doing such and I had no such intentions at all. So I turned around and we headed back towards the city until we came to a road that would take us to the CORRECT highway to Gimli - ROFLOL! We hadn't gone like two minutes when Pat said now this warrants picture taking!!!! WELL there's me stopping and backing up, turning where possible and out we go for the pics!!! What a laugh we had.

Yes we arrived with lots of time to spare before check-in so we selected our work stations, had lunch, I booked a manicure for Sat am and then sewed until 3:00 pm check-in time. So Friday evening was toast for me (just not 100%) except for supper and both Pat and I won a door prize from Jocelyn's Quilt Shop (free manicure - how amazing! - I was able to use mine Sat am and Pat can use her's at retreat next year if we prebook!) then pulling out my fabrics for the remaining two blocks for Moondance to stitch up and then Pat and I went to soak in the hottub around 10:30 pm. We were spent so headed for bed and sleeping by midnight! LOL!

Me working on Moondance blocks.

Sylvia working on Bear Paw's blocks

So Pat and I spent Saturday sewing and by supper I started to feel more like Rose Anne (thank goodness) and even Pat commented that it was nice to have my bubbly self back again. Pat worked on her mini she had started at home and actually did her first stippling quilting also she worked on her Celtic workshop project and has it just about finished (mine stayed in the bag). Sylvia took a class by Heather Lair (Manitoba landscape fabric artist) - based on the Klimt Series Art Quilts and I think she thoroughly enjoyed it but did not finish her piece (but it's just about). After her class, Pat and I moved our work stations into that room and then we were able to chat with Linda M, Ursula W and a CQS member Lynn E along with Heather L too for the rest of Saturday and Sunday morning.

Sylvia's Klimt Series Art Quilt project.

Ursula's Klimt Series Art Quilt project.

Lynn's completed Klimt Series Art Quilt project (first retreat).

Linda with her Landscape from Out of Space project (top), below Klimt Series Art Quilt project, and in hands her non-clipped raggie embroidered quilt a home project she finished at the retreat.

Sylvia showing Pat how to mark freehand stippling.

She's tackling it and did a good job - first time.

Sylvia helping me with cutting lengthwise borders for Moondance

and I still had lots of fabric left over!!!

Then Saturday supper I won another door prize from Amma's Tea House in Gimli, a humongous mug with Amma's emblem and her own blend of loose tea! WOW! I also bought myself a book Elegant Machine Quilting - it's beautiful! And also bought some lovely fabric and angel/fairy pins for gifts and had a few drinks in the bar. This time Sylvia was not so lucky, maybe next time!

Then when we got back on Sunday, we did stop into Bombay fabrics and picked up some awesome pieces for quilt embellishing (gotta go back there too) then dropped Pat off at home, stopped into Quilt as Desired and picked up more fabric and at Safeway for some groceries so I could feed both of us and relax the evening. Monday we were up early and I drove my sister around for her shopping hitting: Northwest Fabrics for another load; Marathon Threads for you guessed it replenishing thread supply; Michaels for fabric markers; Boston Pizza for lunch; Copperfields for some quilting books at 40% off (I found two that Sylvia was wanting for a while and I picked up The Quilter's Directory of Embellishments and More Celtic Quilting) and then ended up at the Quilting Bee where Sylvia finally spent her gift certificate from her challenge quilt prize she'd won in May.

Needless to say she was very very very happy as she picked up just about everything on her list this time around!!! A first, as usually she comes in and many things are either out of stock or not available or not in Canada as yet. Then she left the city for Steinbach (her youngest daughter's home) for an overnight visit before heading home to NW Ontario and I bussed it home to downtown to save her the rush hour traffic.

Needless to say I'm pooped and for some reason have very rosie and tender cheeks (facial that is) - guess I got a touch of windburn??? Yes, I took many pictures at the retreat and more will soon be posted into my Webshots - Retreat Album.

I'm POOOOOOOPPPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!