January IHSW - Timberhouse Retreat 2014

I am behind on all of my scheduled blogging lately, so here is my belated IHSW (International Hermit and Stitch Weekend) report!  I hope this isn't going to be the trend for 2014, I'd hate to start the year off behind and continue the year that way!

I honestly didn't hermit at ALL the weekend of January 17-19... it was even BETTER than hermitting I was stitching with 17 other ladies at the Timberhouse Country Inn Resort!  As a group except for a quick little trip to do a little stash shopping most of us pretty much stayed inside warm and safe stitching!

Up until this past November the retreats I go to at the Timberhouse were run by Ann of Knowledge and Needles but now that she has become a Snowbird, she's not around anymore.  We all wanted to continue the tradition of our January, March, and November stitching retreats so Bonnie and I have taken over running them.  In all honesty Bonnie does much of the work as she's much closer to the facility than I am.  But I'm there as a sounding board, support and help whenever she needs it.  January was quite a challenge to get off of the ground this year.  Up until late November we had a full retreat and slowly people started dropping out.  That is quite a challenge and frustrating when you have people dropping out and needing to fill spots three weeks before a retreat!  We've learn a few lessons and will put a few things into place to hopefully reduce that stress.

On the upside, we had a few new faces there!  It was nice to spend the weekend with my friends Julie and Mylene.  Julie and I took a little selfie Saturday morning!  It was wonderful to get to spend a weekend with Teresa who I had previously met twice at the annual Knowledge and Needles open house that Ann holds near the end of August.  So I guess that's the upside of some of the usual retreaters dropping out, we get some new wonderful additions to the group!

I didn't really take any pictures this year...  My urge to take pictures seems to have left me this last year.  Saturday afternoon we did get out to Knowledge and Needles since Ann had left the keys for Bonnie and I to open the shop to anyone who wanted to do a little shopping.  I of course couldn't help myself and I did buy a few things.

I was also able to finally pick up the signed chart I had won off of Facebook from Norden Crafts.  They regularly give away charts and if your name is drawn its sent to the LNS of your choice to pick up.  I'm looking forward to stitching this one on 40ct in a gorgeous red!

... I like long romantic walks on the beach.... (please note down winter coat, snow on the ground and that Lake Ontario is FROZEN!)

On the way back to the Timberhouse, I wasn't in a very social mood so I took a little time by myself with my camera.  I stopped a few times on my way home AND I went down to the "beach".

Here are some of my shots...

Meanwhile back at the Timberhouse...

 Stitching-wise it was a productive weekend!  I worked on getting all of the white put in on the adorable owls in Three Little Maids.

Tall Snowman

cHeart In Hand

Stitched on: 32ct Belfast Linen - Autumn Field from Zwiegart

Stitched with: DMC & WDW

When I had enough of stitching with white floss I pulled out some of my other January starts which were ornaments and worked on those.  I managed to have three finishes!  So that's I think 5 of my 15 starts finished in the fist month of 2014.

Christmas Favorites Santa & Reindeer

cPrarie Schooler

Stitched on: Mystery fabric

As usual Sunday came around all too soon and it was time to head home.  Normally we pack up around lunch time but it was snowy, and windy.  I decided shortly after breakfast it would be best to start making my way home.  Instead of 3-3.5 hours to get home it took 5.5 hours!  Wow!

Check out both Bonnie and Christin's blogs they took a few more pictures than I did, many of the stitching on display.

Bleated Retreat Post

Its been a week since the March Knowledge and Needles Retreat at the Timberhouse in Brighton!  As usual it was a fantastic time and I'm already looking forward to next year!  It was great times with great friends with far too much food and lots of stitching!

Christin, Tracey and I actually started the weekend a day early.  Thursday morning we packed up the car and headed down to Beatrice's place.  She was hosting lunch and stitching at her place for the day, and was kind enough to put the three of us up for the night!

Merry Cats-Mas

Freebie ???

Stitched on: Mystery 28ct linen

Stitched with: DMC

 These two are from the free kit that came with the magazine

Cross Stitcher 

Issue 260, December 2012

While at Beatrice's I managed to squeeze in a few happy dances!  Now I admit one of these was ALMOST finished and  the other two well they're the kind of thing that only takes an hour or two.

Friday morning Bonnie joined us at Beatrice's and we all headed out for breakfast.  I must admit that breakfast is my favorite meal out, how about you???  Bonnie was such a sweetie and sneakily paid the bill for ALL of us before we knew it had happened!  Thank you Bonnie what a treat!  Then it was time to head off to our favorite stitching destination, the Timberhouse!

The "London Girls" stitching away!

We quickly managed to settle in, set up our little stitching nests and over the next little while more of the ladies showed up.  Before you knew it the room was filled with 19 of us talking and stitching!

 Judie's spectacular cushion!!!

 Beatrice's gorgeous Loon!

Marg's stunning handmade quilt!!!

Of course there was the usual wonderful display of finished pieces.  It wasn't long before Bonnie was able to add one more item to the table, Smaug (aka: Blair's Stupid Dragon!)!  Later that evening once the fire was started, Bonnie had a burning ceremony!  She was so happy to watch the chart and left over threads burn!

Bonnie's finished Smaug

Smaug's Ceremonial Burning

Saturday was our traditonal trek to Chez Dan (aka Knowledge & Needles central!).  We were once again treated to a fantastic meal by Chef Dan with fantastic service!

Beatrice, Clare, Wendy & Isolde

Debbie, Marg, Judie and Ann

 Tracey and Rebecca

 The menu with our appetizer, bruchetta

Dan's Chicken, rice & salad all very tasty!

Did Ann not do an awesome job with dessert???

 Not only does this picture look good, it smelt soooo good too!!!

Here's a few more shots from the weekend!

Tracey & Ann

Bonnnie, Rebecca & Beatrice

 Wendy, Colleen, Ann & Marg

 Debbie gave us all a good laugh when she pulled out her "glasses"

Sharon

As usual Sunday rolled around all too soon, and we had to go home!

January K&N Retreat and IHSW!!

Wow what a great weekend!  Not only was it time for the IHSW, which I quite enjoy when I get to participate properly, stay home and stitch lots!  This weekend I wasn't at home, but I was with like-minded friends!  Stitchers at the Knowledge and Needles January Retreat.

The Ottawa Contingent

Lianne, Diane, Me, Jeannine, Sue & Leslie

We all gathered at the Timberhouse Country Inn outside of Brighton and stitched our little hearts out!  Oh did I mention there was also a lot of eating and a little sleeping!  Eat, Sleep, Stitch!  I was joined by some fellow bloggers such as our hostess Ann, Bonnie, Lianne and Fran.  I think I'll let the pictures do the talking!

Ann, our hostess and owner of Knowledge and Needles

Judie

Bonnie and I

Brenda

Sharon

Clare

Ann

Mary (no picture, sorry) brought this little box and said including the box and ribbon there was 52 items.  We had until Saturday evening to come up with our guesses.  It was a small box, and I got 28 out of the 52 items.  We  had a lot of fun with this!

As part of the retreat we are treated to a fantastic lunch at Chez Dan with his Sou and Sou Sou Chef.  I remembered to take pictures of the starter and dessert.  I guess I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of the main dish.

Sous, sous Chef Simon reading us the menu in his best military voice

Of course there are always a lot of fantastic finished pieces on display!

 Bonnie's Leaf

 Both of these are Lianne's first framed pieces for her home!

 Ann's fantastic Mystic Stitch

 Ann's Chatelaine

I'm sure you're dying to see my IHSW progress, and once I finally managed to settle down and stitch (because there is so much visiting to do!).  I mainly worked on two projects, The Accolade and ABC Christmas sampler for Kathy.

Accolade before the IHSW

After

Kathy's ABC Christmas Sampler, I had a little more red than this done before the weekend started

I finished A for Angel and almost finished B for Bells!