>>>>

Friday, October 23, 2015

Quilters, Take To Your Stations!

20151022_120148
Quilter’s Dream Retreat in Eatonville, Washington!

111 in attendance!

112 – if you count me.

I have NEVER seen such an incoming of tables, machines, bags, boxes, wagons and truck loads of STUFF!

Are we here only for 3 days?

I think these gals can stay for THREE WEEKS easy and still have enough left over to keep themselves happily busy for a good long time of sewing together.

Remember the people watching thing from the airport that I posted yesterday?  Oh, there is so very much people watching going on here –friends greeting friends they haven’t seen since the LAST retreat held in the Spring –and then there are the newbies who found themselves swept right up into the fun and excitement of a long weekend of sewing together.


20151022_120124

Circle the tables, and set up your groups!

Oh boy, are we ever in for a weekend of Quilt Therapy!

20151022_120129

And they are still arriving, unloading and hauling!

Look at all of the design walls going up!

20151022_120143

This is the Quilter’s version of Occupy Camp Arnold!

Wait!  I think I forgot the kitchen sink!

The huge gym isn’t looking so huge anymore!

20151022_120148

So happy to be here!

20151022_140854-1

Press it out, girls!

How awesome is this ironing station?  7 big boards set in a daisy circle, all on their own circuit so we don’t blow the fuses.  These gals know the drill!  It’s important to get out of your sewing chair and walk over to the ironing for a bit of a leg stretch –and while you are at it swing by the treat tables on your way.  It is retreat, after all!  Ha!

20151022_063413

And we’ve even brought in a quilt shop of sale fabrics!

Oh yes, we’ve got everything we need for a weekend of productivity and they set right in on sewing.  Yesterday was a free sew day with my lecture after dinner in the evening.

20151022_183447

Ready for my presentation last night!

Today we start workshops.  I’ve got a large group of 42 for Smith Mountain Morning for an all day workshop today, and tomorrow we have two half day workshops going so quilters can choose to take a workshop, or stay in the gym and sew on their own projects.  It really IS a Quilter’s Dream retreat here at Camp Arnold in Eatonville, Washington!

There are many more photos, but internet is Ship-Slow ((In honor of how slow the internet was on our cruise a couple of weeks ago!)) and as it is it may take 3 hours for these to post, so I’m going to set it to go and let it run until it’s done.

We’ll share MORE photos when the weekend is over and I have a better connection.  But before I go…one more thing:

20151022_162515-2

The Mountain is OUT!!

Mt Rainier had been covered in clouds since I arrived, but yesterday afternoon there he was, tall and proud decked out in snow covered grandeur  against a backdrop of a perfectly blue October sky, late afternoon.  It took my breath away, seeing him rise so majestically over the top of the tall evergreens.  I gave the mountain my biggest and best “Oh, hello!” and I could swear he answered back with a smile.

“Welcome to Washington, Bonnie Hunter –we are glad you are here!”

I’m so glad to be here too!

Happy Friday, everyone!


Click Here to like our Quiltville Friends Page on Facebook for more fun!

Click Here to join our sister group, Quiltville's Open Studio on Facebook, a place to Sew, Share & Grow!!

7 comments:

  1. That is quite the set up! I can only imagine the amount of work that goes into organizing something for so many quilters. The circle of ironing boards is a clever way to save space. And bringing all that sale fabric? That's just over the top amazing! I hope everyone has a wonderful time. It looks perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ...and who said quilting is a dying art......and no one quilts anymore?.....they just have no idea!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the Ironing station in a daisy Circle. Shared my Idaho Square Dance Quilt over at the Blogger's Quilt Festival today. I named it "When Bonnie Calls". Reminiscent of the days when I square Danced on Saturday nights with a guy calling out the steps. I enjoyed the Quilt U shows last week! Thanks for letting me share.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow! that's one big group of ladies, tables and all things quilty! A few decades ago one of my aunts lived in Enumclaw. Her living room picture window looked out on Mt. Rainier. She pointed out an area where rocks and snow, from that distance, looked like the silhouette of a reindeer's head. Hope everyone has a fantastic time!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my gosh, over the top once again!
    Love love the pressing circle. That's such a wonderful idea.
    You are going to have so much fun as well as the attendees. Wish I
    were a fly on the wall to sniff up all the quilty goodness.
    You go girls!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Help! Help! Help! Oh, Bonnie! I did something wrong, and now I am getting everyone's replies to your blog? Can you help me fix this, please. I don't want to unsubscribe, but I might have to do that and subscribe all over again unless I can figure out how to correct this.

    On a happier subject, I get such joy reading your blogs. Thanks for your thoughts, trips and advice.

    Loretta McGinn
    missmac831@aol.com

    ReplyDelete

If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.

Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.

Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)