Annual South East Dear Jane (and friends) Retreat, 2007

Now that the whirlwind of finding out who the winner if Cathedral Stars is past...I can finally unpack my car and find my camera and upload the pics from retreat!

Let me tell you that Mansfield Georgia is BEAUTIFUL in November! The drive there from here was lovely. It took me about 3 hours from my house, and the trees are just about in full color. I was in awe at the gorgeous golds, oranges, reds, yellows and various shades of green against a blue blue autumn sky!

The retreat was held at Charlie Elliott Conference center. There was a huge huge room we set up our machines in. The lighting was perfect. The windows overlooked the woods, and on down to a lake below! There are banks of hotel type buildings where we roomed. It couldn't have been better.

Not everyone was working on Dear Jane. Over the years that has kind of evolved into projects of all kinds as others have finished their DJ quilts, but still want to attend and it is more of a "bring your own thing" now! There was one energetic gal, Mary, who was making designer handbags out of the most beautiful upholstery fabrics with wild trims. So fun to watch her work!

I arrived, and upon entering the building for the first time, I was greeted by this welcome mat! Oooohhh! You know it is going to be a good weekend when even the door mats are quilty looking!


Not very many people were there yet, so I had pick of the corner I wanted to sew in. One wonderful thing..the walls were CARPETED so you could just PIN to them for a design wall!! I am so enthused about this idea, I might carpet the walls of my next studio.. :c) I hung my "Nearly Insane" there, hoping that seeing it would motivate me to finishing it sometime in the future too....but it didn't get worked on. Still, I guess it got to breathe outside of the box it's been kept in!



I have been dragging this pink/brown DJ thing to retreats for over 4 years now. Don't you think it's time I got it FINISHED?! Or at least pieced into a completed top? Every time I pull it out and work on it, I love it. But it is so tedious that I just keep pushing it aside for other things at home. I am happy to say that I finished piecing the last two rows of the center while at retreat!

Yes, you got it right. I pieced 17 blocks, and all the sashings and cornerstones that went with them during the retreat...and gave seven massages in between! How's that for productive?! *LOL*



The weekend was filled with the hum of machines, the ring of laughter, all the wonderful things that happen when quilters gather together. I really love the one on one time I get with quilters during the massage sessions. You really get to take time out and get to know someone so much better. These ladies are awesome and inspirational!



Now that I am home....I still have to attach those last two rows to the "Mother Ship" but it may be a while before I pull it out again. We have received the job offer from Corning in Winston-Salem and it is too good to pass up! They will buy our house here, so we are free to buy something else there. They want us moved quickly. We will have to start house hunting right away. My head is in a spin, I can tell you. The benefits so far are better than anything DH has had here....it is like a complete gift horse??

We are still waiting for a reply from the one job that would allow us to stay put. But at this point, staying put doesn't even seem like the best thing to do? Yes, I'll be walking away from my massage practice...and starting over....but compared to the benefits of the job for DH,that is small potatoes. Who knows...maybe I'll have more time on my hands to...QUILT?? :c)

If we don't hear back from Georgia Pacific about the job here by Wednesday, we will accept the Winston-Salem job and move full steam ahead. I would love to hear from anyone in the Winston-Salem area! I know NO ONE there...