Friday was heavy-duty stitching time. After receiving strawberry button pins made by Just Another Button Company, their projects for the weekend (everyone picked such different ones), and a bottle of shower gel from Bath & Body Works, the stitchers hunkered down into sofas and overstuffed chairs for some serious stitching time. It seemed like everyone was finishing pieces, or at least making good progress.

Dinner included salads (chicken Caesar salad, a fruit and spring greens salad, and a pear/walnut/gorgonzola salad). Chocolate-covered potato chips rounded out the meal (if you haven't tried them, they're a delightful treat, and way better than they sound!)

A little time in the hot tub relaxed us all for more stitching after 11 when the hot tubs were closed for the evening. Some of us were up until 3 a.m. Ack! Me included!

Saturday morning, we started the day out with Yoga eye exercises and Ponds Cucumber Eye Pads (aaaah!) Several people took pictures of us all sitting, heads tipped back, with cucumber slices on our eyes. Then we set out wrapped gifts for a needlework gift exchange. Everyone picked a number, and received a fun needlework gift from someone else in the group. I got a wonderful little birdhouse needlework kit and pineapple crewel kit.

Then the masseuse arrived. Aaaahhh...some of the stitchers hadn't had a massage before, and everyone agreed that this should become a regular feature of any retreat I host. After each massage, each stitcher was treated to a parafin wax hand treatment, compliments of Patti and Jackie from Minnesota. Lunch followed: Focaccia veggie and cheese sandwiches, pasta salad, and cheesecake.

Then some people ran out shopping: the Nordic Needle, the mall, Barnes & Noble bookstore. We stitched all afternoon, and bargained for which CD would go in next. Dinner came at 6 (pasta primavera, green salad and warm bread, with more chocolates to follow). Then we drew for door prizes -- everyone got one.

Stitchers shopped all weekend -- I brought most of what is here at the office to them at the hotel. The big joke of the weekend included a mysterious stitcher "Vickie" who had given shop-a-holic Amy Bird $100 to spend on fun things for her. We all agreed that Amy really just has a shopping addiction, and this "Vickie" character was concocted to make it seem like Amy was a little more under control than she was. Ha ha ha!

Saturday night was more stitching time, more hot tubbing, and a trip over to Bennigan's for margaritas and appetizers. We stayed up late again (3, again, me included, again, ack!)

Sunday morning, everyone received a goodie bag. I can't tell you the contents (I have more stitchers coming in three weeks, and they'll receive a lot of the same things). I will say there was a lot of "ooh-ing" and "aah-ing" involved. Some stitchers had to get right out on the road, and others of us went to a local 50's style diner for lunch: thick shakes, hot roast beef sandwiches with potatoes and gravy, cheeseburgers with cottage-style bacon. Yum! (So much for the Spa theme -- I'm sure we don't want to know how many calories that lunch cost us.)

If you haven't been to a Shakespeare's Peddler weekend retreat, I hope you can come some time. I do have openings for this fall's Maureen Appleton weekend (Maureen will be here to teach two classes). I will be doing retreats again next summer and fall. I am kicking around a few themes: Halloween, Lizzie Kate, The Trilogy, and samplers, to name a few. It has been suggested I add one more night to the retreats, which is a definite possibility. If you have suggestions for retreats, let me know. And thanks to all of you who attended. I have 25 gals coming the weekend of the 21st this month for a Drawn Thread retreat. I'll be rested and ready for you by then.

© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com