It Shore was a Great Retreat! 🏖

Oh my, it's been over a month already since the fantastic shore retreat!😲 But here's the fun that we had there.

It's always a good time in a house full of stitchers, eating, stitching, drinking, and laughing, with some frogging along the way!

Getting ready for the Gone Stitching NJ Shore Retreat and Miss Mia doesn't want to be left behind! If only she could join us.

This sweet piece was stitched by Annette K, and finished by her daughter-in-law, Kathy. A combo of the LinAnn retreat patterns.

It was a beautiful day when I arrived, just a bit breezy.

My stitching view, just gorgeous.

I added some more stitches to my Halloween Hijinx.

I know this will take a while to finish, but I'm not in any rush.

Our little walking group and what we saw that evening.

So Amy, Robin, and I started this sweet pattern as a SAL together. We all started it there.

This is Amy's, beautiful fabric.

This is Robin's, another beautiful fabric choice.

I started the one on the left over two, then decided I didn't like it so big. Lucky for me, Amy brought some extra fabric with her that I liked. I restarted, and it was back to over one on the right!

Deck views

Mermaids on a morning walk.

The lovely Janis @Noteworthy Needle was there too, and she had her beautiful pieces to show and purchase. Amy will be showing these models and charts in her shop.

Do you have any of her designs?

The group photo inside since it was too wet outside to take it that day.

The annual lunch at Wallys, yum!

More gorgeous beach photos. It was definitely a little chilly, and certainly windy, but still lovely.

It was windy, but time for another group photo.

On Friday, Amy, Janis, and I headed to Amy's shop to get goodies for the others to shop from.

Now this is teamwork! Having everyone help with bringing in the goods in and out went by so quickly.

And the set up - looking good!

The nerve, this is the thanks we get! 😠

Although the dates were wrong - we were framed! 😝

Well shoot, we still had fun! 🤣

The Barnegat Lighthouse is nearby, but I have yet to visit it. Maybe next year?

I started this about nine years ago for a friend's mother. I was close, but didn't quite finish it. (That friendship ended - don't ever tell anyone that you love unconditionally but don't reciprocate the same.)

I know I could still give it to her sweet Mom, but knowing that she'll end up with it puts a damper on it. I know that sounds awful, but it was a really upsetting and hurtful situation.

So, I would still like to finish it and thought I would bring it next year for everyone there to put some stitches in, it only needs the ocean to be finished. Then it can be a gift for the owners of the house, as a thank you for all the great times there.

Not really wanting to wish the year away, but I'm already looking forward to next time!

Super Bowl Retreat 2026 🏈

Although I wasn't planning on going to the retreat this year, I changed my mind and thought a stitching getaway was needed. 

 Thankfully, I was feeling much better after spending several days doing nothing but getting over pneumonia.

I didn't take as many photos as I normally do, too busy chatting, shopping, stitching I guess!

This was my set up, I worked on my Welsh Dragon the first day.

Mary made me the wooden dragons and I bought the bag from Annette - I love them all! I'll make the little ones into needle minders. Or rather, they'll be displayed in my craft room since I mainly stitch in hand.

And Mary shared her favourite drink - it was delicious!

Since we were so close to Amy's shop, Born To Stitch, I took some of the girls for a visit. We had a great time, we all found treasures we had to get! She's close to getting her online shop open, I'll be sure to post when she does.

 Even though I was there two weeks before, I still found a few things I didn't know I needed.

These all hit just about everything I love, just missing a mermaid!

I won the Awesome bag and the rest were table gifts from friends. A sweet haul!

There was a freebie table, and I found a few things. I already stitched my DIL, C, a set of Bride Tree ornaments last year, but I hope to need two more in the future!

We were at the Patriots table and lost in the "stitching" football game. Oh well, it was still fun!

And then before I knew it, it was over and I was home once again. I think these two little stinkers missed me!

I'm sick of tea! 🫖😷

 Wow, I never thought I'd say that!

It happened before the snow/ice storm, I had a cough/cold/congestion, but finally went to the dr's after the storm. It's nice to have your doctor just down the road! So, I ended up having pneumonia and have been hunkered down at home. Just as well, it's been freezing all week. I've had enough tea (PG Tips and multiple flavoured ones) and honey, to be swimming in it! I'm still coughing, but slowly feeling better. One cup day at a time!

We ended up getting 10.9" of snow/ice, but I wonder if it was really that much.

DH had gotten the snowblower out before the storm, and it worked fine.

Until it didn't! The belt broke just after he started. Our neighbour had an extra belt, but it didn't fit. Oh well, it looked pretty out there.

That didn't stop us from having a visitor that evening.

It also brought the wind, which gave us this nice little snow pile on our deck.

We were nice and warm inside, and I had Mia and Maverick keeping my spot warm - even though I didn't ask them.

A funny before the storm - to be prepared, we put water in the tubs just in case we lose power. Because if that happens, no toilet flushing with having a well.

I was getting ready for bed and Maverick decided he wanted to go for a swim, by accident. He was freaking out and was having a hard time getting out. Luckily, he got himself out before I was able to get to him. Water was everywhere! I dried him up the best I could, although he was still a bit damp. Even though there's no more water in there now, he's still leery of it!

Obviously a doctored photo of silly Maverick!

I'm thankful that I've still been able to stitch, inbetween coughing! I've been working on this free chart from Primrose Cottage. It's so sweet! You just need to subscribe to their newsletter to get a free chart every month and to see all the goodies they offer! 

I changed up the colours a little bit, I didn't like the way 963 looked, so I chose Crepe Myrtle that I had in my stash. I also added a darker teal, you'll see later!

I hope you're warm wherever you are.

I'm happy that we're missing the next snow!