For four days we stitched and shopped and laughed. Twenty eight crazy quilters met in O'Fallon, IL for the second cq retreat, put together by MaryAnne Griffin. We spread our projects over half a hotel ballroom and dropped threads and beads all over the carpet while we sewed and laughed. And what a talented group! I wish I had taken more care to get some good photos of people's work because there was plenty of eye candy spread around.
Martha Green and I traveled by car to the retreat and Martha dragged me into a huge candy store on I-44, somewhere in MO. We left with more sugar than we came in the door with. Enough said.
The first day of our visit, MaryAnne took us to a scary warehouse where we pawed over old jewelry and fabrics spread over an entire floor of the building. Donna of Donnaland, dealer in things old, was there to show us around.
Most of us left with some cool old jewelry to either wear or take apart to sew on something beautiful.
Martha and (I think) Bonnie (above) on the creepy warehouse elevator. It was the kind of place that might have been a set for a horror movie.
Things got even spookier when we went to a nearby restaurant (all part of the Lemp Brewery of old) said to be on the Top Ten Most Haunted Houses in the US. The food was great and I, at least, didn't run into any haints.
Then it was back to the hotel for more stitching and carryings on.
A few of the crazy women ... (as you can see I need some practice photographing people from the front).
A couple of the Kansas City group. Sorry I don't know names!
Yvonne and Kay
Lori Bates working hard. Lori was my roommate for the first night of my stay. It was a pleasure to meet her and get acquainted.
Marci Henkel laughing evilly. (Or maybe she is just laughing, but she has such a great evil laugh.)
It was a wonderful retreat and god willin' and the creek don't rise, I'll be back in 2012. Thanks again to MaryAnne and her helpers Willa and Mona for putting together such a great event.
