Shepherd's Retreat
2014
Dear Friends,
Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself whisked away from the stresses and demands of your everyday life. Picture yourself waking up under clear blue mountain skies, in a resort so comfy and welcoming that you just want to settle into the nearest chair and look out over the muted golds, oranges and purples of the autumn mountains around you. Then imagine that you are surrounded by kind and fabulous teachers ready to share beautiful projects and delightful stories with you as well as a group of the sweetest, friendliest, and most wonderful women--and men--that you could ever dream of. Well...if you can even begin to conjure up such an idyllic scene, then you will know what it is like to spend a long weekend at the Shepherd's Retreat. I know that I might be a bit biased, but we did have the best time imaginable. The night before our open house started in Ogden, Teri said to me, "Well, here it begins." And I thought to myself, yes, and how quickly it will slip by. Just indulge me for a few minutes, and share a few memories of the great time we had in Ogden and Park City this past week. Come on...
Shepherd's Bush Open House
Tuesday and Wednesday
We all gathered at the shop during the first two days to share sweet treats, friendships and lots of stitching treasures.
Jeannette was kind and helped me at the counter.
Ann, Paulette, and Pat...just arriving.
Linda, Jeannette and Teri pose for a quick pic.
The Retreat Shop in Park City
We set up a little store up at the Canyons for the retreat. We have tables for each of the teachers where women can browse around and see all of their new and favorite pieces. Plus a table heaping with R & R's hand dyed linens. It was very fun.
Teri's street market turkey greets you at the door.
Here we are getting ready for the opening day on Thursday. How exciting!
We are very lucky to have talented women who bring some of their designs to sell in our boutique Sharon Verbos of The Purple Thread set up a darling display of her beautiful work.
Sharon and Mary were first in line the next morning to come shopping in the store. ( I think they might have slept there...)
Everyone is excited to see what we have waiting for them in the Park City shop.
The shop is always a busy and exited gathering place for everyone. It is filled with lots of fun things that we have gathered from all over for this weekend as well as tables brimming with wares from each of the teachers. Hand dyed linens, new patterns, wonderful accessories, Yay...what fun.
Our brand new stocking--Lula
pattern--$8.00
charms--$20.00
linen and threads also available
We were able to debut our new stocking for this year at the retreat. The printer delivered it on Wednesday and we were very happy to finally have it ready to go.
We are also very lucky to be able to debut new designs from some of the teachers. Paulette brought with her several brand new pieces and everyone had a great time perusing and gathering them up.
They are so darling, and Teri is already busy at work on some of them. We kept a few of each of these designs if you are interested. Just give the shop a call.
Mood Pin Keep
pattern available
complete kit available
This piece is fabulous! It is a pillow with a blessing on one side in a light linen and a pox on the other side stitched on a dark linen. We had a great time pairing 2 beautiful linens together to make this very fun piece.
Birthday Wishes
pattern available
complete kit available
This is a sweet pincushions that Paulette has put in a tart tin. So fun for autumn, but beautiful sitting out all year long.
Autumn Fraktur
This lovely framed piece was truly a joyful piece. The colors are muted and Fall-ish, and I know you will just love it.
Love One Another
pattern available
complete kit available
I really love this piece. It is clever and whimsical and just makes me smile. And...what reminder does our world need more than this.
Jack's Bash
pattern available
complete kit available
Now, how can you resist this totally delightful piece. Part sampler--part Halloween piece and completely charming!
New Halloween Kit
by Chessie & Me
$28.00
This is a new kit that Linda brought with her to the retreat. How fun is that? Her pieces are always so charming and whimsical that it just makes me want to grab my scissors and needles. Happy stitching.
Pincushion Exchange/ Heifer Project
Anyone who wanted could participate in a pincushion exchange with the proceeds going towards the Heifer Project. Here are the tables with many of the fantastic pincushions on display. Shepherd's Bush matched all the money that was donated, and in the end, we raised $2000 dollars--enough to buy 16 sheep for needy families around the world.
Thanks so much everyone!
The Welcome project
Everyone got to make a darling stitched necklace, finish it and wear it all weekend.
Shannon and Timsey are wearing their finished necklaces after an afternoon of stitching and visiting with old friends and new.
Project Reveal
Late in the afternoon of the first day, the teachers gather to reveal their beautiful class projects to everyone. Then we really know that the fun is just beginning. Teri and I are standing behind my autumn sampler--Thankful Be.
Three generations of button makers--Cecile, Rachel and baby Amelia--show off the darling pumpkin pin cushions that they taught in their class. Most people finished this during the class and took home another completed project.
Ann holds up the lovely sampler that she and Pat taught in their class which celebrated family and generations of women. It was so sweet.
Linda holds up her sampler which is fantastic. It is Over the River and Through the Woods and is worked on two different pieces of linen which are sewn together. So darling.
Paulette shows off her wonderful class piece which celebrates the blessings of Thanksgiving time. Everyone happily anticipated their time in this fabulous class.
Jeannette holds up two versions of her lovely sampler which embraced rivers and woods and a house and grandma. It is just charming and filled with Jeannette's gentle heart and spirit. A treasure of the season.
Thankful Stitches
Everyone gathered Thursday night to meet the teachers and hear a little something about each one of them. Then we stitched on the retreat bag creating a tiny sampler for it with borders by each of the teachers.
Classes begin on Friday morning.
Here is a picture of one of the classes already busy with the stitching of their first project.
Just as each class began, we would hand out a small surprise. The gift for the first class was the pair of scissors. In the second class, everyone was given the floral scissor sheath, an acorn fob was our final class gift. It made such a fun Fall set.
Bountiful Buttons
On Friday night we all gathered to learn about making buttons from the Rachel and Cecile at Just Another Button Company.
Everyone got an assortment of clay, a booklet of instructions and the tools to try their hands at creating their very own buttons. After a few minutes of not knowing exactly where to start, everyone was soon busy and excited at working with the clay and creating their own tiny masterpieces. People lingered for a long time cutting and shaping their darling buttons.
And we lingered through most of the night baking the buttons, cooling them and labeling them for each person to receive her own creations.
We didn't even burn one batch.
Getting ready for the banquet!
No matter how much preparation we did leading up to the retreat, Saturday afternoon is a bit of a frantic rush to get everything ready for the banquet that night. It took many hands to assemble the turkey nut cups that Teri and Sue had worked on for days as well as assembling the button jars that we had worked on all summer.
But in the end, the tables were set and ready for our guests. How sweet they all looked!
A delicious Thanksgiving dinner was served and shared by all. Yum.
And then we embarked on a rousing game of Thanksgiving Bingo.
And then, as quickly as this letter has gone by, the retreat that we have dreamed of, planned about and prepared for is over, and it is time to say goodbye and bid safe travels. That is the worst part of the weekend...knowing that it will be another two years before we gather again here under the Autumn skies to visit and share a small piece of our lives with each other. Be safe everyone, and I shall hope to see you all again in 2 years. hugs, Tina...and Teri
