Gate Crashers Retreat

I’m just back from fall retreat at INN AT THE RUSTIC GATE.  I start looking forward to next retreat on the trip home.  I might as well maintain the euphoric feeling as long as I can.  I mean come on, great food, great friendships, great wine (this year’s new find was Leelanau Wines/Blueberry…..OMG!), and round the clock undisturbed quilting time, if you’re so inclined.  This was our sixth year.  We time it each year to enjoy the beautiful fall colors at peak.

This year they decked the inn out with pumpkins and lots of orange lights.  Such fun!

We start our journey north first thing in the morning, stopping along with way at quilt shops.  You know, helping our local economy. Nancy and I drove together, and included a stop at the Muskegon Museum of Art to see the NANCY CROW quilt exhibit. This meant more to me since I had taken her week long workshop in December 2012.  I will post on this sometime since I wasn't blogging at the time.  A stop at Country Dairy for lunch and ice cream and off to the 'gate'.

It’s such a joy to return and catch up with Innkeepers Marcia, Pat, and Chef Sharon, not to mention the pampering we enjoy for those bliss-filled days on the edge of the Manistee National Forest.  It’s like seeing family without the drama.

Returning this year………

Nancy, who shared a new, amazingly simple technique to attach sashing,

Denice, who always settles into a chair nearest the best window light to do hand work,

Marilyn, who has such determination to figure out why a pattern doesn’t work, and fix it,

Sally, the last quilter to turn the lights out at night,

Janice, our most finished projects winner,

Lisa, our newest quilter who’s learning mad skills from the many seasoned quilters in the room,

Janet, who organizes this little soiree and hates to have her picture take,

Valerie, who breaks out the quilting tools once a year just to be with us (ha-ha, so we think!)

And yes me, first up in the morning (5:00 AM) but I couldn’t take a picture of myself.

More pictures later on what everyone worked on……….