July 2020 – Ferndale retreat
We were restricted to 13 participants but we all had a really marvellous time. Arriving for morning tea on Friday but leaving a fraction earlier on Sunday afternoon than planned due to threatening stormy weather, the time spent together was fun, relaxing and few surprises thrown in for good measure.
On Thursday 9th was Karen’s birthday so we had a beautiful cake on the Friday afternoon to celebrate this milestone. Karen has been a diligent and dedicated CQI Treasurer for over 10 years and we are truly lucky to have her and she is a lovely person too! Happy birthday Karen.
Friday evening we had our usual drink and nibbles (the new Covid19 safe way) followed by more sewing after dinner. Sue managed to acquire a folding sewing bin that she donated to everyone and they were very appreciative. Sue managed to sew the stretched stars quilt together at the weekend and has now quilted it and Pam W has volunteered to sew on the binding.
Saturday saw lots of sewing but we paused for a Show and Tell from Anne Curry who amazed us with her incredible stash of Covid19 sewing. There were pillows galore, some with intricate cross stitch, a fancy applique project file, table runners, wall hangings and of course a quilt! It was indeed a hard act to follow but we tried!
Julie-Ann showed her Sue Spargo 90 day ‘Toned down sampler’ wall hanging.
At 6pm we had a fun trivia night and Sue had made some Xmas felt badges for the ladies to choose from to wear to the Xmas in July evening meal. Kee cooked a special Xmas meal and gave her recipe for delicious desert pudding to Pam W to share with us. Annie outdid herself with the stunning Xmas dinner decorations. It took her all afternoon to dress the room and the tables. She dressed up as Santa’s helper and gave us each a beautiful gift of 3 white cotton crocheted decorations.
Sunday, more great food, sewing and friendship and as usual it had to come to an end. We may have been the luckiest group to find the window of opportunity available to go have this great weekend away. Who knows if it would have been possible at any other time as now 2 weeks later things are so much worse. But we were all feeling positive and lucky for this weekend to have taken place.