Hi Everyone!

Many of you are aware that Sue C and I are off at a needlework retreat in Virginia.  This is the 35th annual “Christmas in Williamsburg” but this is the first one that is being run by Kevin, Jimmy, and the rest of the gang from Needleworker’s Delight.  You won’t be surprised to hear that everyone is singing praises for their making this such an exciting and successful event!

Sue and I started our journey on early Wednesday morning by catching the “bus” from Needleworker’s to Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg.  We were joined by six other stitchers for the six-hour journey.

The weather improved steadily as we drove south.  The resort is located on the shore of the James River and it is really beautiful.

The view from the stitching room!

There are about 200 people attending the event (up from about 75 last year) and a number of classes are being offered — mostly cross-stitch and lectures.  Sue and I are among a handful of needlepointers in attendance.  Quite a few people have stopped and expressed awe at our stretcher bars!  There are about fifteen vendors (yes, we shopped).  Breakfast and lunch are provided every day.

The rooms at the resort are spread out.  Our room overlooks the tennis courts and is very nice with perhaps the best shower we have ever had in a hotel.  (It takes so little to keep me happy!)  The resort runs a shuttle service to get us to and from our rooms.  Sometimes Sue and I walk, too.  The hotel is also running a shuttle service to and from Williamsburg on a set schedule.  We haven’t taken advantage of this yet — it’s in our weekend plan, particularly for the Grand Illumination on Sunday!

The resort is beautifully-decorated for the holiday as well.

These nutcrackers flank the front door; they are lit up at night and Christmas music is piped outside the entrance!  These pictures are a private joke for Sue’s sister!

Tonight, after two full days of stitching, we had a banquet dinner.  There were live musicians singing and playing Christmas carols in the lobby beforehand.

Dinner started with a salad with greens, dried cranberries, pecans, sweet potato pieces, and feta cheese.  Dinner was a combo of a game hen and salmon with risotto and veggies.  Dessert was a selection of pastries!  Excellent.

It won’t surprise any of you that Needleworker’s had beautiful door prizes and baskets to raffle off.  I won a door prize.

A Nantucket basket and two complete kits from Fern Ridge — one of the vendors at the boutique.

There were forty opportunity baskets, but only two had needlepoint items.  Sue put all of her tickets into a Christmas sampler needlepoint and I put all but one of mine in a Nancy Needles “Two Lighthouses” basket.  My final ticket went into the Christmas sampler basket.  I told Sue that if I won the Christmas sampler that it would be her birthday present.  But, lo and behold, Sue won it all on her own ticket!

There are about 30 door prizes awarded each day while we are stitching, too!  Sue and I have already decided to come back next year — you all should join us!  This is like the NJ Needlefest on steroids!

Cheers, Rosie

I was stitching with Sharon yesterday at the other New Jersey ANG Chapter to which we both belong. She was finishing up her November stitches on the SOTM project and I was able to get a picture. Sharon chose the same color palette as Robin, Joan, and Nancy, yet they are all so different.

She is enjoying the project because she had never done most of these stitches and so has learned quite a bit. Also, this is Sharon’s first SOTM and she has really enjoyed stitching with the group – it has helped having others to assist with decisions about colors and questions about stitches.

Ellen and Janice wanted you to see the class that they are enjoying. In St. Louis. It is a class inn Rozashi taught by Margaret Kinsey called Mums Water, a two day class. They said that they are having a great time and that Margaret is a great teacher!

And the other.

Hi Everyone —

Here’s my up to date SOTM:

Now you can understand why I called it stitching vomit!  Some of the other more monochromatic versions are really beautiful!

Cheers, Rosie