New England Stitchers Retreats
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Enfield Shaker Museum
Nestled in a valley between Mt. Assurance and Mascoma Lake, in Enfield, New Hampshire, the Enfield Shaker site has been cherished for over 200 years.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the site is a vibrant cultural, community and educational center.
The Museum offers spectacular views and splendid accommodation.
Gift Vouchers
Purchase a gift voucher for your stitching friend to redeem and contribute to a wonderful retreat experience.
Sponsors
Wise Words
"The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary."
- Mary Kurtz, "The Needlework Times" April, 1978.
Contact Us
If you have questions or need further information, email us at info@stitchingretreat.com or phone Kathy on (508) 839-7723.
"Where stitchers gather, friendships are made, lasting and true. Where stitchers gather, there is harmony, tranquility and true stitching joy!"
One Stitch at a Time....
One Stitch at a Time, we have some exciting changes for you at the New England Stitcher's Retreats website (www.stitchingretreat.com). We decided to add a little spice to our website this year, by adding a BLOG to our home page!
We know that stitchers just love getting to know other stitchers, and sharing their love of this addictive needlework craft. So, we now will have a fun venue on which to share our latest retreat news with you, and so that all of you can share, with everyone, your latest stitching projects, family news, recipes, and ask us questions or offer suggestions to make our retreats the best ever! So, please visit us on our BLOG whenever you wish! (If you have subscribed to the newsletter, you will still get all of the latest news every month.)
As January comes to a close, we have been experiencing some record cold weather, and some very stormy weather across the southwest and midwest. Here in Massachusetts, we woke up to a very cold morning temperature of 1 degree! Wherever you live, we hope that you are safe and warm, and perhaps able to enjoy some cozy warm, guilt-free stitching time indoors with your favorite needlework project.
Now and then I come across some stitching tips that I love sharing with other stitchers. This week, as I was sipping on a cup of hot tea, thoroughly enjoying the March 2010 issue of Cross-Stitch & Needlework, I noticed a tiny little block on one of the pages called, "Project Tip": "Go With the Grain". My interest was piqued...so I read on... The little paragraph talked about the importance of "following the grain" of floss, so that "you will lessen the wear and tear on your thread as you draw it through the fabric. This results in stitches that look smoother and silkier". I was definitely intrigued! The tip went on to say, "to find the grain direction, cut a length of floss. Loop the thread over so both the cut ends lie next to each other. Do not allow the two ends to bundle together, as you must be able to differentiate between them. Holding the cut lengths close together, about 1/2" from the tips, use one finger of your free hand to gently tap the cut ends. Watch carefully...the end that balloons most is the end that should be threaded through your needle, (and is the shorter tail)." This is the easiest little trick, and lo and behold, it does indeed create a smoother look with each cross stitch!
I have been working on a new Blue Ribbons Design, called "Read Between the Lines", which is a beautiful piece that has some of my favorite colours, of cranberry, reds, and multiple shades of blue. It is a very special design, just like all of the beautiful pieces, designed by Belinda Karls-Nace. It will be in my stitching bag tomorrow, as we travel to Pennsylvania to visit our first little grandson, Emery, born to our son, Kevin and wife, Gwen, on January 18, 2010. Just can't wait to hold that precious little bundle of joy for the first time!
We hope that you are considering joining us for our Spring retreat, to be held from May 20-23, 2010 with Belinda Karls-Nace, of Blue Ribbons Designs. We have updated our website with a new registration form, that offers some multiple payment options, to make registration payments more manageable. I enjoy a "layaway
plan", for many of the retreats I attend. Then I can save up for souvenir purchases I want to make at the retreat, with less guilt!
As you are making your travel plans, we want for you to know that there are many options available for you to check out on our website. If you haven't seen them, please "Click" on RETREAT INFO and read about the Driving and Flying Options available for you, at the BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. Also, note that the DARTMOUTH COACH BUS provides wonderful transportation directly, from Boston's Logan airport, right into Lebanon, NH, where we will happily pick you up, if you provide advance notice. One of our retreat attendees is flying into Logan airport, and taking a connecting flight, via Cape Air, to the Lebanon Airport, which is ONLY 18 minutes from the Enfield Shaker Museum. With advance notice, we will pick you up, or if you prefer to rent a car, several auto rental agencies are available at the Lebanon Airport.
Hopefully you are spending some special moments with your needle and thread during these winter months. We will be crossing in friendship and stitches with you, one thread at a time...