Retreats, Retreats, and more Retreats!

I'm so excited to announce...I have officially been able to attend two stitching retreats this year! I had some serious doubts as to whether I could successfully go and physically manage them, but I did and I was able to stay for both of them from beginning to end!

The first retreat was in Gold Bar, Washington from May 31st - June 2nd. It's hosted by our stitching guild, the Northwest Sampler Guild, traditionally every year. I was very apprehensive about attending considering it's held at a camping resort site at the base of the Cascade mountain range and it is not wheelchair accessible. It's a rustic resort...but quaint and peaceful and with the friendliest staff. The cabins were not accessible so I had to pay extra to stay off grounds in a hotel, but to be there with those stitchers for almost four days was such a treat. It was an amazing creative experience, a cherished time to get to know fellow stitchers, and important for me to gain some confidence in being able to leave the house and follow through.

The next retreat was the Pacific Northwest Stitching Summit 2024 hosted by the wonderful Portland needlework store, Acorns & Threads. It was three packed days of treats, surprises, great food, and inspirational people. The designers were Beth Twist from Heartstring Samplery, and Teresa Kogut from her self-named art designs. They collaborated a beautiful design, talked about their creative process, and then walked around to all our tables and mingled with us. Jeannine (the owner of Acorns & Threads) and the rest of her crew went above and beyond to make us feel treated and special. The women I met and the laughs we shared will be carried with me for a lifetime!

All that to say, I'm so thankful I was able to get through both retreats. The hotels and their super high mattresses were challenging for the wheelchair, and I was very tired at the end of each retreat - but I'm so glad I was able to go. So many stitching retreats are in faraway states that I'm not able to travel for...but these were completely doable.

I'm hoping there will be more in the near future!