Last Minute Notes
It is getting close to time for our sewing and arts retreat Thursday afternoon March 13 through Sunday March
16, 6 PM March. The studio
will be open by 8 AM on Wednesday, March 12, for early birds.
The retreat Opening Program will be at 8
PM on Thursday. Here is some last minute information that may be useful to
you.
MEETING ROOM: We will be using the Ballroom on
the 4th floor.
HOTEL: You
should have made your hotel reservations. If you have not, call the Grand Hotel
immediately. The hotel’s reservation number is 1-800-447-6779 or 410-289-6191.
(When you make your reservation you must identify yourself as part of the
NeedleArts Adventures Group to receive the special group rate.) Check-in is
assured by 4:00 PM. Checkout is 11 AM.
Remember, there is a 72-hour
cancellation policy. This means if your plans change you MUST cancel your
reservations at least 72 hours before your scheduled arrival or you will be
charged for the first night’s lodging. It is hotel policy to charge for the
total nights originally reserved by guests when they check out earlier than
scheduled. If your departure date is changed by 24 hours prior to arrival there
is no early checkout charge. There is an additional charge for more than 2 in a
room. We hope there are no family emergencies and no one gets the flu, but
these things DO happen so please be aware of the hotel policies.
CLOTHES: Casual clothing is appropriate. The weather can be
changeable so plan accordingly. Bring a bathing suit; there is an indoor pool.
BASIC EQUIPMENT: Bring the sewing, beading and art
supplies and equipment you need. You will have one 6-foot banquet table for
your workspace. You may wish
to bring a chair cushion for added
height and comfort. A long heavy-duty extension cord and a work light may also be useful. It is a very large room so we will need
lots of long power strips. If you have one it will come in handy. We will have
one or two irons and ironing boards set up for all to share. A “wheelie” (a carry-on bag with
wheels) or collapsible rolling box is handy for transporting your supplies and
equipment.
We can leave supplies in the
ballroom overnight. (Note: Some people use small chains or computer security cables [wire covered with
plastic, with a lock] to secure their sewing machine to the table when they
leave the studio area. You may want to do this.) The hotel will lock the door when the last person leaves the
room. We have never had a problem, but you don’t know what may happen.
OPENING EVENING PROJECT: Our project will be led by Tricia Mattes. Come to the
Ballroom for the Opening at 8:00
PM. We will provide most of the supplies.
You should bring hand sewing needle and strong thread, a scrap (8 inch
square) of quilting weight fabric, and scissors. (You can “shop” for you fabric at the at the give-away
tables if you wish J ) This is
a hand sewing for this project. You
do NOT need a machine.
SHOW-&-TELL: We will have our show-and-tell of our weekend’s accomplishments on Sunday morning 10:00 to 11:00. We must
keep Show & Tell to 1 hour. Please do not take photos during Show & Tell.
We have a lot of really interesting work to see and a very limited amount of
time in which to do it. So, if you want a photo of something please arrange to
take it before hand.
INFORMAL SHARING: Carrying on our tradition of sharing, we are planning
several informal workshops during the retreat. You should have already received workshop descriptions and
schedule. If you have not already pre-registered for the workshops and you want
to take a class you may sign up at the Opening – if there is space available.
Kit fees are paid to the session leader in cash
at the workshop.
The workshops are:
1. Juice Box Wallet with Sandy Sapienza, (Friday 10:30-
11:00 AM)
2. No Piecing Bow Tie Block with Ellen Nobles-Harris, (Friday 1-2 PM)
3. Planning
and Laying Out a Memory Wall Quilt with Judi Ward, (Saturday 11AM to 12 noon)
4. Spiral Bracelet with Doris Slye, (Friday 2:30 – 4:30 PM)
5. Organized Doodling with Doris Slye, (Saturday
1:00 – 2:30 PM)
Remember there
are kits for some classes so you will need to bring whatever is on the supply
list ----- or make a run to WalMart
or Michael’s :-) !
Memorial
Quilt in memory of Vickie McPeters – A note from Betty Jean
Boyd:
Vickie passed away suddenly in December. She has been attending Sewing by the Sea for many years. I would like to make a "1600" quilt at our retreat in her memory. It will be sent to her daughter and granddaughter. Vickie always used jelly rolls to make quilts so this would be very fitting. If you care to donate strips to be used in the quilt please bring them to SBTS. I can use 2 1/2" wide by width of fabric in girly fabrics in pastels in pinks, lavender, green, blue etc. Bring them to the March event and I will get to work. Vickie is missed by all who knew her and I thank you for being a part of this quilt project. Betty Jean.
Vickie passed away suddenly in December. She has been attending Sewing by the Sea for many years. I would like to make a "1600" quilt at our retreat in her memory. It will be sent to her daughter and granddaughter. Vickie always used jelly rolls to make quilts so this would be very fitting. If you care to donate strips to be used in the quilt please bring them to SBTS. I can use 2 1/2" wide by width of fabric in girly fabrics in pastels in pinks, lavender, green, blue etc. Bring them to the March event and I will get to work. Vickie is missed by all who knew her and I thank you for being a part of this quilt project. Betty Jean.
Soaps and Toiletries Needed: Lois
Uditsky is still collecting soaps and personal hygiene items --- like the shampoo, lotion and
soaps you get in a hotel room.
Bring whatever you may have to share and save what you do not use at the
hotel during the retreat.
“GOOD STUFF” EXCHANGE: We all have a lot of fun sharing “good stuff” we no longer
need. If you have some fabric, books, sewing, art or craft supplies, patterns,
etc. that need a new home please bring them to share. We will have “Give Away”
tables in the Ballroom. These must be things you’re willing to GIVE away --- no
sales. We will put out these treasures after the Opening on Thursday evening.
Note:
Please be sure your give away items do
not have pet hair in them. Some people are allergic to cat/dog hair. We
want to keep everyone healthy!
Button Buffet: Judi Ward will again
organize this buffet. Have
some fun with your unneeded buttons! If you wish to dispose of those
"thousands" of buttons you have but are not using please bring them. We
will have some shallow bins to dump them into and cups and/or plastic bags to
fill.
One bin will be for
loose buttons and one for carded buttons.
The Button Buffet
will open on opening night, just like the freebie tables, and you can pick and
choose some new buttons …… and have fun doing so.
So pack up those buttons
and be ready to pick out new ones to take their place or simply be rid of the no-longer-needed
buttons for good!
SNACKS: The
hotel policy is that any food in public spaces, for general consumption, must
be provided by the hotel catering services. This is because of the health
laws. This means we cannot have a
snack table from which we share. You may have your own snacks at your own table
and share as you wish.
SOUND CONTROL REMINDER: If you want to bring a
tape or CD player or a TV, it should be small enough to fit in your work area
and MUST have earphones so it does not disturb others.
SPA: The spa
is giving a 10% discount to our group on services over $25. They offer a
variety of services including manicures, pedicures, hair styling,
massage and facials. You may make appointments before you arrive. Call
410.289.4066. (The massage
and facial appointments often fill quickly.)
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE: When you
arrive check into your hotel room and get settled. A lot of us are coming a day
early and departing on Monday morning. Our studio space is on the 4th
floor in the Ballroom. The room
will be set up by 8 AM Wednesday for Early Birds. Someone from NeedleArts
Adventures will be in the area Wednesday. Stop by the Ballroom and pick up your
nametag and find your workspace.
Some of you have asked to sit with
certain other people. We have
asked the hotel to arrange the tables to accommodate your wishes to the best of
their ability. Because of physical constraints in setting up the room we are
limited in the placement and sizes of clusters of tables.
Near the entrance we will post a map of the room with the
table clusters marked and a list of the people we anticipate will be sitting in
each cluster. We will put all the table tags for that cluster on one table in
the cluster. The people in that cluster decide who sits next to whom. *****Please
DO NOT move table markers to/from another cluster without consulting Sandy
Sapienza or Judy Lapato. ***** We
have done our best to assure that people who want to be together are close to
one another. We can make last minute adjustments when we arrive but we need to
be coordinated about it. Remember,
while it is nice to sit with old friends it can also be good to meet new ones.
We have an especially large group this time so we need your help to get the final
seating arranged as smoothly as possible.
You can set up and start working when the room is ready. We strongly
recommend that you do not leave your sewing machine unattended. While the hotel
is safe and secure, anything can happen. (Remember: Some people use security
cables to secure the machine to the table when they leave the studio area. You
may want to do this.)
This is going to be a wonderful, relaxing and productive
retreat. We are looking forward to seeing one another! There are several new people joining
us. In the mean time, if you need more information, please call me at
410-923-6133 or e-mail at sandra@annapolis.net. NeedleArts Adventures, PO Box
331, Crownsville, MD 21032
