HLG Fall Retreat 2011

Helen loves birthday cakes. Of course she wanted to help her father celebrate his birthday, even if it was a little late.

So on Thursday we had 'tea time'.

He was so fast blowing out his candles that he ended up a blur in the picture.

(Helen had done very well because he enjoyed his cake all weekend when I was gone to the retreat. Chocolate and raspberry, his VERY favorite)

Helen is fascinated by 'Block Lotto' and wanted to make a block to participate. So she did it up in the spare room. I think this pattern is called "Chinese coins". She did a good job considering my old (30+ years) machine seems to have a problem now.

Friday at lunch time I drove to Jonathan Creek on Kentucky Lake for the HLG lace retreat weekend. Lise was the teacher for a Tonder lace workshop. Here are her samples.

Her lappet is a master piece.

















And so is this piece of a very famous pattern.

 How to make a tally!

Lise keeps her students happy. Friday night we got a taste of her homemade bread ... with brie. Oohhh. Mmhhh.

Oohhh. Mmhhh. I almost still can smell it.

Saturday early Lori arrived ... as always. We have our traditions. Lori is a massage therapist. She showed us what she was working on ... in her spare time.
I opted for double time this time!!! More oohhh and aahhh !!!

Yes, traditions. After lunch Lori took our group photo.

Everybody gave her a camera and she clicked one after the other.

Pam, Joyce, Susan, Christa, Sandra, Jeannie, Candy and Claudia in the back. Doris and Lise in the front.

Lise had designed a 'sampler'. Lots of traditional Tonder elements in one piece. By Saturday evening I was almost done ... until my tired eyes couldn't cope with the light any longer.  

James commented that he knows now why the hedgehog is a lacemaker mascot. 

Cracking the whip?  No, just teaching us a lot.

She even gave the option of doing the piece larger with heavier thread ... to learn. Some liked that option.

Sunday morning: I am ready to cut the bobbins off.

Yeah!!!

Well, patience! I pulled some pins from the first evening of work. But the rest has to sit a little longer to 'season' or 'set'. I would have liked (?) to see my mistakes, haha.

Thank you to Lise for being such a good teacher, and everybody else doing something besides the arranging to make it so much fun, including goody bags, door prizes, chit chat, FRIENDSHIP.