Squirrel's Nest Getaway - Day Three

My BFF and I were excited.  The retreat starts today.    Merry Cox is the teacher at this retreat every year and this year she is offering four classes, two on Friday and one each on Saturday and Sunday. We aren't taking the morning class but Merry has some things for sale and we want to see them first thing.  DH had printed a map and we have written directions to get to the house where the retreat is held.  But my navigational skills are awful.  We miss a turn and seem to be headed for Canada.  So we go back and find the turn.  Then we come to a road we know we are supposed to turn on but I tell my BFF to turn the wrong way.  So finally my BFF figures out that I am stupid when it comes to following a map and we turn around and go the other way.  Now we are finding the landmarks on the map.  Yes! We find the right street.  We are looking for the number but not finding it.  We see some cars and a mail box with a squirrel sign on it.  The house is behind another house and down what looks like a driveway.  Whew, we found it.  It is a very nice house.

I am overwhelmed when we go in.  This lady has three (3!) curios cabinets full (FULL!) of stitching.  Most of it is Merry Cox designs.  I could spend all day just looking at her stuff.  But we are here to see what Merry has for sale.  Needlework tools, vintage ribbon, a few kits; the kitchen table is full of stuff.  My BFF and I pick out some treasures.  My BFF gets this antique little bear with a backpack that is a pin cushion and whose hands are holding out a thimble.  It is just darling.  I get some scissors, a ball end bodkin, vintage spool of thread and vintage ribbons.  My BFF finds those scallop scissors she has been looking for.  We are happy with our new treasures but we have to occupy ourselves until the afternoon class starts at one.  I have looked up cross stitch shops in Cincinnati and found one named "Keepsakes".  So we get directions on how to get there.  Luckily it is on the street near our hotel.  Of course finding our hotel has been a challenge.  We find the shop but it doesn't open for almost an hour.  So we sit and stitch in the car.  The shop is in a large old house.  Each room is filled to the rafters with stuff.  I don't think I have ever seen so many stitched models in my life.  It is so fun to go to a good stitching store.   There is an entire room of just threads.  They have tons of fabric.  So I can get that 35 count that I have been looking for.  Then the shop starts to fill up.  Other people that will be going to the retreat are here too.  Oh my goodness, Sherri Jones is here with several friends.  How ironic to run into people that you know when you are two states away from home!  A girl I had seen at Celebrations last year is here.  The lady working at the shop cuts some fabric for me.  Then someone pulls out some unusual overdyed fabric.  Boy, was that snapped up fast.  I even got a piece.  This shop had many free designs too.  Fun!
So then it was time to go to class.  We only took one wrong turn going back to the retreat.  We got there just in time for the afternoon class.

We are taking the Petite Treasures class today.  I have never met Merry but she is nice and friendly and is a very good teacher. 

 We start out by making a silk covered bottom liners for our tray.  The tray is small and made of walnut.  It has a matching walnut ruler.  The silk we are using is pleated and costs 80 dollars a yard. So we are very careful and use up every inch.  Merry likes to make a bag to store her projects in.  So the biggest piece of the silk is saved for making the bag.

  We cut out patterns for the pin disk.  In general, most teachers don't use glue in finishing but Merry does and it works out well.  My BFF takes great notes but I am trying to finish things as she gives us the info.  There are cutting mats, irons and sewing machines for us to use.  Those three hours fly by.

Merry shows us how to make a hedebo stitch.  I like when an expert shows how to do something.  I love how mine turned out.  But it is too small and I end up cutting it off and trying again.
I am very happy to hear Merry say that she doesn't mind when you change her design to make it your own.
Just last night I finished up all the pieces.  The little bag is a button bag.

I'm very happy with how it all turned out.  
We go to TGI Fridays - because they have pot stickers - yum.
Tomorrow is the Palais Royale class.
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