Count Me Inspired

It has been two weeks since the first ever Inspired Needle retreat. It was held in Shipshewana, IN, nestled in a quaint hotel, surrounded by an Amish community. Our group was comprised of 34 ladies, some beginners, some advanced, but all were a lot of fun!


Above is a picture of the group hard at work on their felted pincushions. There was no felting involved. The kit came with precut pieces of wool felt which could be embellished and then assembled on top of a vintage thread spool. Each one was unique and special in its own way.


We shared good food, prime stitching time and learned more about each other. Some beautiful works in progress were seen:






In between meals and stitching, we got to peruse the Dinky-Dyes trunk show along with assorted other needlework treats.



By the end of the weekend, we were all relaxed and content, happy to stand for a couple poses. Same time next year?






Thanks for reading!
Cathy

Autumn Fun

A couple weekends ago, the DH and I went up to Erie, PA with the twins. The views of PA's rolling hills is spectacular in the fall.



We had gone to a local garden center the last few years in a row for a fun day of frolicking with the corn stalks, straw bales, scarecrows and "jump" inflatables. This year, we learned of a nearby farm which offered some fun outside adventures. First there was the expansive corn maze! There were nine "stations" set up within the maze and the goal was to find the station and stamp your puzzle sheet with the stamper found at the station. Once you got the stamp from all nine stations, your paper would reveal the image of the corn maze as seen from the air.


Next was the corn kernel trough. The entire trough was filled with loose corn kernels. What fun the kids and parents had! Corn down the shirt, corn in the socks, corn down the jeans....after the twins tried to pour as much corn as possible down daddy's shirt, they proceeded to bury each other in the corn.





Next, it was time for the pumpkin sling shot. Four pumpkins for a buck got you four chances to fling your pumpkin across the field, trying to shoot through a giant wooden pumpkin head. If you got a mini pumpkin through the mouth, you would win a giant pumpkin to take home.


There was also a hill filled with five super slides. The kids had a great time running up the hill and sliding down. I skipped the slides but did delight in all the fun.


What a wonderful day! We couldn't have asked for better weather or a better farm. We will definitely return here next year!