2010 Retreat: Quilting Safari

Dates: Join us February 4 - 7, 2010
Location: We'll be back at the Ramada Inn on San Jose Blvd. by I-295 again this year.

“In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.”  …. Well …. That may be the only creature getting any sleep as we gather up our supplies and “weapons” and head into our Quilting Safari!  Armed with sewing machines, supply lists, and stash, you’ll enter that Heart of Craziness known as the Annual Honeybee Quilting Retreat!  A huge “WELCOME” to all of you who will be joining us this year!

Your guides for your Safari are Esterita Austin, Harriet Hargrave, Jane Sassaman, Martha Bainbridge, Faye Hehn, Carolyn Allen, Lynn Provencher, Nancy Wines, Joyce Snyder and Mary Jane Amato.  They’ll take you down trails you’ve never been before!

In addition to the fabulous classes, we have the usual array of insanity waiting for you as well as some things we made up for this year.  We’ll have the Thursday night Welcome Party.  The line dancing was such a hit that we decided to have Congo-line dancing this year!  Friday and Saturday evenings will bring Bingo and Strip Poker.  Be sure to bring your dollars for your Bingo cards and your 2 ½” strips for the poker games.  Sunday will be the Farewell Banquet with all its usual shenanigans.  Stuff those purses with everything but the kitchen sink just in case you may need it for the ‘at your table’ Scavenger Hunt!

We’ll have a Treasure Hunt that will last throughout the weekend, as well.  All the info will be in your Retreat booklet (given to you when you register).  The Quilt Sale Room will take place Saturday; bring your STUFF (blocks, tops, UFOs, purses, etc) and maybe take home a few bucks!  (Remember that 10% of your sale is retained by Honeybees).  Get there early  (it opens at 8:00 a.m.) because the wild animals stampede when the door opens!

New this year:  A room decorating contest! We’ve noticed that many of you enjoy decking out your hotel rooms with the theme of the Retreat. Well …. This year you could win a terrific prize!  Of course we have no idea what it is yet  - but we’re sure it’ll be terrific!   Deck out those rooms (please remember – don’t use anything damaging or  permanent like nails or tacks or anything) then wander around and see what others have done.  You’ll find a voting slip in your goody bag; vote in the Hospitality Suite anytime before it closes Saturday night.

We’ll have our wonderful vendors ready to tempt you with souvenirs of your Safari as well as supplying you with anything you may have forgotten or strips for Poker.  Also remember that Fred will be here to sharpen those scissors and knives! 

The block party this year will be the Jacob’s Ladder block.  It looks like this:  (If you are unsure how to make this block, google “jacob’s ladder quilt pattern” and you’ll find a bunch of sites!)

For the dark, use the animal print of your choice.  For the background, use an off-white/ecru/light beige color.  Your block should measure 9” (finished) square (9 ½” when you bring it to us), and your name should be pinned to the back of the block (not visible on the front).  Turn in your blocks either at the Registration table when you register, or in the Hospitality Suite any time before midnight Saturday.  The blocks will be displayed in the Hospitality Suite then we’ll draw the winner during the banquet on Sunday.  (Each entry gets a number; the number drawn at the Banquet is the winner of the blocks.  And by the way, we expect to see the finished quilt at the 2011 Retreat!!)