The gals I retreated with last weekend are a generous bunch.  Many brought gifts, what Michelle and Rene define as “happies”, a concept handed down from their momma.  And a great concept it is!  I brought home a lot more stuff than I left with (but, of course, there was some shopping invloved, too!)

Cindy brought us patterns she has designed, and glass pendants that her husband creates (I’m wearing mine right now!), Shelly brought cowboy FQs and a cute cowboy card that says “I never met a quilter I didn’t like!”.  I don’t think I’ve ever met a cowboy I didn’t like, either, but I digress.  Rene gave us an envelope of charm squares, the cutest little quilty buttons, and a pair of quilt earrings from the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative. That pendant in the middle is a necklace I bought for myself as a birthday gift, its’ made by Michigan artist Robin Goodfellow.  I bought a set of postcards at Ikea that truly seemed quilt inspired, and I just could not resist!  Toni gave me my birthday gift, which included a Gruber’s Quilt Shop gift certificate, that adorable vintage photo birthday card and the sewing pattern blank book (that girl does know what I like!)  And those two tea towels at the right I picked up at Target–too cute to resist!  If I missed anyone’s happies, I apologize…I loved every last one!

Now, for the fabric I brought home with me…

Gruber’s Quilt Shop was directly across the parking lot from where we slept and sewed… perhaps a little too convenient from the perspective of one’s pocketbook.  Stephanie explained the make up and the geography of the retreat center very well here.

On the way to Waite Park/St. Cloud, we hit Calico Hutch in Hayward, MN:

• purchase 3 FQs

Ikea in Bloomington, MN:

• purchase: set of 5 postcards, cutting table towel rack

Then in Waite Park:
Grubers (two separate visits):

• on visit #1, scoped out what I would come back and spend my money on!
• purchased 6 yards on visit #2 (including those awesome laminated bicycles for my new cutting table cover!!)
• purchased 4 yards with my birthday gift certificate on visit #3

Briar Patch Gift Shop (next door to Grubers):

• purchased Robin Goodfellow necklace for myself

Old Time Antiques (next door to retreat center):

• purchased a vintage feedsack apron

On the way home, stopped at Quilted Treasures in Rogers, MN:

• purchased a Art Gallery Fabrics bundle at 30% off
• purchased the June issue of Quiltmania magazine–awesome!
• purchased 4 more yards of “couldn’t live with out it fabric”

It’s a good thing I haven’t been buying much fabric or quilting related stuff this year!  I made up for it in one weekend!