Ohio, Part 3 - Retreat and Home Again, Home Again Jiggedy Jig

The Western Reserve Sampler Guild Retreat was wonderful.   So nice to meet in person the people I have been seeing on Zoom the last few years.    The stitchers were all as excited as I was to see each other.   We received several little gifts for attending as well as some great table gifts from fellow stitchers.   Like me, many made goodies for all attending not just their table.   Easy enough since there were only 39 attending.  

 Table and Retreat Gifts.   Oh boy!  I think I need to step mine up a bit.  At least for a retreat like this one.  I missed the ‘memo’ that it was a patriotic themed event.  I don’t know how since it was called “Stars and Stripes Forever”!

I won this door prize which  was kizmit!  I have been following Avelea Designs and the folk embroidery designs for about a year and I have wanted to place an order but I kept telling myself - you have too many projects ahead of yet another new one.  

She uses a 30 count European linen that I an anxious to try.   

Fortunately/Unfortunately, I am not putting this on my radar…yet.  

Sylvia Steckler, Running with Needles and Scissors, is a WRSG member.  She taught a class and had a pop-up shop.   I couldn’t resist these charts.   I really fell in love with the big old house.   Yikes!

There were some serious issues with the hotel but once in the stitching room no one could tell.  Renovations were in progress and elevators were out of order requiring many to make last minute hotel changes.  But as I said, once we were set up in our stitching room there was nary a problem or worry, just fun to be had.  

I did get a bit of stitching completed.   I worked on one of my WIPGO calls, 2025 Commemorative Heart/Heart in Hand.   My task was 5 hours of stitching and I am guessing I doubled that.     Before, left and after on the right - obviously!

I also did a wool appliqué piece.   Not a total rookie with this but definitely a novice.   I have done bits and pieces along the way but with little knowledge of what I was doing.   I sat with Barb and Monica when I was in Gettysburg earlier in May and was fascinated with their work and how this type of stitching is the easiest retreat work you can do.    I reached out to Barb and got hints from her before the weekend.   I was able to cut and iron all my pieces in place ahead of time.  It was EZ PZ to stitch the pieces in place that we already held in place using Heat and Bond.   No need to follow a pattern place.    I need to neaten up my stitches and try my hand at some variation of stitches.  I am on my way to attacking the dozen or so wool appliqué kits and patterns I have in stash.

So, not to have you bored, I had a crazy pit stop on the way home.   Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum and Candy Emporium in Orrtanna, PA.   I kid you not.  

There was a QR code on this mural that gave you the history of Mr. Ed and his elephant journey.   Someone gave he and his wife an elephant figurine as a wedding gift as it was to bring good luck.  The journey started there.  

The grounds and gardens were a lovely place to walk around.   Each corner turning up a different elephant or perhaps one of the 7 Dwarfs hiding in the undergrowth!

I think we all need a little bit of whimsy in our lives.  How about a flower bed full of bowling ball lady and other bugs?   Hmmmm….I have a couple of old bowling balls in the closet….

Just think, a long car ride with the kiddoes…..what a great place to stop and stretch your legs with them. 

There was a Tea Pot House filled with hundreds of teapots of every kind, even elephant teapots!

I was truly captivated by the over the top concept and execution of this entire place.  

And then we went inside!   There was part of candy store that was sectioned off as the museum.

Thousands and thousands of elephants on display!

By this point, I was elephanted-out and didn’t even take pictures of ALL the candy.   Tubs and tubs of penny (probably not a penny anymore) candy from root beer barrels to Mary Janes to Sugar Daddy’s.   Homemade fudge and of course, fresh roasted peanuts which I bought for Mr. W.    Dag nabbit!  This being on a diet is hard some days but I somehow made it out with only the peanuts.

All in all in it was a great trip.   Except for the long drive.   No issues at all along the way, it just makes for a loooonnnnggg day.   

Thanks for traveling along.   Remember take the road less traveled and you may come across an Elephant Museum.   Back to real life for me.

Keep on stitching……