Two weeks to go

Only a few weeks to go now - just over two in fact and life is beginning to get very frenzied in Adelaide. Apart from ongoing hassles with venues, the committee is getting it together and I can assure you, we will be ready for the onslaught of 150 enthusiastic quilters, come the weekend of the Retreat.

We spent last Saturday putting together the goodie bags and the raffle gift bags and thanks to our very generous sponsors, we have many treats in store for you. If you are lucky enough to become a recipient of one of our prizes, please thank the donors by email, phone or post. They do appreciate your thanks and are more likely to become repeat donors if they feel appreciated. Check out the list of sponsors on the Retreat website and if you happen to be visiting one of them, please tell them how grateful you are for their support.


Committee members filling goodie bags. The photo is a bit blurred because they were moving so fast around the table. LOL!!

Unfortunately I forgot to get a photo of the finished pile of bags, but Maxine's long front hallway was filled with bags.

This is Maxine's lounge and the boxes of donations left after the goodie bags were finished.












Tagging - A reminder about getting your electrical tools tagged before the Retreat if you can. Otto Windler will be able to do emergency tagging on the Friday evening at a cost of $5.50 per item, but it is emergency only. He is coming from work and will have a limited time in which to do the required tagging. Please help us by doing as much as you can before you get here.

Car parking. Under cover carparking is available next to the Grand for Retreatees. The cost per day will be $7 and if you want 24 hour parking, it will cost $15 a day. Valet service is $20 per day. Car parking is available in the nearby streets, but on a weekend it is like hens' teeth.

Not sure how many sleeps to go - BUT it is not very many. Get moving on those challenges, siggy squares, angel gifts and your packing!!!

Liz

New Raffle

It is obviously my day for catching up with Blogs. I had intended to garden today, but I hung the wet clothes out about 2.00 and 15 minutes later it started to rain - well light misty drizzle really. Enough to we things a bit, but not really do much good. The little birds love it though - they are swooping and diving everywhere.

The new raffle is finally ready to go. The quilt is a lap size - or slightly larger - may even be a single bed size. I can get the exact dimensions if you wish. It is a New York Beauty done in Batiks and I love it. Tickets are $2 each and available from the Retreat Committee. If you are interested just email the Retreat list and someone will oblige - or contact one of the committee direct.

The raffle will be drawn at the Friday night dinner so if you want tickets, you need to purchase them now or as soon as you get to the Retreat.

The blocks for this quilt were made by the Retreat Committee, but the quilt itself was the inspiration of jenny Loveder who has really done most of the work on the quilt.

Liz

More What's on

Heather Bartsch from Barossa Quilt and Craft Cottage has just dropped off some great fabric for a donation and a box of beautiful Barossa Vintage Festival programs. Although most of the events take place in the week preceeding our Retreat and on the weekend of the Retreat, I know that some of you will be here earlier and looking for things to do. Some of the DHs may like the drive up to the Barossa while you are enjoying the weekend at Glenelg. If anyone would like a program sent to them, please let me know.

Art and Craft events include:

A Gallery of Quilts - Sat 11th to Sun 19th - Barossa Quilt and Craft Cottage between Angaston and Nuriootpa. This includes a Christmas display by Judy Butcher. If anyone is interested, Heather may extend this until the Monday.

Vine Patch Quilters Vintage Exhibition - Monday 13th to Saturday 18th - Angaston

Angaston Garden Quilters - Mon 13th - Sun 19th

Embroidery Exhibition - Mon 13th t0 Sat 18th - Tanunda.

There are also many other Art, Floral Art, Craft and Photographic exhibitions.

The wineries are open and many are putting on displays and events and each Barossa Town is having a Town Day of fun and festivity. Food events include Barossa Brunch, Poets and Platters, Lunch with the Whistler family, Breakfast at Bethany, The Winemakers table and too many more to mention here. There are concerts and heritage tours and street parades. Well worth arriving a few days before the Retreat.

If you are interested, please contact me and I can post you out a brochure. Email me at lizneedl@adam.com.au

Festival website is www.barossavintagefestival.com.au

Liz

Barossa happenings

Sandy Askill from the Barossa sent this to me.

The Barossa Valley Vintage Festival is on in April, held every other year.Usually has at least three quilt shows - the one at Heather's cottage which you mentioned, the display by members of the Vine Patch Quilters, which this year will be held in Tanunda and the cottage garden quilters usually have a display in Angaston. Haven't seen the guide book yet so unsure of the details - esp as I won't be here ... A fun part though are the scarecrows which pop up all over the region, great fun to go for a drive and play spot the scarecrows . Oh and the wineries have lots of extra activities too during this festival.

Sandy in South Australia

SA girls, if there is anything else happening worthy of mention, please email me and let me know.

lizneedl@adam.com.au

What's on in Adelaide

Hi Fellow Scquilters,

Thought I would post this website which Rosemary in Canberra sent to the list. It gives you a comprehensive list of what is happening in Adelaide in April - yes, my eastern states friends, things do actually happen in Adelaide despite reports to the contrary.

http://www.bcl.com.au/adelaide/wotson-april.htm

Also on in the week preceeding the Retreat is the Barossa Festival which includes a quilt exhibition at Barossa Quilt and Craft Cottage. (I hope I have that right. I am waiting for more information about this). I believe the Quilt exhibition finishes on the Monday after the Retreat, but if you are coming through the Barossa on your way to Adelaide, it is a geat place to spend some time with lots to see and do (especially tasting the great wines).

Last Friday, with time on my hands, I trawled along Jetty Road, Glenelg and discovered a wealth of shops - especially eating places. None of you will go hungry over the retreat weekend, because once you have eaten your share at the Grand, you just have to step out of the door to find a foodlovers paradise. I was especially taken with the Danish icecream shops - Anderssons and Copenhagen. Love that Danish icecream!

And then there is the esplanade with its fancy apartments, restaurants and bistros, the jetty and of course the beach. We even have a glorious old carousel (hurdy gurdy for old timers) which just tempts you to ride on. Within 2 kms is a great golf course with Harbourtown, Ikea and the airport a further kilometre on. Stopping right in front of the Grand is the famous Glenelg tram which runs regularly into the centre of Adelaide. You could pop in to the Adelaide Central Market on Friday or Saturday (it is considered one of the best in Australia) or stay on the tram a little longer and hop off at the Casino for a flutter. Or you may prefer to stay at the Grand and chat or do workshops. Spoilt for choice.

Liz

Retreat Committee

Retreat Committee
Originally uploaded by wineandroses09

I have just spent some time setting up a new Flickr account so that I could use Mosaic Maker to post photos to this blog. There probably was a way I could have used an existing account, but my computer skills weren't up to that. Hopefully this will work.

On Saturday your Retreat committee spent the day cutting, ironing and stitching to create something for the goodie bags. You'll have to wait until you get the bags, but I think you will like our contributions.

In fact, thanks to the generosity of our wonderful sponsors and some other fantastic Scquilters, your goodie bags will have a lot of pleasant surprises in them.

The photos show some of the committee at work.
Top row shows Tracey at the ironing board and Sue and Jan sewing.
Middle row - Jan and Nusia making some important decisions and Maxine cutting and trimming.
Bottom row - Chris, Patricia and Bron sewing.

And just a reminder about Siggie squares. The decision to participate needs to be made in the next few days, because the swap is closing. If you are humming and haaing - STOP!!

Liz