Weekend Sewing In Vermont Take 2...
Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 09:43PM 
I know, it was two weeks ago... but it was such a great weekend that it deserves a full-fledged post.
It was such a pleasure to spend another weekend at Blueberry Hill Inn with a dozen devoted stitchers and the one and only Denyse Schmidt, even with a terribly stiff neck that made it difficult to sleep and turn my head with anything but the deliberate, noisy effort of a bendy straw.
Most of our group arrived Friday before dinner, driving and flying from all points near and far, none of them too tired to start sewing after dinner. Projects and fabrics were picked and cutting began, with over half the group choosing my newly vetted Fall Dress pattern as their weekend project. It was evident early on that it would be a really great weekend: everyone seemed so lovely, and so fun.
The weather was a bit ominous all weekend, with big bursts of wind and rain and then heavy sunshine burning through big clouds. Friday night was especially eventful. Denyse and I were sharing Moosalamoo, a little two story cottage next door to the main Inn with a bedroom downstairs (mine) and a loft with two twins upstairs. I thought I had the better room until I realized that the position of the bed meant that my head would be beneath the window. The storm kept me wide awake, with branches banging against my wall and the wind howling at such a high pitch that I felt as though I was trapped inside an episode of Scooby Doo. It really sounded exactly like someone with a microphone and a white sheet trying to convince me that my room was haunted so that I would leave before I discovered their ill-gotten buried treasure. It worked. After a noisy, frustrated effort to set up the folding cot in the sitting room Denyse shouted down to me that there was spare bed upstairs. It was much better up there, but I was awake all night anyway. I felt perfectly fine the next day, fueled by adrenaline, I suppose, and those chocolate chip cookies.
After a giant breakfast we went back to the barn and to our projects. Things were moving steadilty, with lots and lots of great ideas being tossed to and fro. The barn looked like a fully operational sweatshop by noon, which was when we decided that a nice lunch in town would be much better than a rainy hike. We even had time for a bit of antiquing and a visit to my favorite little vintage candy/ice cream/antique store in Brandon where we stocked up on gummys. Sarah even bought some lovely dining chairs.
Saturday evening was another late night of sewing, the barn lights finally went off at about 2 am. One determined stitcher (not naming any names here!) actualy skipped dinner to work on her dress. I know. It turned out beautifully, though!
Denyse led a great workshop on imrpovisational patchwork on Sunday morning. It was a bit like her extremely popular quilt workshop, except we used a foundation piecing technique and made simple little zip up bags. I dropped so many hints that Denyse gave me the one she made. They were all so beautiful. I have taken Densyes workshop and so I recognized that shocked look on everyones faces, that " I cannot believe I made this" sort of gaze. Its such a pleasure to see.
Everyne said goodbye at around lunchtime and Tony and Wolfgang (owner and resident sauna guru/ masseuse at BBH) fired up the sauna for Densye and I and we took a good long sauna and a few dips in the pond before having an enormous dinner and falling into bed, where we had no trouble falling asleep after recounting how great everyone was and how much fun we had had. It doesnt matter what the weather, a weekend at BBH is always perfect. How I wish the barn wasn't used as the XC ski center all winter, I would love to do a snowy sewing workshop. Instead, I said goodbye until next summer. We have already put the dates on the 2010 calendar: the weekends of August 7th and 14th. Next summer we are adding the sauna / pond dip to the evening workshop schedule. We will just have to stay up later to finish all of that sewing.
Reader Comments (12)
Sigh . . .
So many great memories, I long to go back again. What a great time you all must have had!
Did you set up downstairs in the barn instead of the loft? I bet it was a lot cooler.
wow! looks like it was so much fun. Not sure about all that howling noise during the storm though.....I would have been spooked out. We hardly get to experience any storms out here in California....just earthquakes. BTW, those bags turned out great!
Oh it looks wonderful! I can't wait to see your new pattern too!
It was such a great weekend Heather!!!! It was the perfect getaway and it was so great meeting such nice women and to share our love of FABRIC and both of you (H&D):)
Can I sign up for next year? Seriously bummed I couldn't make it happen this year. Everyone looks like they are enjoying themselves. Curious how the new pattern will come out....pdf or will you have a printing?
That's pretty cool in the barn like that. It's sort of crazy how at the same time, that can be reminiscent of long ago ladies sitting around quilting... and of modern, artsy youth of today coming out with totally new ways to sew.
OH - those pictures were wonderful. I was glad to see you had another photographer who made sure a strap or two weren't showing. ;)
Sign me up! Looks like a great time. I've already warned my husband that I'm going. My children will be highly self sufficient by next summer..at 1 and 3.
sigh i am so jealous, that looks like it was so much fun
you are so funny, i loved your comment about dropping hints to denyse!
Thank you so much for sharing the pictures and the stories of your weekend. I think that there are many of us out there who wished we could be there.
I sure with you could bring the fun to Texas! I can truly say that I am extremely envious and I wish I lived closer to Vermont.
I have been reading all your blogs about this trip, and wish I had known about it sooner. Please sign me up for one of next year's weekends.