imsewnso

Wonnie...the cards are a great idea....won't get lost in the mess... in my purse anyway. lol

imsewnso

So I will check out $ stores and the potholders...will be checking my stash. Cell phone wallets still intrigue me. I have the pattern now and will see how difficult it would be to make 20 of them. Good stuff ladies Thank you.
Any more ideas ladies?

sewbizgirl

How about inexpensive fat quarters, and little tubes of hand cream. Maybe make some easy coasters to set their coffee cups on by their sewing machines? Post-It notes... seam rippers (so easy to lose the one they brought!). Some hand needles. Little bundles of colorful scraps, tied with a ribbon. A pretty little notecard, welcoming them to the retreat.

WISH I COULD GO!!!

imsewnso

Sewbizgirl - Note cards welcoming them to the retreat.....would give me a chance to use my silhouette. Thanks.

Wish you could come as well.

Nona

I am a participant of a retreat that meets every two years. I watch the clearance bins at walmart or any other place that has sewing or specials on something. Last time I found 5 120 in measuring tapes on clearance at Walmart for $2.50. I found sewing nippers for $3.00. I found note pads for $1.00 at Target. I watch the catalog for "home-sew" for what they may have on special. I try to get everyone's name, address, phone number, and email address and go to Office Depot or similar and buy fancy business card stock and make everyone some business cards they can exchange. I usually wind up with 10 to 15 items for the bags. I use my computer and make about 20 cards for each quilter. I watch for different craft websites and look for the good sale items. I do the same for the door prizes. Each bag is usally different because I can rarely get 20 of an item. After they look at their bags, I don't mind if they swap among themselves. Last year I found plastic cases for rotary cutters for 75 cents. I bought all they had, about 25. They ones not given out are on hold until we have new people coming and then I pull out the stash. Start early and keep looking.
Last retreat we made a cell phone purse. I went to Hobby Lobby and bought lanyards for 1.00. I wish I had bought more. I am about half way finished for next year's retreat.

Peckish

Holy guacamole - $60 for five days??? Or is it $60 per day for 5 days? Are meals included?

Okay you might need to send me more info....

HisPatchwork

a pkg of of brightly colored pipe cleaners are great to have for cleaning fuzzies out of bobbin areas, etc...many come in a pkg

Onebyone

I wouldn't let the ones that complain even come, they contribute nothing to the group that will be missed anyway.

Tothill

I sent a private message. I would love more information.

I am not sure that I will b able to attend this year, but if you do this annually I can make time next year.

Any excuse for a Road trip and sewing.

quiltingshorttimer

Our Guild retreats 2x a year--of course not everyone goes, but we do have a great time. We get little "favors" at our machines when we go to the camp mess hall--it's so fun going back to your machine and finding a "pretty"! Some of the favorites over the last few years for me are: the pin cushion with a thread catcher attached to hang off the table (when my sis got this she jumped up and down like she'd won Publisher's Clearinghouse LOL), a little card wallet--using it this weekend at a quilt show--just big enough for an ID, a credit card, and little cash and fits into my pocket or zip pocket of my tote.), a little draw bag with my initial--it had few individually wrapped mints when we got it but I use it to put earrings in when we travel; a "measuring tap" ribbon lanyard that we put our camp lodge room keys on--got that this year and no one lost a key!, a mug with a fabric cover that had outside pockets--it sits on my cutting table and holds pens, rulers, marking pencils, my paper scissors (that way they are separate from my good sewing scissors), and a "snap" bag (the kind that has a top that snaps close using metal measuring tap to snap shut in the top) that is large enough to slip a tablet or eBook into. We've also had some darling pin cushions, but I typically re-gift those to our guild boutique at our show cause I use a magnetic pin holder--exception is the one with the attached thread catcher and a very small one that is inside a votive holder--my hand sewing needles go there.
And we also get 3-4 FQ on our pillow--amazing the different ways the committee comes up wit to fold them into shapes--one of my favorites was last fall--she used a brown or green FQ for a steam, wrapped it with scrap bat and then covered the ball with a couple of orange FQ and tied at the top with a length of twine--voila! A pumpkin!