By the Sea....

I'm home - did anyone miss me?  I was gone you ask? ;-) Yes, I spent the past 7 days at the beach!  It was wonderful.  When we left, we didn't know how long we would stay, but with the beautiful beach house we rented, the friends, good food & fun, we didn't want to come home after the week was up!  We stayed in a lovely oceanfront house - and here is the first pic I took from our balcony last Sunday a.m. just before the sun came up..... 

And several more..... (probably on different days - I was up EVERY morning to see the sunrise!)

I think the sunrise over the ocean is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen....

I know this one was from the downstairs deck (house is on stilts of course)

And this was taken on Friday from the bottom deck.  I wish we'd taken more pics but we were having too much fun to think about pictures I guess.

and the house from the beach...

 This is what we all stitched last week....

From the "A Stitcher's Journey" booklet by Blackbird Designs

I used 32 ct Vintage Blue Whisper and GAST Freedom

And here are the others - all but one, Donna lives there & wasn't staying in the house with the rest of us & we didn't get hers in the picture.  (pic should be clickable if you want to see a larger version)

Four of us finished & Susan got fairly close.   Aren't they great!?!?!   The 3 on the bottom were the same fabric, but different thread colors.  In order they are mine, Michelle KS, Susan TN, Debbie OH, Char OH & Laurie NY.  We each added everyones initials & they were done over one.  You'll see several variations on each one, but that makes them unique, right?

We all had a fantastic time & were all NOT ready to go home.  I think we were all shocked at how quickly the week passed by.  Now I almost need a vacation from my vacation! ;-)  Susan brought her sewing machine & I also 7 Huswifes for the gals while there, started 2 tote bags for Susan & Michelle, we played with beads & I made a couple of scissor fobs (will share pics later).  And SOME of us shopped.... we hit 2 bead stores (one of them 3 times!) and the quilt shop (also 3 times -oohhh, I came home with LOTS of fabrics!), and the other "usual" shopping.  We went to the movies one afternoon & saw Atlas Shrugged.  The four of us who chose that movie all loved it.  Laurie & Mason (her dh) went to Fast Five (right name I think?) and they loved it.  Char & Debbie just napped & stitched that afternoon I think. 

I'll try & post more pics later this week of all my great purchases and gifts.  Being in a quilt shop is dangerous for me & my Visa...

Thanks for stopping by - happy stitching!