Halloween Mysteries and Surprises

I just returned from a long weekend retreat with a group of creative and generous women from my guild. We arrived at the hotel laden with supplies ready for sewing, socializing, surprises and prizes.
RE tucked treats and assorted Halloween fabrics inside adorable boxes and challenged us to make blocks for a lucky winner.

Don't you think we succeeded brilliantly?

BG wrote up directions for a "mystery" project.  Sleuths followed clues and made beautiful table runners. Volunteers sewed gifts for the Red Stocking Soiree at New York Methodist Hospital and made tote bags for Reach to Recovery. And SV gave out pre-cut fabric kits packaged with instructions to make a block called Patience Corner. I don't know how this block got that name because it couldn't have been simpler to sew.  Another lucky winner got to go home with these.            

While all this was going on inside, a n'orester was raging outside. What we feared most was losing power and not being able to sew.  When the lights flickered once, twice, we held our collective breath, and crossed our fingers.

We later learned that was the moment the generator kicked in! 

We made decisions big and small.

What raffle prize to choose was the question of the hour.  And when L's name was finally called and she got to pick her prize, we sighed in relief. And the Halloween party began in earnest.

GREAT Scot!

WE HAD A BLAST!