THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 16, 1996 TAG: 9602150165
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALVA CHOPP, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
While a cold wind blew outside and the temperatures plummeted to record lows earlier this month, 17 women in the Kempsville area hardly noticed.
From Friday night through Sunday evening, over the constant hum of sewing machines and the buzz of conversation, these women shared a special retreat dedicated to their favorite hobby . . . quilting.
``These retreats are like mini vacations with your friends,'' said Holly Erdei-Zuber, co-owner of the ``What's Your Stitch and Stuff'' quilting store in the KempsRiver area. ``We try to plan them every three months or so. It's a good way for us to share our hobby with others.''
But unlike retreats of the past, this weekend was different. Each session focuses on a theme; this one, called ``Sara's Slumber Party,'' became an omen of things to come on this wintery weekend.
To embellish the theme, Erdei-Zuber asked participants to come dressed in their pajamas and even bring a sleeping bag.
``We thought it'd be fun to have an adult slumber party with lots of sewing and junk food, although I never really expected anyone to stay through the night,'' she said. But as the weather worsened and more and more women showed up for their first session clutching their sleeping gear, Erdei-Zuber realized this retreat might be a little different from the rest.
Instead of everyone coming and going as they pleased, sewing for a few hours then perhaps running an errand or checking in with the family at home, many of these women decided this time it was better to stay in the shop.
Some saw it as a chance to spend three days emersed in their hobby without the normal distractions of daily life. No dishes to clean, laundry to do, phones to answer or children and husbands to worry about.
Jan Long, attending her fourth weekend retreat, got to do a lot of quilting but didn't get much sleep. Comparing the experience to a Girl Scout camp-out with sewing machines, Long said she sewed until 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning and didn't go to sleep again until 2 a.m. Sunday.
``During the ice storm, the whole KempsRiver shopping center was closed or without electricity,'' said Erdei-Zuber. ``Luckily, we didn't have a problem.'' She said the threat of the storm only added to the excitement.
``We were like a bunch of kids,'' she said.
Barbara Dodson, a Lake James resident and full-time librarian at Regent University, said the retreat was a special getaway for her. ``At home, I can only quilt for an hour then I have to get up and cook or something,'' she said as she stitched on a large ``Baltimore Album'' quilt with colorful appliqued blocks of fruit, flowers and baskets. ``Here I can quilt without interruptions.''
But for Faye Hannah, vice president of the Tidewater Quilters Guild, the weekend was more than a chance to quilt at her leisure, it was an unexpected blessing.
Midday Friday, the Hannah household in the Great Bridge section of Chesapeake lost electricity. Because she was already registered for the retreat, Hannah packed her bags and headed down the icy roads for the KempsRiver shop.
``My husband thought I was crazy and called several times wanting me to come home,'' she said, noting that her home's power was out for 36 hours. ``Why would I come home,'' she said smiling, ``Here I had food, fabric and fun
``This is my kind of shelter,'' she added. ``This is heaven for quilters.''
Erdei-Zuber hosted the weekend with her mother and co-owner of the shop, Irene Erdei. Both women said the retreats have become very popular in the quilting circles. ``We started with only about six or seven people in the beginning a few years ago,'' said Erdei-Zuber, ``Now we have a waiting list to attend.''
Each retreat offers three different projects for the participants to make, but many women bring their unfinished projects from home.
``Quilting takes a lot of time,'' said Erdei, ``These women use the weekend to finish projects they may have been working on for years.''
Mostly, it's simply a fun thing to do.
``These weekends are habit forming,'' said Linda Woodard, a Charlestowne Lakes resident. ``They provide camaraderie, fellowship and if anyone has a problem, we try to solve it. We've made new friends that have lasted for years.''
Erdei-Zuber said another retreat is planned in May with a Mother's Day theme. ``Maybe a mother-daughter weekend.
At that, an audible groan was heard in the shop. ``What if I don't have a daughter,'' said one quilter, ``Does that mean I can't come?''
``I guess I'll have to put a wig on my son,'' said another with a laugh. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Mary Maddon and Faye Hannah work on their quilts at ``What's Your
Stitch and Stuff'' quilting store at KempsRiver Shopping Center.
Hannah is vice president of the Tidewater Quilters Guild.
Laura Fuller of Virginia Beach shows off one of her projects at
``What's Your Stitch and Stuff.'' What was supposed to be just a
slumber party theme became a true slumber party when the ice storm
hit.
Photos by
L. TODD SPENCER
Holly Erdei-Zuber, co-owner of the shop, said that as the weather
worsened and more and more women showed up clutching their sleeping
gear, she realized this quilting retreat might be a little different
from the rest.
by CNB