Casowasco Spring Retreat, May 2009

Twice a year for several years many of the Valley Quilters have attended a 3-day retreat at Casowasco. To get the best rate we needed to increase the number attending. We invited the quilt guild from Candor, NY to join us. What a good choice that was. We have great fun together.

A Little History Casowasco is owned and operated by the Methodist Church as a summer camp for children. It is a conference center and retreat the balance of the year. Prior to the purchase by the church in 1946 the property was owned by the Case family. They lived in Auburn, NY and this was their summer home. Theodore W. Case was the third Case generation to live here and raise his family. Like his father he was an inventor and it was he who added sound to motion pictures. Casowasco is named for the Cases and for Lake Owasco on whose beautiful shore the mansion is built.

This is the mansion that was built in 1896. Now named Galilee this is where we normally sleep and have our Weds. night entertainment. This year a large project is in the works and we were housed in another building.

The Foster Center is where we, again in past years, had our sewing space. We use the entire downstairs and from there have a beautiful view of the lake. Upstairs is the sanctuary.

Meals have been moved to the downstair area of the Foster Center for a few months and we are sleeping and sewing in an entirely different space. It works well.

Alicia has spent the winter working on basket blocks and alternate flower blocks. She is working hard to complete the top while here. This is going to be a beauty.

This is just one of the nice things about sharing Casowasco with the Candor guild. What one group doesn't think of, the other does....... The Candor gals were in charge of entertainment Weds. evening. Here Debbie is issuing a challenge. Bras have been rescued from a Salvation Army. We are to work in pairs and embellish these bras. She is giving instructions. At the Weds. night gathering she tells that we will be asked to present our bras with an explanation of the embellishments. We are told that 'presentation is everything'! Awards are to be given.

A bra as only Mother Nature (or Alicia and "the sisters") would design. Flowers for spring and dead leaves, twigs, etc. for autumn.

The bee's knees???

Trying to twirl the beaded adornments.....and not fall down laughing.

One has to keep one's ears warm in winter!

Another winter bra - with icicles hanging - brrrr

This one came complete with tiny cow buttonsThe finale was none other than our 85-year old Jean strutting her stuff with the poinsettia bra decorated for the holidays. Jean was overwhelmingly voted as giving the best presentation!

What a great role model. We all want to grow up just like her!

This is going to be a hard act to follow!