Woodstock Revisited

Woodstock

I came upon a child of God

He was walking along the road

And I asked him "Where are you going?"

And this he told me-

"I'm going on down to Yasgur's farm

I'm going to join in a rock 'n' roll band

I'm going to camp out on the land

I'm going to try and get my soul free."

                     -Joni Mitchell

I was a child of the sixties but never made it to Woodstock - my mother wouldn't let me go, LOL. And even though she wrote the song, Joni wasn't actually there either so I didn't feel so bad . . . We were both there in spirit. Joni wrote the song for her then-boyfriend Graham Nash, who was there and told her about it. (I was introduced to Joni Mitchell's music in 1969 when she opened (!) for Crosby, Stills & Nash at a concert in Chicago that year. The next day they performed at Woodstock, minus Joni.)

My favorite album of 1969. Remember albums?? Yes, I'm that old. . . .

Anyway, what the heck does this have to do with quilting?? I've been singing this song lately because my friend Carrie at Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop has asked me to be a Special Guest and Teacher at her shop's Quilt Retreat in WOODSTOCK, Illinois. Get it? Finally, I'm old enough to attend a WOODSTOCK event. Of course, this retreat center in Woodstock, IL is owned and run by Loyola University, the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic University, so I'm pretty sure there won't be quite as much Rock 'n Roll as there was at the original Woodstock music festival in NY in 1969. But who knows what will happen when quilters get rockin'?? A lot could happen.

Hippie Chicks fabric by Marcus Bros. See - quilters can be cool too . . .

According to the brochure, the Woodstock Retreat Campus provides a peaceful setting where individuals and groups are empowered to do the work necessary for reconnection and renewal of the mind, body, and spirit. Located in rural Woodstock, Illinois, about 50 miles from Chicago, this campus features prairie, woodlands, an oak savannah, ponds, and wetlands, as well as a Retreat Center with a dining room, chapel, and multiple community spaces. A beautiful setting for any group, including us rowdy quilters . . . 

Carrie has a lot of fun planned for the weekend and I'll be teaching the Union Stars quilt from my new book. If you're interested in attending this new Woodstock event - the Woodstock Quilt Retreat - and taking a class with me, mark March 11-13 on your calendars. You can't miss it. Hitch a ride if you have to - we are going to have some counter-culture fun. Something to tell the grandkids - "I was at Woodstock". I wouldn't want you to regret not being there in 40 years . . . I might even sing some Joni Mitchell if you ask nice.

Find out more about the retreat center here. Contact Carrie at  http://www.piecefulgathering.com/  for your reservation. Phone: 847-516-7911.

"We are stardust, we are golden. And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden . . ."

Peace. Let's hope it doesn't rain.