06/21/2026
It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m sitting here on the back porch. Mike (my husband) and Jeremy have gone golfing, Josh and Tyler have run out to do some errands, and Mom is upstairs hooking and listening to her latest audiobook, so I thought I’d sit quietly and try to write a wrap-up post about our Gathering of Friends weekend.
Boy, it flew by quickly!!
A couple of things that were mentioned to me this weekend have really stuck with me. First… and this has to do with all of you, those who came to the event and those who follow our page from afar.
My son’s friend, Loren, joined us for the first time this year to help and remarked that she couldn’t get over the sense of community within our little fiber arts world. I’ve really been thinking about that because she’s right.
We’ve been doing this event for so many years now that when we see the smiling faces come through our doors or read the kind comments on our posts, it’s like seeing and hearing from old friends. Ladies who may only see each other once a year hug and rush to find a table so they can sit together, and they happily welcome new attendees who might be coming for the first time or may even be attending by themselves. People who may only know each other from Facebook connect and click right away.
Rug hooking and punch needle are at the bottom of the crafting pyramid. They’re not hobbies that many people know about. Even people in our own local community ask, “Now, what is it that you do there?”
There’s just something special about the whole thing… almost like we’re part of a secret club that obsesses over a gorgeous piece of wool or the perfect color of thread, and the person standing next to you completely understands. And if someone shows even the slightest bit of interest in what we do, you are always there to welcome them.
Ladies, thank you so much for giving us another wonderful year. I say it so often that the words can sometimes sound hollow, but you truly allow us to have a pretty wonderful life. We get to come to work every day (dogs in tow), create new things that we’re excited to show you, and be supported both financially and creatively. Mom and I hope you know just how much we appreciate you.
Secondly, Tyler remarked about how smoothly this year went… from an organizer’s point of view. I think I’ve finally realized that the one thing I can’t control is the weather because several of you have told me, “Julie, we just don’t care if it rains.” I do think my husband and I wore out our weather apps this past week, but that’s another story.
Over the last 10 years, we have become a well-oiled machine, but we absolutely could not do this without our team. Thank you to Charlene, Sheri, Jasmine, Lila, Brandon, Jeremy, Marcky, Josh, Tyler, Loren, and lastly, my husband Mike. He has become just as invested in this event as I am, taking a week off from his real job to mow, direct traffic, lift and haul, serve food, paint things, and so much more.
Happy Father’s Day to you, Mike, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
To our wonderful vendors who delighted our guests this year, you truly outdid yourselves. Your booth displays were amazing, and your selection of goodies was top-notch! Thank you to The Woven Reed, The Wool-n-Gardener, Whiskey and Wool, Teresa’s Prim Treasures, 1000 Islands Cruet, Dragonfly Pottery, Daniel, our Amish friend from up the road, and my sister Lisa from Folk for All Seasons.
Also, thank you to the Cheese Store of Watertown for an amazing chicken BBQ and Skippy’s Ice Cream Truck for a fun, nostalgic dessert.
I hope you enjoy the pictures from our event. I apologize for not getting the names of the rug designers included in the rug show photos, and I hope those of you who contributed to the rug show will help answer any questions about them.
Mom, we did it again!
Thank you all, and we’ll see you next year!
