mcook03

[ATTACH=CONFIG]400290[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]400291[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]400292[/ATTACH]Okay all..I have a challenge for you!!!! Each year my church has a two day ladies retreat. To help with the decorations, ladies have an opportunity to decorate a banquet length table (seats 8) in conjunction with the theme of the retreat. The tables are judged by the ladies and prizes are given. It is also asked that a “take away” be given. I am just stumped this year. The theme is “Count It All Joy”. The flyer does have a boarder of quilt blocks surrounding it..so I thought about making a square placemat with 8 different quilt blocks (as the take away) but I don’t know what to put in the middle. Or I thought of another idea of: When life gives you lemons make lemonade thought by placing two bowls of lemons on the table with a clear glass pitcher in the middle with a cup of sugar and a lemon squeezer next to it, but what would I use as “take aways”? Or..hey…I’m just plain stuck!!! So what are your ideas? I have attached a picture of one that I have done and and other ideas done in the past.

QuiltE

For your lemon takeaway ... fabric with lemons, made into a placemat? or finished up as a set of napkins? another thought would be to make lemon curd? lemon tea? ......... or send them home with the lemons!

For the quilt block theme, why not just have some fresh flowers in the centre of the table?

TwinRiverFarm

mug rugs? There is fabric with lemons all over it (Farmers Market, I think) that would look cute in any block pattern. I love your pitcher idea!

buslady

I like the lemon idea, as well. But you could just combine the 2 ideas and use lemon themed and yellow fabric for the placemats. Sounds like a fun time!! I am going to file this idea away in the back of my head, maybe I ccan figure a way to incorporate it into our retreat. hmmmm

Tartan

How about the tissue holders made from lemon fabric? How about a lemon fabric potholder wrapped around the utensil bundle?

Elise1

I would like to help but I don't really understand the theme, “Count It All Joy”.

Can you elaborate on what that means.

Tartan

There is a very old church song, Let the Joy Bells Ring...that might be an idea as well. Flip through the hymnal and see what other "Joy" songs you can find to see if any more things come to mind.

SouthPStitches

A lemon scented votive candle?

mcook03

Elise1~ It's a church ladies group so the theme is taken from the bible verse "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." :-)

LenaBeena

Our church here does a similar idea. Each year we have round tables to decorate with a theme and then a nice luncheon. We follow with entertainment, silent auction, gifts and fun. Its a good way to raise awareness to cancer as well as money for research. Each woman or team may choose their own theme and in the past we've had everything from tropical islands to Basset hounds, funny hats to everything blue, military to old days on the farm. So as you can tell, anything goes. We also give "take-aways"; little bags at each chair and they follow the theme. Last year my travel theme bag contained English tea bag, German chocolate, Brazil nuts, and Japanese rice.
I like the lemon idea and many have given good suggestions. You could add, if you can find them, old fashioned lemon drop candies - like Grandma always had. Or maybe as a funny part those little plastic lemons of juice, a tiny wipe of lemon disinfectant, another packet of lemon oil for furniture, children's stickers of lemons, lemon scented air fresheners, and whatever you can find in the dollar store. Please send a photo of the tables.