What is this?

This object came in a little box and looked ready to smock on as the pleats were all even and perfect.




It was about 8 inches long and 3/4 inches wide. It was actually made of plastic, so maybe a little hard to smock through, but all the same it did look like it had been through a pleater,but just didn't have the pleating threads.

So, what was this object and where was it found?

 

It's a shower cap and was found in the rooms at the DoubleTree Hotel, Skokie, Illinois.

Was this not the perfect thing for a SAGA member to find in their room at a SAGA retreat?!



Wes is here!

Wes made it safely to his destination-the SAGA Retreat at the Doubletree Hotel, Skokie, Illinois.

He is so happy to be here and see all of the SAGA members who are here taking classes. He is also very happy to see so many wonderful raffle baskets. Will he be a lucky bear tomorrow evening when the tickets are drawn at the dinner?

Tonight is market night-a chance to see, feel and buy some wonderful heirloom sewing supplies.

If you aren't here enjoying the fun, maybe you are attending the last retreat in Valley Forge? If you haven't signed up for that there are still a few places left. Visit the SAGA website (www.smocking.org) and follow the links.

Things to do in Skokie, Illinois

The second SAGA Retreat of 2015 is being held at the Doubletree Hotel, Skokie, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Below are a few things that you can see and do in the local area.

Westfield Old Orchard, an upscale shopping center, is one of the country's first and is the third largest mall by total square footage in Illinois. The anchor stores include Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, Macy’s and Nordstrom.

Skokie has a sculpture garden that is situated between Dempster Street and Touhy Avenue on the east side of McCormick Boulevard. It was started in 1988 and now has over 70 sculptures. Just north of the sculpture garden is a statue to Mahatma Gandhi with five of his famous quotations engraved around the base. This was dedicated on October 2, 2004.

In addition to municipally-managed public spaces, the village is also home to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, encompassing Centre East, Northlight Theatre and the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra. The facility celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006.

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center opened in Skokie on April 19, 2009.

Double Tree Hotel and Conference Center

This is where the SAGA Chicago Retreat is being held (details at www.smocking.org).

Here are some facts about the hotel and how to get there.

Address:
9599 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, Illinois, 60077-1314, USA
TEL: +1-847-679-7000
FAX: +1-847-679-0904

Directions to the hotel:

From North: I-94 East, exit Old Orchard road. Turn East onto Old Orchard Rd. Travel 4 blocks and turn south onto Skokie Blvd. The hotel is on the southeast corner of Skokie Blvd. and Golf Rd.

From South: I-90/I-94 (Eden's Expressway) west to Old Orchard Rd. Exit east and travel 4 blocks to Skokie Blvd. Turn right and travel 4 blocks to the intersection of Golf Road and Skokie Blvd.

From East: Sheridan Road to Howard St. turn left, Howard Street to Skokie Blvd. turn right. Continue down Skokie Blvd. until you reach Golf Rd. Located at the Southeast corner of Skokie Blvd. and Golf Rd.

From West: Exit I-294 North (to Milwaukee). Exit Dempster-East, to Potter Rd.,-turn left to Golf Rd.-turn right. Approx. 8 mi. to Skokie Blvd.-turn right. The DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago North-Shore is at the intersection of Golf Rd. and Skokie Blvd.

The taxi from O’Hare International Airport is approximately $30 one way.

All rooms in the hotel have complimentary WiFi, a mini refrigerator, coffee maker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board.

Breakfast is included in the SAGA package.

The Westfield Old Orchard shopping Mall is directly across the street from the hotel.

The hotel runs a complimentary shuttle to Skokie/Swift train to downtown Chicago.

A little about Skokie

The next SAGA Retreat is a month away and as it is in a suburb of Chicago named Skokie, I thought I would share a little about the history of the place.

Its name comes from a Potawatomi word for "marsh". The name of the town was changed from "Niles Center" to "Skokie" by referendum in 1940. "Skokie" had previously been used as the name for the marshland on which much of the town was built;

Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, according to the 2010 census, was 64,784. Sharing a border with the city of Chicago, Skokie's streets, like that of many suburbs, are largely a continuation of the Chicago street grid, and it is served by the Chicago Transit Authority, further cementing its connection to the city.

During the night of November 27–28, 1934, after a gunfight in nearby Barrington that left two FBI agents dead, two accomplices of notorious 25-year-old bank-robber Baby Face Nelson (Lester Gillis) dumped his bullet-riddled body in a ditch along Niles Center Road adjoining the St. Peter Catholic Cemetery, a block north of Oakton Avenue in the town.

And between July 16 and 19, 2015 the Smocking Arts Guild of America (SAGA) will be hosting a retreat at the Doubletree Hotel in Skokie!

Are you going? There are a few spaces open. Visit www.smocking.org to learn more about this retreat and the last one for 2015 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in October.