More photos from the retreat: Chinese auction

If you've never done a "Chinese auction", here's how it works. Each participant brings a wrapped gift; in this case either a CQed item or some stash for CQing. All draw numbers from a hat. The person with #1 begins by selecting a gift to open (and she'd better not get too attached to it!). The #2 person can either steal that gift from her or open another from the stack. If #2 steals, then #1 gets to open another gift from the stack. This opening and stealing continues until all the gifts are claimed, with each gift being stolen a maximum of 2 times. The second person to steal it gets to keep it.
Kerry went first and opened this incredible bear made entirely of CQ'd patches by Lauri B.

Kerry knew she wouldn't be able to keep it from being stolen, so she hugged it goodbye, and Hideko took it from her.

But little did Hideko know that her new friend Josie also wanted the bear!



And she took it and got to keep it.


Here's Gerry H, Cathy K, Ingrid, Kerry, Juli, and Hideko.

Josie, Diane, Connie, Shari, and Jacquie enjoying the action.

Colleen, Lauri, and Leslie.


Lauri got Gerry's dress form.

Connie was a victim of theft more than once (I even stole a gift from her and didn't get to keep it either).


Gerry and Cathy.


Hideko ended up with a lovely needle book.