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Show WASATCH COUNTY COURIER , : A9 Whimsy Creating Quilting Haven | Cottage opening next door retreat just for quilters DEREK JENSEN MANAGING EDITOR hobby to a $9 billion industry nation- asatch residents looking to quilt won’t have to line up expensive hotel retreats any longer. Thanks to the Whimsy Cottage soon they'll be able to go to wide. “It’s not just a matter of putting a few fabrics together,” she said. “It’s an art form now.” sa Though the house is not an extension of the shop, quilters who need supplies are welcome to pick them up next door at Whimsy. For the most part, guests will bring their own materials. Conners said there has been enthusiasm for the idea since word began “It’s a woman thing,” she added. . Raymond agreed, saying the retreat will offer an activity for women on a par with the predominantly male sports of golfing and _ hunting. “Quilters do this anyway,” she said. “They might as well have a place suit- ed just forthem.” Whimsy is also hoping the retreat will be popular for visitors and tourists. Details are in the works to update their ‘The House Next Door.’ That folksy title is the name chosen to describe the house just south of the Main Street cottage, which was purchased by the business late last year. Still undergoing a massive overhaul, the house is in the process of becoming a retreat, capable of sleeping up to 10 people. . “It won't be a B and B per say,” said Whimsy employee Anna Conners. “It’s going to be a haven for quilters.” — The house features five bedrooms, a functional kitchen and two full baths on two levels. The living room will be converted into a work area with a large cutting table for sewing. It will also have a TV for movies and other entertainment. , “We're going to have chick flicks in there,” Conners quipped. | An interesting feature of The House Next Door will be its theme rooms. Each will have an individual motif ranging from a black, white and red Victorian to a cowgirl room. There will also be a garden theme and lime green and pink room. “They'll be pleasantly surprised,” said owner Nancy Raymond about future quilting guests. The quilting retreat will offer set rates per night. As yet, the prices have not been determined. Several contractors are currently finishing the work on the house. A completion date has notbeenset. -Raymond said quilting has ballooned in recent years from a modest Gas Watch 2001 J : ; | _ PHOTO BY DEREK JENSEN a, “The House Next Door,’ a whimsical retreat, is a haven for quilters. . j j getting out. “People do it all the time,” she said, adding that Heber residents often attend quilting seminars, which require some travel. “This will be much more comfortable than a hotel room.” | 3 More importantly, Conners said the retreat will provide an opportunity for women to get a respite from their husbands, kids and work to “just quilt.” Internet site, www.whimsycottage.com to include information about The House Next Door for quilters around the country. | Despite its old-fashioned reputa- tion, Whimsy Cottage is giving quilting a bridge to the mainstream. se Wasatch County FEBRUARY 12 FEBRUARY 19 400 N. Main, Heber Trimart/ Chevron | “We're hoping to get people across the nation who want to come out here,” Conners said. 1.419 $1.419 1165 S. Main, Heber 1.419 S1.419 Midway 1.419 $1.419 1.409 $1.429 278 W. 2100 S.. SLC Pog 12300 S. Minuteman, SLC REFUSED —$1.399 $1.379 PRICES FOR REGULAR UNLEADED OBSERVED 02/19/01 Watch this space for weekly updates. Hub/Sinclair Trimart/Chevron | Bells/Sinclair . ummit County Silver Creek Jct., PC. . & Flying Utah County so Center S & State St., Lindon $1.279 $1.299 |