Currently Stitching: What Happens at Quilt Retreat

For those of you who've never been to a quilt retreat, or any kind of creative retreat, let me tell you what you're missing! I've gone to a few of them a year, and they are always extremely rewarding and worth my time! Today I'll let you in on our activities, works in progress, and shenanigans!

As you can see above, our host sets us up in a giant sewing circle. That way everyone can see and talk, and as a bonus, all the power cords go in the middle. Which makes everyone safer and gives all those attending plenty of power within easy reach. 

In previous episodes I've talked about all the equipment I bring with me, including my cutting tools, iron, machine and a few other things I know I use everyday. You can get the list and the full details here!

One of the things I really enjoy is seeing how everyone sets up their area and the cool gadgets they bring with them! There's always something new I stumble across and decide I need to add to my collection! Generally it's a pressing or trimming tool.

That little purple thing on my neighbors desk (on top of her plastic tote) is a great cutting tool for when you're chain piecing. It safely holds a cutting blade inside and then you just pull your string down across it, piece after piece, and BAM! All the chain pieces are split up! No trimming each one individually and no using the cutter on your machine. Pretty cool if you ask me! 

Something else wonderful about quilt retreat is all the snacks. There's usually one giant table that's filled with goodies, salty and sweet, to keep you motivated behind the machine. There's always a surplus of baked goods and carbs and I am so grateful. 

Everyone runs their retreat differently, some don't allow any food or beverage in the space. Others run a catering and snack service that you can pre-register for. Or if you're staying overnight in a venue with a restaurant, they may provide it.

The nice thing about this one is that it's a combination of everything. We can bring our own snacks, shareable snacks, and sometimes we potluck meals or get them catered. It's a great balance that makes a lot of guests happy! So when you're looking for a retreat center or group, always inquire about the food.

Something else important when looking for a retreat is location. Is it a long drive? What restaurants/ stores are nearby? What's parking like? Is there a quilt shop close? Is there anything fun to do in the town? And so on. 

One of the great things about this retreat venue is the location! It has this beautiful view of the Mississippi River! Whenever I'm frustrated with something I'm working on, or I just need to look up from my machine, I stop and look out their giant windows and feel so much better!

Additionally, it's attached to a quilt shop! Which is sort of a blessing and a curse because it usually means I spend quite a bit more money than originally intended. On the positive side, if I forget or need something for a project, it's just a few feet away. Also, there's lots of parking close by and for me it's close to home.

In a previous episode I talked about what I was taking to retreat and how I prep kits ahead of time. It really is crucial do cutting ahead of time if you want to get a lot done. And now I'll show you how they turned out!

Another fortunate things about this space is the designs walls. They let us use these felt walls they've put up and it's so helpful when building a new project. This modern quilt took me some time to get together. I kept putting the squares on the wrong side or facing the points the wrong way. 

Here it is all sewn up, finally! It's been trimmed, pressed and is now in line with the longarmer now. Phew! I always like triangles and quilts on point and then I forget that sewing on the bias is tricky! I can't wait to see it once it's been quilted all over. 

This is another one I started at home and brought with me.

This was actually from the same pattern writer as the other one. It was much more approachable. It was the same blocks over and over again and designing your preferred lay out. I would like to make it again, but scrappier and bright! We just got this line in at work and I love how it's coming together! It's beautiful, muted, and feels like an antique style. It also stitches out really nicely and the fabric doesn't shred very much! Which is amazing! This one is also in line to be quilted soon.

This was another one from my prepped list. It is also a new line at the shop, and the ladies at retreat loved it! I don't have a finished picture of it because I ran into an issue with the pattern and it is not quite done. It stumped me something fierce at retreat! So I packed it up to figured out at home and worked on some other projects. 

Like this quick and easy patriotic runner! It was all flying geese laid out to make a zigzag. And then appliquéd little white stars. It was a really nice project to work on because it came together so quickly, which I needed.

It turned out much bigger than expected. It was so happy and quick I really love it. I kind of want to make another. Maybe once I'm more caught up on projects! 

Lastly, I got a few more bags started at retreat! I generally try to get at least one done at each retreat. They're a lot of fun to make and are a great break from some of the larger and harder projects I bring with me. Plus they have a fabulous stock of products at the shop/ retreat center. This fabric was so popular among the ladies, which really surprised me! I'm going to have to use it more other places!

Here's how it turned out! Just precious! I picked up this new green thread color and the subtle gold zipper at the shop! I've been trying out a bunch of new all over quilting styles on bags, but this classic crosshatch is just always my favorite.

Here I am at the end of the second night working on knocking out some bindings. There's at least 10 unfinished quilts in line to be bound (don't judge me). It was really nice to get some of the prep work done for them. Again, it's another somewhat mindless process for me, so it was a nice break after some of the other hard work. 

If you look at the wall behind me, on the right, you can see two paper piecing projects. These nature scenes were the demo showcase for the weekend. The gal who runs this retreat works incredibly hard to find projects with a variety of techniques and skill levels for us for each retreat. She's so patient and kind with each person as they're learning. You can tell she loves to teach and share, which is such a gift in an environment like this. I am always excited to see what she brings for us to discover, even if I don't always have the time to make them. I always leave with more than I came with, and inspired to try new things!

I hope you all find yourselves at a quilting retreat as nice as this one! Let me know what you like to make at your getaways! Share your tips, tricks and tools! Thanks for coming along with me to all of mine!