What to pack for a quilt retreat: Printable retreat packing checklist

What is a Quilt Retreat?

A quilt retreat can mean different things to different people. Some retreats have more structure than others. Some will have classes and usually you are free to participate or not in those. Always bring more to work on than you think you will need. I bring LOTS of different projects to work on. I like to put individual projects in plastic bags or project tubs. I try to include everything in that tub that goes with the project such as HST paper, specialty rulers, the pattern and so on. (Note: do all of your pre-cutting BEFORE retreat - gives you more time for sewing)

My FIRST retreat (way back in 1983 was held at the Oklahoma State Retreat at Fin-n-Feather Resort). We  had around 250 quilters from Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas. It had Friday night entertainment, vendors, classes, and meals provided. This was a full structured event, I remember that Ricky Timms was the speaker at one of the retreats in the 1980's.  

Nowadays, I mostly just attend retreats with close friends or Bee members, and we usually start on a Monday morning through Thursday noon. 

Retreat Recovery Mode

All you quilters know what it is like to go on retreat.  You look forward to it for months, you get projects lined up that you want to start.  You get what is needed to finish up a project (aka UFO), then the big weekday (or weekend) comes and you sew and sew and sew some more.  Well, yeah, we do some eating, talking and margarita drinking, but we do a LOT of sewing.

I was with several longtime friends, Barb, Linda and Sharon - all original FML members.  Linda has moved to San Antonio, but she always makes time for us, and we get artsy input from her.  I think this is the first retreat where I finished more tops than Sharon.  I don't think she took it too well.  She has been reigning TOP FINISHING DIVA for several retreats now.  She did bow down at one point!!

The three quilt tops pictured were all quilted and completed shortly after we got back. 

 I think I ended up finishing 5 quilt tops.  Not all are pictured, (a few were customer quilts).  Sharon finished four.

This third picture is what I have name 'Dream Quilt"  I guess finishing it is 'in my dreams'.  One day I will finish it.  It is one of my oldest (but most favorite) UFO's.  All she needs, is a border and quilting.



Oh, we were at Diane Anderson's Quilters Cabin TOO (the log cabin just down the lane from the original Quilters Cabin.   This place is great, because there are no minimums on how many people you have - it is per person - per night.  Book early, because she fills up quickly...

The Cobblers' Kids Have No Shoes

My Friday Bee (Patchwork Friends) made purple and green nine-patches for me las t Fall when I announced that I was going to be a new grandma! I put the blocks together at the Galveston retreat, and am nearly finished quilting it with an overall freehand feather meader. There is a pretty 30's style fabric on the back from the HELLO BETTY, Chloe's Closet line of fabric from Moda. What a coincidence that my grand-daughters name is Chloe!!! She is growing so much, and I haven't seen her since Christmas. Some of my Bee friends say I am flunking "Grandma" because this will be the first quilt poor little Chloe is going to get from her Grandma! Something about the Cobblers' kids have no shoes!

One of the "Things I want to Do/Try in 2009" items was to "Make silver DANGLE earrings". My buddy Linda gave all of us lessons in different jewelry making techniques - at the same time! Bless her heart - she was teaching 3 different techniques and we were all asking questions at the same time about our project. I think we wore her out!

On one side of the room, Sharon was stringing beads making several strands to go with a shell type necklace. Barb was working on a wire bracelet with Swarovski Crystals, and I was working on several pairs of earrings. I think they turned out pretty cool!
After the earrings I saw Linda some of her Peyote stich bracelets. There were so Anthropologie. Anyway, then she showed me how to get started with that, and I completed a couple of inches worth that last evening.

April Showers - At Galveston Beach

Spent another week on retreat. I am so lucky to live in an area where so many 'quilty' things are happening. I'm also fortunate to have so many friends that are also quilters. The FMLC were on retreat all last week at a beachhouse on Jamaica Beach in Galveston. It is an awesome place if you are in the area. We did have rain & grey skies the whole week. The sun literally came out as we were pulling out of the driveway to leave! We almost decided to stay another day- but I had to get back home since my in-laws were visiting from Tulsa.

We worked on Sharons floor quilt as a group effort. She picked some great pinks and greens. Her sewing cabinet that she bought at Houston Market last fall is that green color! This floorcloth was a whopping 50+inches so it kinda took up the whole floor, so the rest of us decided to practice on hers and do ours at home (well, OK, the rest of us still hadn't decided what fabrics to use for ours!).

We brought lots of projects to work on, not all of them were quilty projects. I managed to get several t-shirt quilt tops pieced and put together a top from 9-patches that were given to me by my Friday bee (Patchwork Friends) made of purples and greens. I also put in some time working on my oldest daughters Double Wedding Ring quilt - the top is nearly complete, but not quite. BUT, I also got some beading lessons from Linda. I (with Linda's help) made a couple of pairs of earrings and started a peyote stitch bracelet. Don't see any pictures of those, so I'll have to take some and post those later.

Oh, I finished up that BAMBOO Quilt and gave it to my nephew and his new wife as a gift on Saturday. So it already has a new home. The wedding was at a Unitarian church and the entire back wall was glass windows overlooking lovely gardens, trees, and bi\rds flying around. It made a lovely backdrop to their special occasion.

Looks like Lindsey managed to get a picture of Jon and me after the wedding.

More UFO's Bite the Dust!

There were 6 of us at the sew-in on New Years Day. Everyone brought superbowl type snack food and everyone worked on their own projects. No sports tv or radio broadcasts could be heard; only the sound of the sewing machines and ladies chattering about fabric.

Finished the top of this batik spider web. We officially dubbed it "Piece 'O Pie" because they are more like pieces of pie than of cake! I can move this one from UFO to Ready to Quilt!

This next one I started this one just before Christmas 2006, and didn't get it done in time for gift giving, so it ended up in the UFO pile. Just needed the borders completed. It is all flannels and very scrappy. The pattern is Terry Atkinson's "Cheese and Crackers". It took longer to the borders than the inside of the quilt. The pattern wasn't with the pattern so wasn't real clear on what you were supposed to do in the corners, so I just winged it, and just used all blues (no lights) in the corners. Another one moved from the UFO list to the Ready To Quilt list.

It Rears Its' Ugly Head!!!

OK, this quilt top has come back. I was so excited to have the top finished, that I didn't consider the borders. I've had several good suggestions from SEVERAL people (thank you to all), this is what I've come up with.

I've numbered the areas 1, 2 & 3. Please Vote and let me know which one you think would look best. (The light blue is a fussy cut zig zag fabric).

Had a great time at our Bees' retreat last weekend. Some of us exchanged BEACH House Blocks. We had a little fun with that and came downstairs dressed in beach attire and singing a Beach Boys tune (we only knew one line and just sang it over and over VERY LOUDY).