A Wonderful Retreat…..

One of the definitions of retreat is a place, such as a sanatorium or monastery, to which one may retire for refuge and quiet, etc.

Well, I went on a retreat last week, starting Wednesday afternoon…. A quilting retreat.  I have gone on this delightful adventure for several years in the hopes that I might actually learn how to quilt.  It has taken many attempts, but I think I have finally gotten to the point where I can consider myself a novice quilter.  But I cannot say, by any stretch of the imagination, that this was a quiet time for reflection.

The ladies attending the Delaware Quilts November Retreat began arriving on Wednesday afternoon.  One of my BFF’s, Marji, was my roommate and partner in crime.  We arrived around noon, accompanied by her husband, Danny, who had helped us load all of our bins and totes and sewing machines, thread, scissors into our vehicles and then patiently unloaded them into our hotel room and the conference room where the ‘retreat’ was actually happening.  Once we were settled, he headed back to Maryland and we headed to the Retreat.

Throughout the remainder of the afternoon, ladies from Delaware, New Jersey, New York and even as far away as Tennessee and Texas arrived and brought their gear into the conference room.  With each lady, the noise level increased…. Not only from the sewing machines whirling, but from conversations, squeals of delight as old friends, long separated had a chance to embrace and catch up on all the happenings since they last hugged at Retreat.

After dinner, we gathered in the conference room and our hostess/leader, Marge, introduced a couple of new ladies to the group, showed off sample quilts that she had made all year and then provided us with the directions for making each one from 2 ½ inch strips from either jelly rolls, bali pops or stips made by each person from yardage.  Then the fun began.

The rest of the time each person or group of persons was free to try any of the patterns provided, work on a project that they brought to finish or start something that they did not have time to do in their homes during the time that life lets them have as spare time.

Each day was open to do whatever you wanted to do.  The hotel is located in the heart of Lancaster County Pennsylvania.  There are quilt shops and fabric shops and local food shops and other interesting businesses within a short distance from our headquarters.  So many days would find the sewing machines silent as the retreaters headed out to find the perfect fabric for a project, a new pattern that they had never seen or a new gadget to make the quilting process even easier.  There was constant coming and going in the conference room.

This retreat was such fun.  Our leader, Marge, had given us the directions for quilts that were made primarily from 2 ½” strips.  One of them is known as the lasagna quilt or the 1600 quilt.  It is fun and fast and I managed to make two quilt tops using the process during the retreat.  This is the first time I have managed to complete a top of any kind during the retreat.  I also have 60 squares ready to put another top together.  I have come a long way from my first retreat when I knew nothing and managed to get one single pillow case finished in the three days I retreated then.

So, now I am moving on to the task of removing 20 years of stuff from the house I have sold in Maryland and get ready for Thanksgiving and the holidays!