Hi,

If you know of any quilt retreats please post here so maybe others can find out about them in areas close to them. Please be sure to put the location of them.

I think it would be fun if the members here on quiltboard could set up a cool retreat some place and maybe some of the members could be the teachers!

Come on and lets see if we can get some retreats set up!

I went last summer to my first quilt retreat ever. Held at the Thunder Bay Golf Resort in Hillman, MI. It was a lot of fun. Great food, wonderful people, wagon ride to see the elk herd with a gourmet meal at the end. I'm planning on going again in July. I've attached a couple photos of the "quilt barn" and one of my room (nicer than my first apartment).

OMG great minds think alike...I just posted about how it would be so much fun to have a quilting retreat with our members!

I belong to ASG, one weekend a month we have "stitch camp" at a local community room. You can work on whatever you want. Several times a year it is held at a local retreat center, for three or four days. The four day one is in November. In two weeks it will be at the retreat center. It will be three days, you can either come each day or pay and stay overnight ina room. LOTS OF FUN. I plan to stay overnight in two weeks...looking forward to it.

My dream would be to go to the one Eleanor Burns has in California. I bet it is expensive, but the pictures look beautiful

Margie

I was hoping to go to one last year, but something came up. I bet they are alot of fun. Would love to see more pictures of your good time.

QuiltMania- was this your first one?? I want to go on one some day. where would I get info for the one in July?

I have been going to a retreat sponsored by one of my two guilds every year for the last 10. It is a lot of fun. In my experience unless it is set up by a professional quilter looking to make a profit, retreats are sponsored by local guilds. This past fall it cost me $165.00 for 4 days with 9 meals included. We had to take our own linens. In both of my guilds space is limited to a certain number of people which is usually only 20 or 25% of the membership. The only time they open it to outsiders is when they can't make their minimum requirements for the facility. It seems to work best in my opionion when there are no more than 24 or so people and each person is able to have thier own table for setting up. That is the way the retreat I go to usually works. I have not been on retreat with the other guild and at this point I am not interested. They take as many as 50 people and have every other hour of your stay filled with some activity. I think that is too many people and too much organization. I don't consider it a retreat if I am obligated to do all of the projects everyone else is doing. I prefer to take my own work. THe retreat I do attend usually has one project that is offered to the members but it is not obligitory.
If you go on a retreat be prepared to drag the kitchen sink. Some of our members actually bring their own chair and or table as well as their machines, irons, ironing boards, cutting mats etc. etc. etc. One lady has a van that is stocked almost like a quilt shop with fabric, batting, thread etc.
Some guilds have a speaker or teacher come in for the group. That can get very expensive. I have a friend that took a quilt cruise through parts of Europe. It featured mostly lectures on techiniques and handwork. At least they didn't have to drag a sewing machine. Other cruises involve a sewing machine etc. The best ones provide everything you might need either for rent or sale. They can get really expensive.

Never been to a retreat, would love to go sometime.

I live in Oregon and every year, at the end of January, our LQS has a retreat up the McKenzie River at the National Basketball Camp. It starts Thursday at 4:00 pm and we have to checkout Sunday at 11:00 am.

They have dorm type cabins we sleep in and the big eating hall is where we set up our machines on the perimeter of the room. We have eating tables in the middle and that way we don't have to move anything. The food is cafeteria style and it is always good. We don't have to do anything but sew eat and sleep. Of course sleeping is optional. Lots of fun.

LQS is Something to Crow About in Springfield, Oregon if anyone is interested.
http://somethingtocrowabout.com/

I wanted to go last year, but it was the same time as my son's wedding.