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Old 09-08-2015, 05:51 PM
  #21  
thimblebug6000
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 8,068
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I'm sorry I don't know the distances in your state but I see there are quite a few quilt retreats available in Wisconsin https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=...quilt+retreats
I attend two quilt retreats a year; one is held in a church camp with dorm type bedrooms but each gets it's own full bath. This is organized by mostly ladies who belong to the local guild, although it is not associated with the guild. The guild itself hosts a different retreat, which is also nice but I had to choose only two once I retired. The bad side to this one is the sewing area is upstairs while the sleeping rooms are downstairs, not a problem for me as I love the exercise and there is an outside dumb waiter elevator thingy to deliver your machines and chairs etc. to the upper floor. It usually sells out at 18 people and we each get our own tables. There's usually a project or two you can participate in and/or do your own thing. Everyone goes home with a nice door prize, I have won 2 books in the past. We also play bingo with FQs and at the end of the weekend there is at least 2 happy people winning them. The cost is reasonable at $200 Cdn and the food is acceptable, made on site by the church volunteers and delivered to a small dining area where the retreat organizers have usually placed little goodies beside our dishes; one year they were quilted luggage tags; one year they were a bag of felted wool pieces.
The other one I attend is pricey at almost $500 Cdn for the same amount of time (arrive around 2 on Friday and leave by 4 on Sunday) and this is at Harrison Hot Springs Resort which I imagine is the one that Orlinth was referring to. That price gives you a hotel room with 2 queen size beds; access to outdoor mineral pools; a coffee and danish for breakfast; you're on your own for lunch; and a wonderful buffet in the dining room in the evening. This one is run by a quilt shop and she brings a mobile shop with her; last year she also brought a few machines for people to try out. There is always 1 door prize for each retreater and usually the quilt fairy comes at night and we get a spool of thread or FQ at our machines in the morning. Last year they brought a game called strip poker where you bring as many 2 ½" strips etc. to play. This is an expensive weekend but so wonderful to relax in those hot pools after a day of sewing. AND of course the friendship and laughter goes a long way. There is always a few demos for projects that they sell the kits for, I watch the demos but don't usually make the projects as I always have enough projects on the go.
I admire the ladies who organize these as it is a huge amount of work and very time consuming.... good luck on your new venture if you decide to go for it.

Yikes.... I wrote a book...sorry about that!
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