I usually try to do as many as I can afford and time allowing also, so it's usually 4-5. It's somewhere to enjoy, relax and get some UFO's done. I know some take Quilt cruises, and others do retreats. Now I am thinking of the money I spend to "getaway" when I can lock my sewing room door and stay in there. Think of all the fabric I can buy. Thoughts please...
I always went to Illinois for the Project Linus one also but this year it is 596.00 plus travel and rooms. And this is my charity one. So not going again. To me that is money well spent on the charity itself. Prices of everything, going up and up.

Hi Debbie,

What a lucky lady you are! If you have the funds then enjoy the time with your quilting friends.

With that said, since the economy is changing you should do what you feel is best. Having more fabric can be very rewarding. More fabric, more quilting. You might want to choose to cut back and attend one or two retreats where you truly have a grand time. If you've not taken a cruise, that could be the reward for attending not so many of the shorter local retreats.

One particular club in our area has a sew-in every Sunday at a local hospital. They get to use the community room with lots of tables. I look at that time as a mini retreat every week.

I am truly envious as I've not been able to attend even the first retreat. One local guild has two retreats each year, spring and fall. I hear the guild ladies returning from the retreats, they tell their stories with laughter of their time together. Oh well, maybe someday, until then I'm happy to be able to sew at home

Pam M

One, my guild's in the spring. I want to find one for the fall that's not too expensive and not too close to the holidays...

I have never been on a quilt retreat. The closest thing to it is the monthly classes my quilt guild offers.

I always go to at least one. My small guild has open sewing days every Wednesday and the second Saturday of the month plus we have a 4 day retreat once a year. The larger guild where I'm moving to next month has a retreat once a year that I'll also be going to after we get settled.

Debbie, I felt the prices for the Institute were high, also. As much as I would like to go to one, the cost is prohibitive. I am not comfortable asking my donors to pay for me to go somewhere and you can easily tell that the registrations aren't filling up too fast or they wouldn't have included regular attendees other than chapter coordinators. Then there is the cost of the hotel. My idea of a retreat is when I go to my sewing room and look outside the window at the bird feeders and those darn squirrels pulling the lids off the feeders.

I have been on 3 in the last yr. We go for 3 days spend the night, do lots of sewing, talking, eating. Relax. some are cheaper than others. Make new friends & relax

There are 12 of us that get together one Sunday a month from 9 to 5, small fee, about 30.00 for 6 months.

Twice a year I go away with 3 other women, we each bring a meal to make. We go from Fri to Monday, at one time it cost $75.00 per night divided by 4 or 5 of us, plus we would go out for dinner. Now the place we stay at there is no place close to go for dinner. Road trip each time to keepsake in NH.

I would really like to go the the Elm Creek Retreat but then they would have to put me in one of the books, and I don't see that happening!! LOL
Could never see the point of spending all that money for travel and hotels and food, when like you said Debbie, look at all the fabric we can buy instead.

Debbie, I felt the prices for the Institute were high, also. As much as I would like to go to one, the cost is prohibitive. I am not comfortable asking my donors to pay for me to go somewhere and you can easily tell that the registrations aren't filling up too fast or they wouldn't have included regular attendees other than chapter coordinators. Then there is the cost of the hotel. My idea of a retreat is when I go to my sewing room and look outside the window at the bird feeders and those darn squirrels pulling the lids off the feeders.[/quote]


Hi there. I know things are getting higher. I figure I do PL twelve months a year, we hvae 4 major hospitals we have Quilt days at and 3 meetings a month so I am ok with not going. We learn lots of fun things but I think it's mainly to meet others. WE have an account at home office, but we were told we could not use them for Conventions. Too bad too since I am the one who handquilts the raffle quilts we make our money from. LOL. The last few years, we pay our own way. SOrry to miss this year. Maybe Carol and Mary will figure it out. It was supposed to be less this year. I also think it is because they opened it up to non-coordinators also. Last years was really low attendance too. So I will use my money here for our chapter and continue to support PL locally.

It's funny you mention Elm Creek. Jennifer Chiaverini is bringing Project Linus into her next book and she will be there this year. SHould be interesting to read.

Pam, I know what you mean. I have never been able to afford to go to a retreat but would love to. I would love to go on the cruise one too but that's way out of my price range. All I get to do is hear about how much fun they are.

NONE! I've never been to one and it's doubtful that I ever will. No airport nearby and too far to drive to most that I hear about.

Nope,never have.Connie in CO

none for me!

i don't like to quilt while on vacation. i spend my vacation enjoying my family and quilt every day while we aren't on holiday.

I go to at least two a year and sometimes 3. The two that I go to are very reasonable. I will be leaving on Wed. of this week and returning home on Sat. the cost is $65.00. It is held at a church camp and participants take turns furnishing the meal and that really keeps the cost down. We only have brunch and dinner. You are on your own for anything to eat in between. Half the time we are running around to quilt shops so we just pick up something to eat or we bring some lunch meat, cheese, etc.

two and you could not keep me from them! One is even in the summer and I hate not being home in the garden but for this? yeah, I go.

My best friend has a bed and breakfast. Every fall we have a retreat there. It costs nothing. Her husband sleeps at his mom's but he is there all day in the kitchen. He cooks tremendous meals for us and does all the cleaning. Sat. night he and some of the other husbands treat us to a feast. They even dress up to serve us! One of the other ladies hosts a retreat in the summer. This year will be my first time for the summer retreat, although I have been to all 3 of the fall retreats. I wish every one of you could have the experience of lavish love wrapped in a retreat like ours!

I attend two quilt retreats a year, one in October and the other in February. The number of attendees ranges from 7-10. We fix our own food and work on whatever we want to. These are ladies I've met through work or quilting and we come from Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. It is sooo much fun and the cost is around $100. The best money I spend all year.

Unfortunately, none. I live them through you all when you go and report back here.
Thanks for 'taking' those of us along who are unable to go.

Three - winter, spring and fall! Actually it is this weekend.. Yippie! Spring and fall with friends and winter with my sisters. It is $50.00 for the weekend, one person does the meal planning and grocery shopping and we all take turns cooking.

I am counting the days....three to go! :)

I go twice a year Feb and Oct with sister and friends met at quilt retreat about 10-12 people. It's in large house and Owner takes care of all the food including snacks,and bedding we go Thursday night(eat before we get there) and leave anytime Sunday and the price just went to125.00 Great deal, and not far to drive.

Quick answer. Nope, none, zilch and nada.

I attend/hold four retreats a year, Feb., May, Sept., Nov. I hold them for my quilting friends, and they are called "Intown Retreats". We have them from Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to at least 9 p.m. There are normally 15 to 20 of us. Everyone brings some type of food dish, and we sew, visit, laugh, eat, etc. Then, we go home to our own comfy beds, and start again the next day. The room costs us $300 for the four days, and we pay $50 for someone to come in and clean up the room. It normally costs us $7.50 each a day. What a deal, and so much fun!