Looking for quilt retreat facility
 

Hi! I have about 12 gals who get together every year for a quilt retreat. We are looking for a new facility to rent bc our regular place has gotten run down and isn’t being kept up. We are looking in the Northern California area. Any help or direction you have would be greatly appreciated :)

Hi & welcome!

Check with your local library or churches. They may have a meeting room. Your LQS may have suggestions too.

Northern California is about is a very large area..are you looking for a one day, one weekend or one week place. It does make a difference if you want lodging, meals or just a place to sew.

Do a Google search for "retreat centers in Northern California".

Check with hotels and the like

Road trip!! A local quilt shop has a darling chalet that is used for quilt retreats. Northern Michigan.

How about checking with hotels in the area. A lot of them have banquet or convention rooms that the may be willing to rent out. I would also check with churches around the area. Good Luck in your search.

I have attended quilting retreats at a 4H camp owned by neighboring counties, and also at a Bible Camp. The facilities were excellent, planning was too. Seems there is always a 4H member who is known for her cooking skills and she is the designated cook. Each day, there is a duty roster for those who help with prep and clean-up. The biggest groaner was that we were expected to clean for the next group before we left. When we are packing to go, cleaning toilets and vacuming the floors are not what we want to do. The 4H camp had plenty of tables and folding chairs. Most sewers can bring their own folding chairs and tables if alerted. Several of the women even brought their own upholstered easy chairs. Rolling desk chairs can be broken down to two pieces.

I would not think a library or church would be adequate when you need a place to sleep and to leave your supplies out without fear of losing them. I have heard of a few small quilt stores that have upstairs space for retreats. Some of the teen 4H groups have set terms for cleaning after a gathering. This is one way they fund some of their projects.

There is a retreat center closer to where I live, but their classes are far too expensive for most of us, even though some of the quilt shops near the I-5 corridor in SW Washington use it and often feature a well known instructor.

Many christian denominations have camp/retreat facilities. Check with local churches.

One of my favorite quilt shops, unfortunately they are now only online, is Thimble Creek. They used to have a physical store in Walnut Creek, Ca. They hold small retreats 1 - 2 times a year in Murphys, CA.

Depending on if you are just meeting to sew or need all the bells & whistles of a full blown retreat w/meals, lodging, etc. Our local Senior Citizen Center has a room that they rent out for baby showers, bridal receptions, etc. that has a kitchen attached. You might try something like that.

We go to a hotel and use a conference room. They have tables, ironing boards and irons that they set up. We even have food sent in.

I don't have a specific site but an idea for you to consider. My guild goes to a church camp off season, October and March. They have a beautiful large building where we quilt and can leave all of our "stuff" safely overnight. They have spartan hotel type rooms (bathroom, shower two double beds per room. No phone or TV.) It is a 3 minute walk from room to conference center and our work. The property is on a lovely large natural area where we can take breaks and walk. We feel like we are hours a way from home but in actually we are on 15 - 30 minutes away.

It is worth looking outside the traditional quilt retreat facilities and often much cheaper. We pay $70 per person and we potluck evening meals and bring our own breakfast.

I now live in the Billings Montana area and I know of several retreat areas around here some are classes and some are do your own thing, some furnishes food while others do not but the prices very and some very pretty areas nice for a fall road trip

Please check with your local colleges or universities. Some will accommodate a retreat and also allow use of the food services in the cafeteria.

Lake Tahoe Area … Zepher Cove, NV offers retreats … I have never been but have heard great reviews from many members of my guild who have attended. Thimble Creek retreats in Murphy's, CA also gets great reviews. Good luck!

Here's a retreat and conference center in Auburn, CA

www.mercycenter.org

Here is where we like to go for our quilting retreats in Sonora, California:

http://oldoak.com/

We also used to go to Sonoma University and stay in the dorms and eat in the cafeteria. The university is by Santa Rosa, CA.

St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista hosts quilting retreats. Meals are good, surroundings are beautiful.

Tucson, AZ we have them from primitive to posh.

It really depends what you have in mind. Some of ours are at state parks, some are in churches and some are in large hotels/conference centers.