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It is always fun when you go with your very best friends!!!!
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I go to the same retreat as Joanie. I've gone twice now and enjoy it as a get away with nothing that I have to do. The price is reasonable too.
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There's a small-ish quilt shop in Watkins Glen, NY (O'Susannah's) that has an apartment upstairs for folks to organize their own retreat with 6 - 10 people. Bedrooms, bathroom, work room, kitchenette - even a laundry for those who want to wash new fabrics before using! There's lots to do in the area in the summer - a great state park with hiking trails, wineries, beautiful lake...
http://www.osusannahsquiltshop.com/q...g-retreats.htm |
We have one coming up in June. We did one last fall and everyone had so much fun just sewing and visiting. This time one of the quilters who can't come to stay might show us her version of PP. Ours is June 2-5 in Lincoln City OR and there is room for a few more! Cost is only $70 for the whole weekend and I think we are all just bringing our own food.
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Originally Posted by Plain Jane
Here is what I'm thinking. We have a home that is located on the side of a mountain, no other homes in view. A spring provides all our water, The view is of three ridges. We have auctions in town, a historic Inn and restaurant down the road, three little quilt shops, one owned by the fabric designer. I have three extra queen size beds and one king. Maybe I could hostess a weekend? I am new to quilting and have so much to learn. I feel like I could learn more in one weekend than in a year trying to figure it out myself. AND I'd surely come away with new friends. But maybe those are self serving reasons to try to put one together.
Do you think it would be safe to gather a group of women who have never met before? It seems like most of the small ones have grown out of already established friendships. Your location sounds like a perfect place and that many could enjoy your home, area and the offerings. If you're wanting to participate, keep in mind that it's not going to be the same as hostess vs. being a guest, even if everyone is bringing/contributing to the food and cooking. As to size of retreats ... they can be as small or as big as you choose! I do my own personal retreats at times ... plan a few days that it's all about sewing, and nothing but the bare essentials get done done during the retreat! Translation: food only (minimal prep, from the freezer, advance cooking, etc.), no dishes, no laundry, no cleaning, no appointments ... and minimal outside world contact!!! In fact, that's my plans for Easter Weekend!! :) |
We had some of the women who came last time get razzed by their family because they were coming and had never met any of us. I guess you just have to believe that there are good people out there who can become your new friends and trust that things will be fine. I actually entertained buying a place that had 9+ bedrooms and plenty of space for a B&B type set up. It would have been heaven for a quilting retreat! I decided that I didn't want to have a business for the rest of my life even though I would get to interact with quilters, etc.
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If it's a Guild sponsored retreat there are often activities that involve everyone, in addition to doing what you want
I do an annual week long retreat in my son's upstate NY country home with 4 friends who live in various parts of the US. We come ready to sew non-stop, drink alot of wine and champagne, laugh, and eat way too much - each of us does at least one dinner; lunch we usually eat left-overs from one of the dinners and breakfast - you're on your own. Regardless if it's Guild or private, most of us have pre-cut what we'll work on. |
I have organized 21 retreats in the last five years (four retreats a year, Feb., May, Sept., Nov.). They are called "Intown Retreats" because everyone goes home at night. We have them Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to at least 9 p.m., and there are usually 15 to 20 of us. Everyone brings some type of food dish, and we sew, visit, laugh, eat, etc.
The place we use is a subdivision clubhouse, and it has tables and chairs. The room is safe, so we leave all of our machines, projects, etc. there overnight. The room costs us $300 for the four days, and we pay $50 for someone to come in and clean up the room. So, it normally costs us each $7.50 each a day. What a deal, and so much fun! Sometimes we bring things from our sewing room that we don't want, and we have drawings, and each person gets to go home with a new treasure. |
I am getting ready to go to a week long Girl's Week Out, quilting retreat. We only go every two years. We have two condos and we cook in one and sew in the other and of course sleep in both. This years we only have 11 going to Colorado. We have an instructor that is coming in from Alamosa CO, to teach us. We have seen a picture of the quilt this year, but in years past it was a Mystery Quilt. We are all too old to handle the "mystery". We arrive on Friday, start at 9 am on Saturday and go home the following Friday. We each only cook dinner 1 time in pairs and you are done. Everyone does their own breakfast and lunch. We go to quilt shops in the late afternoon and early evening. We usually eat out one night. I cannot wait, as my Grandaughter would say, "I cited", for excited!
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Sew, sleep, eat, laugh, shop.
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