Scissor Queen

That's not what it looked like you were saying. It looked like you were saying *she* shouldn't go to retreats because she was an annoyance.

Scissor Queen

Just to kind of lighten this up a bit here's a crazy thing that happened at a retreat.

We were seated four to a table and I was at a table with someone I knew and we had two other ladies join us. One of them turned out to be a lot of fun and a really nice lady. The other one we didn't get to know since she pretty much brought her machine in and set it up and left. That was on Friday afternoon. She shows back up on late Saturday afternoon and claimed she spent the night with her husband on the lake in a bass boat in the rain. I think she actually slept at the retreat Saturday night. The group was an online email group and about a week later she started ranting and raving about how *we* had told her husband that she wasn't at the retreat. Uhhh, if you were with him at the lake wouldn't he already know you weren't at the retreat????

lillybeck

I had to laugh at this. It reminds me of a time a friend and I went to lunch and they sat us in the no smoking area but the only thing seperating us from the smokers was a half wall. We moved to the other side of the resturant. What is it that people to understand when you say I need non smoking because smoke sets off my asthma?

vmhlake

LOVED IT!!! I could see the people you were mentioning, they are at all retreats, I normally try to find the table out of the mainstream, and have been pretty lucky, only once caught 'stuck' at a table with a lady who brought none of the items she was supposed to bring and wanted to borrow things from me.... which I did at first but told her there is a vendor booth downstairs and maybe she should go and buy her supplies. I know I was a jerk, but didn't like having to wait to use my own supplies!

BellaBoo

My retreat is over and it was great. The sewing room is huge and we had lots of lay out space. The second day the retreat captain read the rules aloud and expected everyone to follow them. The quilter with the new to her machine borrowed a simple Janome machine from me so she could sew something. LOL.

dc989

I went to a retreat this summer with some of those same distractions esp cell phone use. I couldn't move and was stuck. I was getting pretty snarly by about the fifth call in several hours. Why come if you can't leave your life behind for a day or two!
My worst experience has been new quilters who can't figure out their machine. At one class I finally said I wasn't feeling well, packed up and went home. There was no point being there when all I was doing was showing my neighbor how to thread, wind, stitch etc. If the teacher had not almost ignored her repeated machine problems there would not have been any instruction at all.

oldtnquiltinglady

I have been giving some thought to going to a retreat for about six months now. Seems like I need to give it a little more thought, huh? I am a slow mover, slow thinker, slow sewer, so can't do a lot of extra distraction stuff. So what am I to do; how do you find a retreat that might serve my needs for social and learning at the same time. I have been retired and out of circulation for over ten years now, but I still love road trips. So would I get anything out of a retreat such as this? I live in middle TN, so am pretty convenient for anything in KY/TN/GA/NC/AR. Let me know, ladies. I'd love to meet y'all, and I am sure we can share and sew at the same time......I don't drink (but also don't object), my cell phone came over on the Mayflower and I use it only for emergencies, and I'll bring a sweater......

mrsponcho1

For all the ones that have never been to a retreat - if you are given the opportunity to attend one please do so. You will most likely have a great time and meet some wonderful people. I personally believe that I can't let one bad apple spoil my life. lol

Pollytink

LOL!! Bellaboo, I was afraid you'd end up out in the hall! I've never been to a quilting retreat but I can empathize with you. I did go to a freemotion quilting class a few years ago with my little beige Singer 301, in the midst of all those fancy new machines. She performed well and the teacher praised her as a great little machine for fm'ing. I haven't practiced since but I was very proud of my 301 that day!

leighway

You know, this was a tricky topic. So much depends on the day, the people, the mood, the reason for the retreat. I surely sympathize with BellaBoo, as I think she was there to work and possibly have some quiet time for reflection as she worked. I would have loved to have her as a table mate. I can get very irritated by certain behaviours and yet I'm one of those who can make the room laugh. I'm a person who loves to encourage others, but I'll turn off if I hear whining. It's all in what I sense is going on with the person. I don't like bossy people (who does?) and I don't have a problem asking someone to refrain from doing something that isn't working for me. I ask with a smile but don't accept no for an answer.
I've seen some really stupid behaviour at some of the classes I've taken, and I've also found some wonderful people whose company I loved. We humans are a study. Still and all, I"m envious of the groups that get along so well...I"ve never belonged to one and I bet they're wonderful. But I surely understand where BellaBoo is coming from.