Quilt Retreats
 

Am I the only one who doesn't really enjoy quilt retreats? I love to quilt but I get tired after a couple of hours and am ready to do something else. I have been to quite a few retreats because my BFF loves them and I know she wouldn't go without me. The one's I have been to are full of hard core quilters that sew all day and sometimes far into the night. I'm retired so when I'm home I sew for an hour or two and might come back to it later. Everyone I've ever talked to loves them so I sort of feel like I'm missing something.

I am right there with you. I like to quilt. I like the people. I don't like so much togetherness and intensity. My quilty friends love them. They have given up asking me. Nothing against quilters and nothing against retreats for those who enjoy them.

Take a book or take a walk when you have "had enough"?

If explanation is necessary - just say your attention span is used up for now -

why go at all to be by oneself most of the time? I'm glad for all who enjoy. It would be like me saying "you can go off and quilt by yourself while the rest of us are in our rooms alone". Some things are not enjoyable for everyone

Oh I like retreats. I have so much fun and really not that much quilting gets done. LOL Maybe a couple of 'this is the only time i get to quilt' people will be hard at it.. We talk, listen, laugh, take walks, go for shopping trip to the nearest LQS, go through each other's scrap bins brought in to share, show new notions and someone is always having a demo about something they learned. I go twice a year. I'm lucky to get half the blocks made for a quilt at retreat.

I like retreats. because I still work full time, I don't get to quilt much. Retreats give me an excuse to do nothing but quilt, so I am one of "those" who quilt hardcore during retreat time.

I'm with you. My sewing room is my quiet space where I go to be alone and create. I have no desire to go to a quilting retreat. It sounds like crowded work spaces, noise, no alone time, and not much sleep. Yeah, I'm an introvert. Works for me. :)

Synnove, you said exactly what I feel about retreats. Glad to know I am not the only person that thinks this way. But I’m happy for those that find retreats enjoyable.

This is what I love about quilting, it can be enjoyed solo for those of us who enjoy solitude as well as those of us who thrive on interaction with others. It’s also why I love this board and other online formats, so many who share their knowledge and talent and not just limited to those who you know. Thank you to everyone who contributes, i’d be lost without you all!

I like retreats because of the camaraderie. We ask questions, make suggestions and praise finishes and progress. If I get tired of being in front of my machine, I walk about and talk to others, go for a walk around the retreat property or take a nap. I also take audio books but most importantly I get up and move when I need to so I can enjoy my time away from other distractions.

I take one project to work on start to finish and usually walk away with a finished top. A second project comes along such as a block of the month or exchange blocks just to switch up my perspective. But no more. I can easily get distracted by squirrels and go home with lots of starts and no finishes.

In my quilting group we have some that NEVER go to retreats, some that never miss a retreat. To wrap it up, I have deepened friendships and gotten to know others during my time at retreats. To me that is as important as the finished quilt top.