My friend and I make our own retreat. My DH and DD go to a basketball tournament in Las Vegas, my friend and I go to sew/quilt. We have 4 full days of sewing. We arrive on Tuesday afternoon and leave on Sunday morning. Since we have 2 one bedroom condos, one is for my friend and our sewing. We get up and start sewing about 9 am and sew until we want to break for lunch. Then we go somewhere for lunch, find a local quilt shop and return and sew until we decide it is dinner time. We have snacks available, we do what we want and stop when we are too tired to sew anymore. We leave our sewing out and come back to it at will.

No one criticizes our mess - so far we have used it to finish projects. But one trip we cut out a DWR quilt using my GO and she brought her embroidery machine to make some quilt blocks.

I haven't gone to any formal overnight retreats mainly because they want you to share hotel rooms, and I really don't want to do that.

My purpose of attending a retreat is of course getting to know others and just enjoy their company. But almost as importantly, I go with one project to be finished, start to finish. It feels just wonderful to come with a stack of cut pieces and a pattern and leave with a finished quilt. I never take more than two projects to work on. My quild's three day retreat format is perfect to finish one quilt start to finish, so for me to bring 5 project just leaves me with 4 UFO's. My choice, my way, and others do differently and love retreats just as much.

So are there any retreats for hand quilters? I think it might be fun to get with some other women and quilt and blab and get away. I love Paper Princess remark about the chain saw oil.

I love meeting new people, and getting reacquainted with those I've met at previous retreats. The retreat/camp I attend also has a guest quilt shop for the weekend, so I also get a taste of other shops that I wouldn't otherwise have found. Last fall, I went to a 4 day camp and made 4 quilt tops, start to finish. I love the uninterrupted sewing time with no meals to plan and prepare.

I want a private room unless a good friend is my roomate. It cost more but that is the cost I know in advance. I won't go to a retreat if no private room if I don't know anyone.

Shucks...I have not had the opportunity to attend a retreat yet but they sound like a lot of fun. I enjoy meeting new people and I often learn something new from other quilters...and I love what Peckish said about "recharging your batteries." I can't wait to see if there's one in my area.

The main purpose is to have fun! Also, I get a lot more sewing done as there are no interruptions from family, no meals to fix, no laundry needing done, no TV, etc. Just sewing. Any problems or design indecisions are usually quickly solved by the group. I pack a lot less than I did at the beginning and now am able to just bring what I actually will use for the projects. I usually take 2 or 3 projects, but don't get them all done. Most people I know love retreats, but I do have a few friends who prefer to only sew at home, so you will need to make that decision yourself.

I go to meet new friends and get away from home for a few days since my DH hates to leave home. We almost never go away - even for one night. I have double supplies in a case that I take to guild or classes. I pre-cut all the projects, so all I have to do is sew. I sew when I want, I nap when I want, I go for a walk when I want, etc. I can be home in an hour if need be.

To me this is like asking why go on vacation! Why would you pack up half your clothes and all your toiletries and then spend extra money to go sleep in some other town?


For the fun of it, for the adventure, so you can see and do new things and meet new people!


I've never actually gone on a retreat, but I'd like to. I seem to find out about them too late, or it's one that's too far away or not suitable to me for some reason or another. (I AM rather picky, too.) But I tend to turn my vacations into sewing retreats anyway - if it's a road trip I can pretty much guarantee a sewing machine is included in my luggage!

There are two quilt shops within two hours that both have retreat centers at $45/night. Accommodations are 3-4/room with linens supplied, large sewing areas with irons, cutting tables and plenty of design boards. You can shop anytime during regular store hours too. They are open 365 days/year so you can go when you want, with whomever you want and work on whatever you want (scrapbooking, knitting, embroidery, as well as quilting etc.). There are many restaurants who will deliver food, or you can bring your own as they have crockpots, panini presses, toaster over, electric skillets, microwave etc. just not a stove, but a grill outside. We usually bring about half our meals and call out for the rest, but minimal cooking. The one I go to monthly (only 35 min. away) has an annual pass, so for $450/yr. I can go as many days throughout the year as I want (You just can't live there, so no more than 6 days in a row! LOL) I usually go 4-5 nights a month and meet friends who live 2 hrs. away, but I have gone by myself. No, they don't place strangers together, even if you go by yourself! My DH is supportive and even buys me the pass for Christmas each year, as I come back refreshed.