Have you had a chance to be part of a quilting retreat yet?
If not, I certainly hope you'll give it a try the next time an opportunity comes up.
They are a blast! You get to hang with like-minded quilters who want nothing more than to sit and work on their current projects without any interruptions. Except, of course, for meals, sharing, and chatting with old and new friends.
I love getting away for a few days to spend quality time with my machine and the projects I brought with me. But I've got to warn you, there's quite a bit of work necessary leading up to the actual retreat.
One thing I've learned is to have all your projects cut, labeled, and bagged - ready to begin stitching. Why waste time at retreat cutting everything, unless, of course, you have questions for your fellow quilters about any of the instructions.
Always bring more than you think you'll be able to work on. You might just want a change of pace from say paper piecing to applique or you might finish sooner than you imagined because you're able to focus on what you're doing.
If at all possible, bring a second machine with you. Ask me how I know this! Yes, at my first retreat, a corner of my fabric got caught and pushed way down into the bobbin area. I was able to get it out but it threw off the timing and it needed to go into the shop. Luckily, the retreat was only an hour's drive away so I called my husband and he loaded up my second machine and met me halfway. I was back up and running in no time but now I always bring both machines with me.
I would also suggest you start packing early making sure you have all the necessities (rulers, cutting mat, rotary cutters, pins, extra needles, scissors, thread, small iron, etc.). That way if you need to pick up something, you'll have time and won't have to try to do it on your way to the retreat.
It's a little surprising how much packing there is for a few days away from home. Mine usually fills up my back seat and trunk but it's all worth it!
Well, all my quilting stuff is packed; I just need to get my little suitcase ready and I'll be good to go tomorrow.
Creatively Yours,
StitchingBahma
