Category: Retreats

Our August Retreat was fabulous! Nine of our members (including lucky me) drove up to the amazing Hepburn Springs house to spend the weekend quilting up a storm. Here’s what one attendee, Sally, had to say about it…

“After leaving work, I streamed up the highway to get to Hepburn Springs so that I could unpack my sewing machine and start to sew, and make all the things that I wanted to do in one weekend! Oh the things I wanted to do!! I think I took four quilt tops to finish, and I may have even made more than that! Also a dinosaur was produced somewhere along the way!!

Back to our adventures!!

I arrived to a very happy bunch of women who may or may not have already opened the port? This is yet to be confirmed!! – but I am thinking yes!

Dinner was gobbled up and enjoyed by everyone!! Thanks to Jos, for creating a great bolognaise sauce!!  Best one I had all weekend!!  After dinner it was time to Sew!!

Where to start I thought?  What to do, and how can I do it with so many others doing wonderful things and showing off their wonderful fabric!!!  After the initial shock of all the new projects and fabric bundles added to my list, I settled down to make my first quilt top!!

Sewing went on into the night, the hum of 8 sewing machines must have driven the neighbours crazy, but we weren’t about to stop – we did think about them once maybe, but we were here to sew and that is what we set about doing!!

After a great sleep in what can only be described as beds fit for the queen, we all got ready to go into town and spend up a storm at the patchwork shop! After finding some great bargains in town (ugg boots included!!) we were back to the machines and the gentle hum started again.  This was improved by Lorraine’s Elna coming out of retirement to join the more modern and ‘fancy’ looking machines, however we all decided that the Elna made the best sound!!

In between baths in the huge bath tube, chocolate and drinks, the sewing machines went on into the night! Slowly one by one the machines were turned off and quilters went to bed.  The last machine was turned off and went to sleep at 12:45, however there may have been some early morning adventures with the design wall!

Bright and early on Sunday morning the machines were back at it, and of course as were the quilters, everyone had one more thing they wanted to get done before it was time to go.

Then came to time to say goodbye and slowly head back to our reality!  Slowly se packed our machines and went on our way, wishing we could stay one more day, but planning for the next time.”

Thanks for the write-up, Sally!

Lorraine brought up her quilting frame, and set it up on the balcony for everyone to have a turn at free-motion quilting. Here are some photos:

Lorraine's set it all up in about 30 minutes

Jos had first go at it

Next, Lyn tried it out.

Jos

My turn - it's quite easy really

Bek loved it

A little practice and those stitches will look really great!

Thanks Lorraine! It was great to see the frame in action.

When’s our next Retreat, you ask? Keep an eye out for info as we schedule retreats for 2012!

x Helene