It’s time to dust off those quilt retreat checklists! YAY!
Over the years I’ve compiled lists of items to take on retreats and some are more unusual than others! Compare your retreat checklists to mine and make sure you don’t leave home without a thing!
To begin, you want your sewing machine! Basic supplies also include your instruction manual, needles, thread, scissors, seam ripper, extra light bulb, and make-up applicator style Q-tips.
Next, double check that you have your foot pedal and electrical cord with your machine!
Now add some fun and creative stuff to make your work space just right!
You might consider extra lighting, electrical strips, and extension cords. Remember to bring charging cords for phones, tablets, fitness trackers, etc.
Don’t forget your design wall or make-do with a fleece blanket or flannel-backed table cloth. You’ll need painter’s tape or push pins to hang the fleece or tablecloth. Throw in your 1/4 inch seam guide and 3M removable tape, rotary mat and blades. Bring your portable iron and ironing surface. Add in cutting and specialty rulers, fabric spray, and various scissors (depending on your projects).
Toss your guild directory in your bag so you can get to know the new members at retreat!
Finally, remember to pack your personal items. These should include comfortable clothing, pajamas, walking shoes, pain reliever, and maybe a back massager. I personally also throw in DVDs, a book and book light, a personal heater, and my yoga workout, so I don’t leave retreat in pain!
It’s quilt retreat and time to take your sewing on the road!
First, for quilters to go through all the trouble of taking down one work station to pack to all up, travel, and set it up somewhere else means it MUST be a lot of fun! Whether you go for the social time, productivity, shopping or a combination, making the launch from home sewing to retreat sewing can be easy!
Keep it all in one spot.
I have a friend who keep duplicates of all sewing supplies. Of course, that is the ultimate way to pack and travel. But if space and budget don’t allow for duplicates, try using a central command center.
Find a organizer that works at home and away.
The one I use, pictured above holds just about all the little tools and gadgets I need for retreat. I can even store my mini iron in the center section.
I tend to take a lot of items on quilt retreat because I want to pack (no pun intended) everything I can into those lovely few days. Overall, I like to enjoy all the aspects of a good retreat which include laughter, fabric shopping, relaxation time, yummy food, reading, movies, music, and walks, I’m still a high production type of quilter.
No sense spending time looking for supplies.
Whether in my studio or on the road I need to see what I’ve got and know where to find it.
Below is a very unofficial list of some of the things I take on retreat. I hope it helps you get ready for your next adventure of quilting on the road.
Sewing machine (with cord, pedal, extra light bulb, bobbins, and attachments)
Table
Extra lighting
Projects, preferably pre-cut
Felt-backed table cloth for make-shift design wall
Other supplies such as seam ripper, rotary cutter, blades, rulers, and cutting mat.
Iron and pressing mat or board and pressing spray.
Extension cords and electrical strips.
Personal items, including clothes, usually get packed last for me! You might consider walking shoes, rice bag for sore shoulders, and pain relief.
Charger cords
Snacks
The rest of the story.
NOW for the REST of the story! Below I reveal everything that is actually in my spinning work station.
Without a doubt, I don’t use all of these items daily. But when at quilt retreat, it’s best to not be without! Starting at the top left, you see fusible web, pressing spray, mini iron, chain-piecing cutter, a very cute rice bag (made by my friend, Donna). Next you see various rotary blades, The Purple Thang, a gripper tool, bandages, rotary cutter, and two sizes of Karen K. Buckley scissors.
It is wise to clean out your organizer now and then!
Following that is a pre-cuts guide for fabric purchase emergencies, thumb tacks, pins, cord wrap, thread, Q-tips, battery, thread and button, needles, a plethora of markers and pencils, snipping scissors, and Fabric Fuse. Surprisingly, the next row starts with the back of something which apparently held batteries, a calculator, a guild directory, business cards, note pads, and another gripper tool. Lastly, there are clips for hanging design wall, True Grips (truly a favorite), and last, but not least, Martelli cutters (I am an ambidextrous cutter, so I use both left and right-handed ones).
Okay, so it’s not really a quilting cabin. It’s a deer camp for the hunters in the family all year round. But for one week, we try our best to “chick” up the place!
Step one, clean it up.
After cleaning, but before the invasion!
We spend a bit of time when we arrive to vacuum, mop, disinfect surfaces, wash bedding, and do mouse and spider prevention– because it really is a cabin in the woods!
Step two, bring it all in!
First, we’ve set up the table. Followed by the tables, machines, fabric, thread, needles and pins, design walls, quilt blocks, music, movies, lights, food, food, more food. Lastly, and best of all, friends!
Featherweight is set up and stitching on night one.
In this quilting cabin, we sew among various trophies on the walls and hanging above us from the ceiling.
Get ready to work!
Read on to share in our adventures which included a low-flying plane, a Polaris ride through the property (with a fortunate ending), limited cell service, a ringed-moon, hooting owl, quilt reveals, sunrises, demos, sunsets, more quilts, a little (wink) Mamma Mia, and a lot of laughter.
Linda gives a demo for making clothesline bowls.
Design work.
One day, we stood in the field at the top of the hill and made an impromtu target for a money/food/water drop with this water bottle as the target. It felt like a scene from Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
We did get a flyover!
Mules rides!
A few days later, got us a ride through the property, complete with thorns and briars and overgrown brush. So, it was a Polaris, not a mule, but that doesn’t sound as exciting.
We were truly blazing trails! This was our view from riding across the the dam.
It was all fun and games until we broke down! Fortunately, the abrupt stop didn’t happen in the middle of nowhere OR in the middle of the briar patch. A brief, downhill walk back to the truck was welcome! We stayed close to the quilting cabin after that.
Completed tops hang from the banister.
Learn more about the Floating Flower Garden quilt! It’s made with BOTH beautiful sides of fabric.
Sunrise at the Quilting Cabin
One morning, about 4:30, Linda and I met in the kitchen and since we were both wide awake, we decided it was time to take the coffee to the porch. The moon had a beautiful red ring around it. We rocked, talked, drank coffee, watched the stars turn into a sunrise, and heard an owl in the tree.
Quilting Cabin, Mamma Mia Style!
How does Mamma Mia fit in? Well, one annoying quilter (there’s always one) couldn’t get “Waterloo” out of her head. Knowing only that word of the song, that’s all she would sing…over and over until they finally turned on the movie and then NO one could get that or any of the other songs out of their heads. Let’s see…”Dancing Queen”, “Waterloo”, “Super Trouper” “Honey, Honey”, “Momma Mia”, “Money, Money, Money”, and “Our Last Summer”
Yes, friends, you are all welcome – you’ll be singing those songs the rest of the day!
That one Annoying Quilter
Yes, friends, you are all quite welcome for the reminder (blowing kiss).
We had a wonderful week. I regret we didn’t take more pictures, because, believe it or not, some quilters, quilts, and activities didn’t get photographed!
Quilting Cabin Gallery
Peggy’s Bear Quilt
Beth’s quilt on the design wall.
Sunset at the old barn site.
The new shelter at the site of the old red barn.
Merle and Nancy trying to get cell bars while Mary is hard at work.
Coffee on the porch.
Retreats are about more than just getting away.
This is what happens when you play hooky from quilt class!
Naturally, there is something wonderful about being around old friends, making new friends, and having limited responsibilities. You can do whatever you feel like doing. You laughing and share.
These are all things that you can’t do at home, stitching alone.
In conclusion, when you’ve left the quilting cabin and you head back to civilization, let me leave you with this song…
“Back to life…back to reality” (another song for you…by Soul II Soul, 1989) You’re welcome, friends!
Here’s a quick quilt retreat packing list to make your prep easier and your quilt retreat fun!
Firstly, one must remember the basics.
You need friends, fabric, food, and laughter on the top of your packing list.
Here’s a quilt retreat checklist from a cabin called Lady of the Lake.
Secondly, it’s important to anticipate your particular retreat needs. The accommodations, schedules, and cabin mates can make a big difference in your experience and your packing list! Therefore, I’ve decided to share the list as one example of how we do quilt retreat at Kentucky Dam Village, Lady of the Lake style!
Lady of the Lake Cabin Style Retreat Packing
Mostly, we would have eight lovely ladies in one cabin. We each set up our work station, stitch a lot, eat a lot, share a lot, and laugh a lot. We schedule our meals and each person provides in some way, either meals or supplies.
As the years went on, we learned we didn’t need to prepare to great detail as we did in the earlier years. For example, planning only one large meal a day and allowing the later days in the event to be determined made our packing and planning much easier. Not only did we not have nearly large amount of food to pack, we had less to get rid of at the end of the retreat.
Additionally, less meal planning allowed us to change our plans as the week went on.
Quilt retreat packing list.
Hope you get some use from this list and a little insight to dynamics of the Lady of the Lake gals.
Sewing machine with electrical cord, foot pedal, manual, extra light bulb, bobbins, Q-tips for cleaning lint.
Seam ripper, scissors, Seam ripper, scissors, rotary cutter and blades, rulers, cutting mat, iron, pressing surface, tables, electrical cords, extension cords, extra lighting, fabric spray, pins, hand-work supplies, guild directory, ¼” guide and 3M removable double-stick for guide on machine.
Personal Items: pajamas, preferred drinks, snacks and food for meals not planned, rice bag for sore muscles, massager for neck and shoulders, comfortable clothing, walking shoes, jeans for shopping trips, jacket/sweatshirt, overnight bag/products, Advil, pain relief lotion.
Here are a few items you might want to add to your retreat list:
There are lots of lists out there suggesting what to pack for quilt retreats. Here are a couple of things I add to the basic lists – to update them or accommodate for my projects. Hope this will help you, too, be totally prepared for your next retreat.
Okay, so first, take all the normal sewing/quilting supplies (machine, fabric, thread, needles, scissors, seam ripper, etc.).
Then consider:
Chargers for phone, Ipad and Fitbit
Cords for all machines and laptop
Leather thimble or little stick-on dots for hand-work
Chain-cutter (mine is Barney purple)
Guild directory (for when you can’t remember that one lady’s name)
Pre-cuts guide (for shopping trip)
Pressing board
Silicone Pressing Sheet
Extra light bulb for machine
Basting glue
Pressing Spray
1/4 inch guide
Extra lighting
Water
You might want to throw in some clothes and soap and you’re good to go! Now check out thisOne Sweet Retreat to read about last year’s trip to Jonas Bluffs.
Please share your ideas for retreat lists and comment below.
Take a look at our sweet quilt retreat in the woods.
This sweet retreat includes summer breezes, floating skies, lazy days…butterflies.
This is a retreat – by the numbers!
One Sweet Retreat
First, we have one hunting cabin. Add twelve ladies. Next, throw in three feather-weight, one Brother, two Janome, and one New Home sewing machines. Furthermore, we had three Scan N Cut machines working away.
In addition, some gals brought handwork to stitch. There is fabric everywhere along with thread, pins, needles, fusible, vinyl and food!
What more could a quilter want?
Perhaps a few deer out the window.
Deer on the bluffs.
While some gals worked on their sewing machines and some day-trippers brought handwork, many of us worked on final details for the local quilt. Our River Heritage Quilt Guild quilt show was less than a month away. Definitely, there were bindings and labels being stitched. Surprisingly, some quilts were just getting started!
Rosie’s stocking.
The End of the Road
What seemed to a few like a road to nowhere turned into a swell time for us all!
Nearly everyone got some kind of monogram as we were testing our wits against our new Brother Scan N Cut machines. and realizing the possibilities.
A is for Anne with an E
Simply put, we were busy from dawn unto late in the night.
In addition to the laughter, sharing, and world problems being solved at this sweet retreat, there was a fair amount of food involved. And one sweet treat involved a practical joke.
With a recent experience regarding a visit from a bear, one quilter planted this “bear scat” near my car.
I thought I’d bring some bear scar to scare; instead it was really bear scat to share.
In double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate chips and shortening until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in raisins and almonds. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. Chill until ready to serve.
My answer to the bear trickery was a bear paw quilt made with Kaffe and Moda Grunge. SeeIt’s a Bear Out There for the full bear tale.
My Bear Likes Kaffe
This little getaway was a fun and beautiful way to transition from the heat of the summer to the cooler temps ahead.
