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Quilt Retreat...

Quilt Retreat...

Written by: 
cnelson

While Webster's didn't include "quilt" in their definition of a retreat, it still fits. A retreat is a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy.

The group can be big or it can be small, and the location can be a vacation home or a dedicated retreat center. Your group might be like-minded people you've only just met, or it might be a very exclusive group of friends and co-workers. If you're really lucky, you'll get away with thoughtful, welcoming friends - new and old.

Have you been on a quilt retreat? Or a crafting-making kind of retreat?

Imagine your ideal making-sewing getaway... what makes it special?

If you're trying to figure out how to plan a getaway for you and your sewing-minded friends, there is a lovely new book about "creating the perfect sewing adventure filled with fabric, friends and food..." - Handmade Getaway by Jacqueline Sava Clarke and Karyn Valino.

Karyn Valino opened the workroom in Toronto, Canada in 2007. The shop and sewing studio quickly became a gathering place for passionate and enthusiastic makers, crafters and sewists. That's how she met Jacqueline Sava Clarke - a sewist and award-winning industrial designer with a passion for teaching people how to take care of their clothing, and the founder of Soak.

I first came to know Jacqueline's name through Flatter, the deliciously scented, environmentally-conscious, not-starch spray that relaxes wrinkles and freshens fabric.

There are five Flatter scents and "scentless" - and don't ask me to pick a favorite. It's a five-way tie - the scentless is in second place. (Just so you know, everybody who smells the Pineapple Grove Flatter says the same thing - "This smells so good I want to drink it!")

And not only is it great for clothing - think summer linens! - a few of our Moda designers love - love! - using it on the fabrics they're using in their hand-appliqué. (Jen. Laurie.)

Whether you're getting away for a single day, a weekend or an entire week, Handmade Getaway has ideas for how to plan - what to pack, how to allocate responsibilities, and group activities.

At a friend's house or at a family vacation home, why not teach the group how to take care of their sewing machines? You'd be surprised how many people have never learned how to do that. I used to be invited to a retreat in Oregon where one of the ladies there taught us about rug-hooking.

Do you cyanotype?

It's easier than you think - you just need a few supplies, fabric, leaves and sunshine. (It works on paper too.)

There are also sewing projects for individuals and groups from pillowcases and mitered napkins to beautiful quilts.

I'd share more pictures but the book has disappeared... walked away.

Fortunately, I have a copy to share so if you'll leave a comment by Midnight on Sunday, June 30 telling us about your perfect, dream sewing getaway. If you've never been... what would make it perfect enough for you to want to go?

As you read this, I will be teaching at a retreat in Boulder, Colorado. Teaching because I will be bringing my sewing machine and a few of my sweetest friends will be there. (That's the best kind of getaway - spending a couple of days with folks who are happy you're there.)

Happy Friday!

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