What goes on at a quilting retreat? Here’s a peek at the inside of the lodge at Camp Homewood on Quadra Island, off Vancouver Island.
The lodge has an old part and a new part. This is the old part, with a huge fireplace (that couldn’t be used this year until the chimney gets an upgrade and inspection). About 40 quilters have set up their sewing machines. They have brought tons of supplies and fabrics from home to finish up old projects or start new ones.
They hang their completed projects from the upstairs railing to bring inspiration to their fellow quilters.
Some of the living quarters (bedrooms and bathrooms) are on on the upstairs and downstairs of this big meeting room.
On the distant left (below, at the bottom of the stairs) you can see a doorway that goes through to the new part of the lodge.
Standing in that doorway, I took one more photo of the old room so you can see the setup there, and then I turned …
and took this photo of the new part where more quilters had their machines set up. In the foreground of the photo below, you can see the empty round tables to the left. This is the dining area. The long table in the center is where the buffet-style meals are set up. The food is always very good and no one goes away hungry.
Some of the projects are hung on the railing on the new side as well. In some cases, the quilter might decide to only do the piecing of the top layer and do the quilting at home after adding the batting and backing under the top of the quilt.
The quilts below are not finished, but the tops are pieced together, ready to be quilted at home.
More quilts and a couple of bags (not mine).
And yet more quilts and another style of bag (not mine) below the smaller green quilt. Beautiful workmanship.
Four days of intensive sewing and sharing of techniques, ideas (and a few jokes), made this a successful retreat.
Next time I’ll share the close up work of one quilter whom I admire very much.
Looks like the perfect set up for a retreat of this kind. Lots of room and no outside interference.
The last part says it all – no outside interference. I love my life at home, but if I want to get something done on my sewing (or if it were writing, it would be the same) it works best if I don’t have to deal with the usual trivia of everyday chores. Most things can wait for a few days.
Looks like the perfect place to work together, get inspired and have fun (and good food!). Thanks for sharing Anneli!
Yes, it is a good location and a good setup. This quilting guild has been coming here for many years.
Wow! Such beautiful work! Thanks for sharing your photos, Anneli. I really joyed this!
Some of these quilters are so talented. They’ve been at it a long time.
What a wonderful treat to go to this amazing place with such talented artists. Looks like bliss to me. The results are beautiful!
It was so nice not to have to deal with the usual home stuff. Doesn’t mean I don’t like my life, but it was a good break and we all felt like we used the time productively.
Some beautiful quilts. Lovely 🙂
Cheers !
Thanks, Hans. Yes, these ladies are very talented.
It sounds like a lot of fun. The quilts and bags are very impressive!
It was fun, and you should see what some of these ladies can do!
What a busy and festive atmosphere!
They have a great time!
Great pictures, Anneli. You captured the feel of the quilt retreat. Notice, most everyone is smiling?
Yes, a lot of happy people.
What a great place!
Perfect for this kind of thing.
Stunning work 🙂
A lot of dedicated quilters with a lot of skill.
Your shots are crystal clear, like glass. Beautiful.
Thanks, David. It helps to have good subjects to photograph – and a lot of good luck.
This is wonderful. Reminds me of the annual quilting event in Sisters, Oregon.
I love seeing what quilters can do when they get together.
Me, too. My class has made three quilts together with a master quilter. The children do,all the designing and picking the fabrics, and the quilter does the quilting. One is my blog post photo! It hangs in a museum in Philadelphia. The children love learning and watching the whole process of making a quilt. Thanks again for sharing your post.
Can you put a link to this blog post here please? I’d love to look at it. I had a quick peek at your other posts and it took me right back to school days. Your class look like sweet kids. I miss the reading and writing part of teaching now that I’m retired.
Do you mean a link to a post about the Peace Quilt in the museum in Philadelphia? Most of my quilting posts are titled with Milly. She is the master quilter (and so much more). Let me know if you want a specific link, or if you want a bunch. There are three quilts, and more posts. Happy to help. 😀
If you put a link to the Peace Quilt post, and then where we can find the other three. I don’t mind if there are a few links in the comment section. Others may also want to access them.
This looks like a quilter’s paradise, Anneli!! Hope you had fun and lots of productive times!
I did. It was fun and productive.