Shoebox Swap Retreat 2025

Our 11 strong sewist retreat has ended, but our deep friendships and sense of community is stronger than ever.

As I listened to the conversations pinging around the few rooms we sew in, we really do talk about patterns, fabrics, notions, quilting, colors and hues, and so much more, a lot! It’s what we do, and truly love it all. We sew for others, ourselves, and donate quilts to charities. I’m thrilled in how far we all have come in our quilting journeys including skills and finished projects, but it’s the belonging that counts to all of us (some I’ve known for 25+ years).

For hours each day since last Thursday I ran my machine fill tilt. When I finished with my last stitch in a project I started today, I realized I sewed my brains out all 4/5 days. It’s time for a rest, including my sewing machine!

As our shirts say, “Send fabric and nobody gets hurt!”

bSoleille!

Terri

Photo starting with me in blue and going left: Carrie Casto, Deb Hoppe, Susie Stevenson, Deb Johnson, Janet McCabe, Marjorie Mulla, Margy Hill, Debbi Carter, and Mary Nielsen

A shout of Thanks to Carrie and Deb J for the iron on template we carefully ironed on our different colored shirts.