Winter Quilt Retreat 2025

For years, this same retreat was referred to as our SoCo's Spring Retreat! It's February, and for me, that means winter. Maybe the name stuck because we used to go in March. However, we've been coming here (West River Retreat Center) in February since the early 2000s.

Semantics. Ha!

No semantics is needed when I am with my badass sewing sisters on retreat! We groove to the tunes in rhythm to our machines (not really, but I thought I'd add it for... semantics!

Meals take about 2 hours (three squares), sew, I'm typically at my sewing machine for 9-10 hours for three days straight! There is a lot of finishing when there is uninterrupted time to sew (like NO housework/cooking/taking care of home things).

We had a wild afternoon of weather - from cold to windy to rain to sunny and then back to windy and a little more rain. We watched the changing, er racing clouds as we kept on sewing.

Nothing could dampen our sewing spirits.

Thankfully, we have power and continue to sew and create. The rest of the county is out of power to some 200,000 people (including my peeps at home - and I am 25 minutes away).

There is a lot of hustle to reach the finish line as in a race, publishing a book, or even getting to the checkered flag with a quilt - no matter the size. That’s what I did today, finishing up quilts in my personal queue. However, this creates more work, to “finish-finish” by Long-Arm quilting them all eventually. How lucky am I?

Where the quilts will go keeps my mind busy with possibilities -—new babies, charity, Ethiopia, weddings and donations to foundations that either raffle the quilt off or use it in their silent auction part of the program. I love that I can help people with my quilting skill set and know-how.

However, the best part of sewing with my sewing sisters is the camaraderie, the laughs, the late nights, the sweet table, and the laughter - heck - it’s all about the laughter. I must admit, though, we do discuss just about everything under the sun, the good, bad and ugly that takes us to a higher groud in our respective friendships.

On retreat, friendships are born, and friendships are deepened. That is the best gift of all.

Here are some quilts I worked on today:

bSoleille!

Terri