My partner in crime, Kayla and I hosted our first ever quilt retreat in September for a group we formed from people we have met in the quilting community. For lack of a better name, we called ourselves the “Fabric Stashers”.

To tell you the truth, when we identified a location that had a minimum requirement of 10 people, we were not sure if we would be able to fill 10 spots since we are both newer to quilting. However, The Quilting Community is just that; A trusting, fun loving family! Our little retreat filled to our maximum of 15 fast, with a waitlist. I was amazed and daunted as I had never planned anything like this before.

We hosted the retreat at a remarkable bed and breakfast, the Blackberry Creek Retreat B&B in Rogersville, MO. If you have not visited, I highly recommend it. With location alone, we have set the bar high! (Thanks to one of our Fabrics Stasher’s, Cathie, for capturing some fun pics of the grounds! Can I make you the official photographer?)

After a 3.5 errrrrr, 7 hour?, road trip (including the stop(s) at quilt shops and delightful lunch stops on the route) we were greeted by the sight of this lovely retreat.

No one was brave enough to take a dip in the pond…

I did the best I could with planning, and if anything, overplanned. It turns out Quilters are pretty good at entertaining themselves!

Features of the 1st Annual Fabric Stasher Retreat;

Secret Sisters (a lead up to the retreat); Kayla Walker graciously organized this.
Themed T-Shirts for our group
Favors for a fun introduction & ice-breaker. I loved hearing everyone’s story. We were all rolling with laughter at points.
A Joint Charity Project with the KC Modern Quilt Guild, and our generous fabric donor, Massdrop
Some ladies participated in Saturday outings to a local quilt shop, Merrily We Quilt, and others to a local winery, Lambs & Vines, for wine tasting and a peek at the local wool yarn. (We even had a special treat of meeting the Innkeepers, Mark & Dixies, new twin grandsons!)
Show & Tell
A lively game of “Strip” poker
Goody Bags on the beds and Door Prizes donated by quilting industry business
Door prizes donated by members of the Fabrics Stasher Retreat
Two hand toile painted quilt racks donated by Tom McGowan @CivilTom.com
A Deb Tucker demo (Kayla Walker)
A demo of Cake Mixes for the charity event (Kayla Walker)
June Tailor Charming Circles Demo (@duelingthreads)
Sew Kind of Wonderful Quick Curve Demo (@duelingthreads)
Massages by a licensed massage therapist – The Therapeutic Touch
(I think some of us plan to stop through again just for a massage! Thanks Brandy.)
Fabulous breakfasts, dinners, and deserts! by our outstanding innkeeper, Mark!
Amish baked goods
And last but not least, sleep?… no, but

QUILTING!

In hindsight, we could have spent a little more time on the last one, but who could resist all of the other fun! I’m not posting any more photos here, but you might find them on Facebook and Instagram. The retreat was Sew Successful we have already set our date for next year… and have a waitlist! I received some constructive feedback from the ladies, and while next year will be scaled down slightly, it is sure to be another outstanding experience!

I hope everyone enjoyed themselves.

A Special THANK YOU to all of our quilting business and community supporters this year! Your generosity is not unnoticed.