October 16th - October 18th 2020

We gathered as a small group in the Berkshires for our first annual sewing retreat. We stayed at a family residence, Laurel House, out in Becket Massachusetts. 

Amanda, Maureen, Sarah, and I all spent the weekend sewing and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

While we had a fantastic time, we decided that a larger house would be better for our needs. Early next year, we will begin to plan a date to do another ladies' sewing weekend away. We decided that a yearly tradition in the fall works really well. Don's uncle will most definitely allow us to use the house for a long weekend away so long as we tell him in advance. Waldtreff will be a much better space for us to use where we won't have to move around much furniture. The large open floor plan at Waldtreff will allow us to not have to shuffle as much around, especially when people want to take a break or at meals. Need to discuss date for next year. Early to mid October is preferred but Waldtreff is typically unavail at that time of year. Might need to do end of September if ok with group. Waldtreff also more fun with pool table, larger tv/movie space & has more bathrooms. The only thing that might not be so great at Waldtreff is lighting. We may want to consider bringing table lighting for our sewing machine area. 

Things that worked well:

• Using folding tables for sewing machines
• Amanda brought folding chairs and they were actually really comfortable. 
• If we use Waldtreff next year we probably won't need these but may bring 1 or 2 in case.
• Amanda's extra long/wide ironing board made us all want one
• Maureen's traveling design wall is so nice and definitely a game-changer
• Doing simple meals (bagels for breakfast or chili for dinner) allowed us to focus on sewing and each other rather than spending lots of time on cooking & prep
• Utilizing the island as a cutting station worked well
• Listening to music was a nice distraction

Things that could have been better:

• Laurel works well for 2-3 people for sewing. Is doable with 4 people but it's tight. Waldtreff is best for 4+ sewers
• Trash was located inside the kitchen island and sometimes was a nuisance
• Had to move lots of furniture at Laurel
• Grill at Laurel is small (if we decide to grill out)
• Might be worth it to bring another ironing board & iron, especially if we have more than 4 people
• Beds at Laurel are so-so
• Nikki should plan to take a 4-day long weekend (off Friday/Monday) - feel like late afternoon arrival on Friday didn't give us as much time to sew. Nikki can also come late Thursday evening & go shopping in the AM before people arrive. Then will still be able to spend time with kids/family once back.

Machines used

Amanda: Pfaff

Maureen: Viking

Nikki: Brother

Sarah: Singer

Projects

Amanda: Worked on queen size quilt for parent's anniversary/Christmas (later discovered that she made it too large for their bed & had to remove a row & collum. We all joked that her mom would have lots of throw pillows)

Maureen: Worked mostly on a quilt for herself drawing inspiration from a quilt she saw at a quilt show she attended with family a few years back. Also worked on Christmas masks to give out to family over Thanksgiving.

Nikki: Did some small projects that were donated to UUCR's upcoming virtual Kris Kringle Fair. Made a set of Christmas tree napkins, 1 large hot/cold tote bag, and 1 smaller tote bag (wine bottle sized). Nikki had ordered a new sewing machine but it did not come in time. 😭 

Sarah: Worked on a purple bargello quilt that she had been working on for the past 6 years. Came into the weekend determined to "finish the damn thing" but said many times "I hate it." 😂 Once the top was finished, her mind was changed. Her time spent on it was definitely worth it and we were able to see it in all its glory!

Sewing things that were shared

2 xl cutting mats

1 md size cutting mat

2 rotating cutting mats

Various sizes of rulers

2 Ironing boards 

2 Reg. sized irons

1 sm. travel iron

1 xl folding table

2 small folding tables

Maureen's design wall

Extra surge protectors

Meals Eaten

Breakfast: Bagels from a place in Lexington, Massachusetts (SO GOOD)

Lunch: Deli meats/sandwiches, leftover chicken/steak 

Dinner: Grilled chicken, steak, & shrimp, homemade turkey chili with cornbread & toppings

Snacks: popcorn, chips, candy (so much candy)

Drinks: Cider (hard & regular), diet soda, seltzer, water

Random Facts:

Amount of needles broken: 4

No beer was drunk, just cider, wine & spirits

Next meeting: Tentatively scheduled for early December

Time/Place: Brunch @ Maureen's