I haven’t been to a retreat since the early 90s! The last one I attended with Quilting in the Desert in Flagstaff, Arizona, the closest retreat location to the Navajo Nation, where I was living and working. It was a fabulous retreat. There were dozens of classes offered by numerous acclaimed artists in the quilting world. The classes were great, and I did learn a great deal, but I left somewhat empty.
The retreat at the Wine Country Inn in March, at which I was both an attendee and a vendor, was an entirely different experience. I had a great time! It was so much fun being with others who all shared the same insanity toward what we love—to create. We had nearly 30 ladies come together in what can be described as a modern-day quilting bee. We all brought our own projects, but we did not work in isolation from one another. We shared tips and tricks, gave constructive feedback, helped each other with tricky parts or doing simple machine repairs, shared stories and experiences, laughed, and just enjoyed each other.
Given all the events of this year and the last several years, it was nice to put all of that aside and just enjoy life. We didn’t have a care in the world except for making the decision of what and where to eat dinner. Other than that, Melody Maskus and the hotel staff took care of all our needs. We had plenty of space, plenty of food and drinks, plenty of entertainment, and plenty of time to do whatever we wanted to do.
Even though I was only about 6 miles away from home, I felt as though I had been on a vacation far, far away. I felt rejuvenated and energized (even though I was sick). It was just a great experience at a great venue and with great people.
If you missed this retreat, don't worry. It comes around twice a year in November and in March. You can contact Melody to register for these retreats by emailing her at rivervalleyquilter@icloud.com.