One of the things I love most about being a traveling teacher is the people I meet. An added bonus is the terrific locations I get to go to. While the majority of my classes are for quilt guilds, shops, or conferences, some are for the retreats that these organizations hold. Retreats are held at a different location than their usual meeting place, sometimes on a college campus, sometimes at a camp ground, sometimes at a hotel. More and more retreats are being held at retreat centers, places set up specifically to handle large groups with a larger- than-usual need for electrical outlets!
The next retreat I have coming up will be offered at Watson Homestead, in Painted Post, NY. The Friday Evening Program is open to the Public, followed by a workshop on Saturday and Sunday. Pre-registration is required for the workshop portion of the retreat.
Friday evenings' program is a new trunk show entitled: 1 x 1: A Trunk Show of Quilts Using Pieced 1 inch Squares
With the publication of my first Scrap Bonanza book, I became fascinated with what one could do with the tiny scraps that were cut away and thrown out in the construction process of quiltmaking. Making inventive use of these cutaways has become a trademark of my scrap quilts. Truly nothing goes to waste as these diminuative 1 inch x 1 inch pieced squares transform into dozens of patchwork possibilities.
Gathered together for the first time, dozens of quilts will show just how you can transform tiny bits of cloth that would have otherwise been discarded. It will change the way you think about how you quilt.
The program will be held Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7.
The weekend retreat continues with a new workshop on Saturday, called Quilting 1-2-3: Three Scrap Quilts in One Workshop. An exciting new class, Quilting 1-2-3 starts with fabric selection for scrap quilts and builds from there. Learn how to achieve accurate and efficient piecing techniques that transform one quilt into a second pattern that looks totally different. And what would a Linda Halpin workshop be without a bonus quilt made with the cutaways! That is a total of 3 quilts in this fun-filled weekend. This class works for all skill levels. Students should be comfortable with their sewing machines.
To register for this retreat, contact: Neil Yoder
607-962-0541
watsonneil@stny.rr.com
www.watsonhomestead.com
In addition to the above mentioned retreat, I would like to tell you about a unique booking option for program planners, that is, a multi-day retreat that I team-teach with Cindy Fenster.
Gifted machine quilter Cindy Fenster and I have teamed up to offer weekend retreats. One problem with many class situations is that students are taught wonderful quilt tops, but then left to muddle through quilting on their own. We saw the need for the opportunity to not only learn great quiltmaking techniques, but follow that up with information on how to decide what quilting pattern goes where, and then teach how to accomplish those quilting techniques.
Cindy and I offer multi-day retreats, where students will be treated to a learning experience that covers not only the construction of a quilt top, but also how to do machine quilting. I teach one day of quiltmaking, beginning with Fabric Selection. Cindy will follow up with one day of machine quilting.
Contact me if you are interested in booking a multi-day experience for your group.