JUNE 2027: Patricia is leading two quilting retreats in La Conner. +learn more
By Patricia Belyea
LA CONNER WA My concept for this year’s June retreat combined two well-known quilting techniques — Stitch & Flip and Quilt-As-You-Go.
To add a little twist, some of the Stitch & Flip blocks incorporated strips of pieced fabric with gently patterned curves.
Over four days, ten participants cut, stitched, trimmed, and smiled. Here are photos of eight of them on the final day of the retreat.
I got so busy capturing video clips that I forgot to take portraits of the last two participants! Here’s a peek at their projects instead.
As a special treat, Sylvia Pippen visited and brought two quilts to share. One had been made by her mother, Kitty Pippen. The other was Sylvia’s reinterpretation of a published quilt design by Kitty. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the work of two generations of quilt makers, side by side.
One afternoon, we wandered up the hill to the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum. Each of the Museum’s three floors featured a different exhibit: faux tree trunks by Terri Shinn, bojagi and jogakbo textiles by a group of six artists, and antique botanical quilts from the Museum’s permanent collection.
The days were full. Flowers, birds, and sunshine accompanied our morning and evening walks. Blue herons stalked the shoreline while fishing boats made their way along the Swinomish Channel.
What a joyful week of learning, laughter, and creative discoveries! Watching everyone develop their unique interpretations of the project reminded me that the best retreats are about more than making quilts — they're about sharing ideas, encouraging one another, and leaving inspired to make the next one.
