Episode 483: How to Host a Virtual Quilt Retreat
Listen to the show in the player at the end of this post.
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How to Host a Virtual Quilt Retreat
Who would've thought back in March that more than 6 months later, we'd still be in the middle of a pandemic? Mask wearing, social distancing, and canceled events are now a normal way of life. And while some of us are lucky to have our sewing friends nearby, so we can visit with them outside over a cup of coffee or chat with them at the local quilt shop from more than six feet away, many of us had to cancel in-person quilt retreats where we would've seen our sewing friends from outside our area. At the beginning of the pandemic, our brand hosted a few virtual quilt retreats on our social media pages, and we had so much fun doing it. And we heard from so many quilters how it uplifted their spirits during this hard time. Now that cooler weather is coming and we may not have the ability to visit with our sewing friends outside, we wanted to share some ideas for hosting a virtual quilt retreat, so you still have a chance to connect with quilting friends from the comfort and safety of your own home.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Who to invite
- What technology to use
- Schedule of events
- Virtual games (get Quilt Retreat Bingo here)
- Ways to personalize your retreat
- How to keep the party going after the event
What on Your Work Space?
Jody Sanders shares two scrap projects she's working on. Make a Trade by Annette Plog in the December 2019 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting uses a classic Jacob's Ladder block in various scraps to make a cozy throw. And she's also using her scraps to make Tiny Stitches by Lori DeJarnatt from the December 2020 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. This quilt turns tiny Four-Patch units into a cute table topper.
Sewing Toolbox
Joanna Burgarino dives into a tool almost every quilter uses -- pins! She discusses the pros and cons of five different types of pins: ball head pins, glass head pins, applique pins, flower head pins, and fork pins. Each has a specific use, and using the right pin for the job making sewing so much easier. (Check out Magic Pins if you want an easy-to-grip option that comes in a lot of varieties.)
Back to Basics
Then Joanna talks about binding tips. Binding isn't everyone's favorite part of the quilting process, so any tips to make it easier are appreciated! You can see the tips in action here. Joanna also mentions using wrist braces or compression gloves if you're hand sewing binding and are experiencing pain.
UFO Challenge
Lindsay Mayland talks about tracking your projects. When you have unfinished objects – especially ones you only work on occasionally or you've had them for years, it can be really helpful to track important details about the project. Tracking a project can help you jump in right away when you get the project out, become a form of motivation, keep track of deadlines, and become a remembrance of past projects.