Retreat Report

One of the things that makes Retreat so much fun is having a great sewing area. The Mercy Center in Frontenac has a huge auditorium with plenty of room for all of us (this year there were 39 retreaters.) Pairs of two share an 8' table so we get to spread out a fair amount. (Of course there are always those few, and I won't mention any names, who like to encroach on their table mate's space, but most of us can make do with half a table!) The stage is the perfect place to display some of our work. We use the center of the room for cutting tables and set up ironing boards in one corner. Sewing goes on nearly around the clock, and shopping trips are made to Local Quilt Shops daily.
One of our traditions is making charity quilts, and this year we decided to support two groups. In an earlier post I mentioned the 22" quilts we make for the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit for St. John's Mercy Medical Center. This photo shows the 154 Preemie quilts and 9 Pediatric sized quilts we made. The representative who came to receive them was deeply moved and very grateful.
The next evening a representative from Voices for Children, a Court Appointed Advocate Program for children in foster care, came to receive the quilts we made this year especially for teenagers. We made 30 quilts and collected 7 afghans/blankets for that cause.
I think after hearing each of the representatives speak to our group, I can safely say that every one of us was glad that we put so much time and love into this project. I bet we can make even more next year. Some of us have already started!