The Mendota Retreat

What a fun time I had last week in Minneapolis, sewing quilt tops and getting to know In person the quilters with whom I have had an online friendship this past year.  Before showing you what we accomplished I’d like to share some history.

The first thing I did when I took over as Director of Wrap-A-Smile was to join the Sunshine Online Quilt Guild, per Terry’s encouragement.  The Sunshine guild is a group of quilters who sew almost exclusively for charity, with the guild's two officially sanctioned charities being Wrap-A-Smile and Quilts Beyond Borders.  The guild has over 200 members but only 20-30 have ever met in person.  Through almost daily online posts of their quilts, and the stories that go with them, I have come to know these people as generous, witty, creative and very committed to their charity projects.  I was anxious to meet them in person!     

The recent retreat in Mendota Heights (Minneapolis) was the third biennial retreat that the Sunnies have organized.  Fifteen of us came from California, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Minnesota and Maine to work together for WAS and QBB.  Other quilters from around the country had sent in over 3000 blocks of the same pattern, but different fabric combinations, before our arrival.  Our job was to assemble them into quilt tops which would be sent out later to other quilters around the country who will turn them into finished quilts.  Talk about a collaborative effort!!

With 15 of us in attendance, and 5 days of effort, 142 tops were pieced!  Half of those will come to Wrap-A-Smile when finished.  A remarkable achievement!  Of course we took a few breaks to enjoy the local fabric shops, a visit to Minnehaha Falls, and a yummy picnic at the home of guild member BrendaLou.  Retreat organizers Carol and Beth were fantastic hosts and very generous with their hospitality as they squired us around their home city.  I enjoyed all the positive energy! 

Thank you Sunshine Online Quilt Guild for being so committed to Wrap-A-Smile, and for my warm welcome at Mendota. 

Now for some color:

Ta dah!

So much variety from a relatively simple block

4 x 5 for Wrap-A-Smile, 4 x 6 for Quilts Beyond Borders

Some extra creativity

Beth taught how to make arrows

A sampling of the 3000 blocks sent ahead

Some backings and bindings made in advance

Carol taught how to make houses

Thanks to St. Paul's United Methodist Church for our workroom

And special thanks to retreat organizers Beth (left) and Carol (center)
and to Carol's sister Kathleen P (right) who kept us nourished
photo taken at Minnehaha Falls

If you are curious about Quilts Beyond Borders, here is the link to their blog:
https://quiltsbeyondborders.wordpress.com