Retreats, Risks, and Really Cute Projects
- ACreativeCorner
- May 10
- 6 min read
Retreats, Risks, and Really Cute Projects
by Angela McPherson
Sometimes you don’t realize how badly you need a break until you accidentally find yourself driving through Denver traffic questioning every life decision that brought you there.
As some of you know, I am very much a “stay in my comfortable little bubble” kind of person. So naturally, I decided the perfect way to relax was to drive outside my comfort zone, merge into Denver traffic, and attend a retreat with people I had never met before.
Logical? Maybe not.
Character building? Apparently yes.
And honestly… it was exactly what I needed.
I spent three days sewing, laughing, eating snacks (that I probably didn’t need), ate good meals, and met some truly wonderful quilters.
Did I finish a mountain of projects? Absolutely not.
Did I come home mentally refreshed with new friends and fabric purchases I definitely didn’t need? Also, yes.
I even talked a few quilters into playing the game Hues and Cues, which, if you are a quilter, is both hilarious and mildly concerning.
Nothing makes you question reality faster than discovering your “Sage” is apparently someone else’s “Sea Froth.” Honestly, it is the perfect quilting game because what one quilter sees is not always what the next quilter sees. Fabric color opinions are strong, and apparently, we all live in slightly different color realities.
The Sewing Machine Bag Adventure
Lately I have developed a small habit of collecting Chrissy Lux’s bag and pouch patterns. By “small habit,” I mean enough patterns that I should probably stop pretending I’m “just browsing.” Her patterns are easy, fun, and for me they are quick little dopamine projects but with zippers… basically the crafting equivalent of giving my ADHD brain a gold star sticker and a snack.
Honestly, some people leave a shop with one or two sensible purchases and a budget still intact. I leave a quilt store with three patterns, a new stash of fabric and notions I suddenly “needed,” and the confidence of someone who truly believes they can finish every single project at retreat that they packed. Delusion is part of my quilting experience.
At the Colorado Quilting Council (CQC) spring retreat, a retreat I didn’t need to organize, coordinate meals, troubleshoot, or answer 47 questions about... I could simply show up, sew, and be me. Naturally, I picked an adorable sewing machine pouch pattern because apparently, I enjoy tiny projects with tiny pieces and very strong opinions. Now, those who actually know me are probably laughing right now because tiny projects are normally not my thing (forget about my past Tiny Quilter Village Blog". I prefer projects large enough that I don’t have to stare at the 1/8-inch ruler markings like I’m trying to read the world’s tiniest treasure map.
Now let me tell you… this little bag was slightly more complicated than Chrissy Lux’s other patterns than my brain initially told me it would be. There was no paper piecing involved, so naturally my confidence level started way too high. But somewhere between “this should be quick,” “why did I sew that upside down?” and “Sugarplum, I cut that a quarter inch too short… AGAIN,” reality stepped in like an uninvited quilting judge carrying a clipboard.
Thankfully, while my construction skills briefly wandered off unsupervised, my fabric placement absolutely did not. The seams may have been questionable, but the fabrics were coordinating like they attended the same team-building seminar. There may have been a few “creative reinterpretations” of the directions. There may have been a seam ripper involved. Possibly multiple times.
Apparently cutting while talking should not be done at the same time.
But this is where being "Angela" pays off. I never run out of fabric because I buy fabric like I’m preparing for a quilting apocalypse. So, every boo-boo was completely fixable.
And of course, I could not leave the bag alone without adding a little extra “me” to it. The original front has the cute sewing machine design, but the back needed personality, so I added a giant strawberry appliqué because life is better when both sides of a bag are cute and when strawberries are involved. While exploring quilt shops with my new quilting friends, I found the perfect strawberry zipper pull and honestly it felt like the quilting universe looked down and said,
“Congratulations on surviving Denver traffic. Here’s a tiny strawberry.”
I free-motioned strawberries and loops all over. FMQ has really been becoming a mindless activity to me.
Although, I had lots of larger pieces of fabric with me, I took some 10-inch fabric from the same line and pieced the lining together. I love peaking in the bag and seeing more strawberries. Strawberries are special to me because my grandmother used to take me strawberry picking when I was younger and I LOVE Strawberry Shortcake!!!!
The Fall Leaf Kit That Became “Angela Customized”
I also started an Irene Barto’s design “Fall Leaf” kit during my retreat. Normally these wouldn't be my colors, but it works!
And let me just say… kits are fantastic for retreats because sometimes I want somebody else to do the math. Measuring is fine… well, assuming you actually read the measurement correctly and don’t have to put tape on your ruler because you forgot the number for the fifth time. Quilt math, however, remains highly suspicious and cannot fully be trusted.
Of course, I immediately made a boo-boo because I did not pay attention to the leaf direction in the pattern (pretty sure I mirrored when Irene’s pattern already did that for you. Apparently “details matter… sometimes) is still a lesson I continue to relearn. So naturally, I rearranged things and accidentally made it my own.
I like to say I boldly break quilting rules in the name of creativity, but honestly most of my “design changes” start with, “Well… that wasn’t supposed to go there.” At this point, I’m less a quilting rebel and more of a professional mistake recovery specialist.
I swapped the side border, added more accent squares, dug through my button stash for leaf buttons, reduced some of the original leaf shadowing, and made it look more like the leaf had gently drifted down into the water with my free-motion stitching. I also went hunting in my thread stash for more variegated thread because Irene had already included a luscious WonderFil 40 wt variegated thread in the kit, which I had never used before.
Apparently one beautiful, variegated thread immediately convinced me I needed six more options nearby “just in case.” Quilters understand this level of emotional support thread.
Of course, I also decided it was finally time to use some of the decorative stitches programmed into my machine because honestly… we paid for those stitches and they deserve their moment. At this point I’m determined to eventually use every decorative stitch my machine has before one of us dies. Granted, with over 700 stitch options, that goal may be slightly ambitious… or as quilters call it, a perfectly reasonable long-term commitment.
I also used the pillowcase method instead of binding because:
~ I do not enjoy binding.
~ This means I now have more leftover fabric for my stash.
~ I apparently consider this a victory.
~ Yea me!!!
I skipped the beads that were in the kit because hand sewing and I are not close friends, but I did really enjoy the foil process (I'm going to need to find some to add to my creative corner). The little coppery touches added such a fun shimmer without making me question my life choices the way hand stitching and driving through Denver does.
To finish it off, I added loops so I could hang it from the copper bar I bought when I met Irene at the CQC Quilt Show (Quilt A Fair) where I accidentally signed up for another guild (CQC). Oops!
Final Retreat Score
By the end of retreat, I had:
Finished two projects (well within the week anyway)
Expanded my driving bravery
Survived Denver's traffic
Met wonderful new quilting friends
Learned that color perception is chaos among quilters
Acquired more fabric than I arrived with
Confirmed that I will absolutely customize a kit the second I touch it
Honestly, that sounds like a successful retreat to me.
Until later, keep creating.
~ Angela McPherson
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