Retreats

RETREAT AT BEER, SOUTH DEVON

Sun 22nd Jan – Fri 29th Jan, 2012

Next year’s retreat is with Marlene Chaffey. Marlene will be showing students how to make a beautiful scene from a picture of a favourite building or place, using an acetate template. We will be using bought fabric and/or own dyed fabric.

Again it will be the same format, starting on the Sunday afternoon, supper then a brief talk about the week ahead. Marlene will teach Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday pm is time off if the students wish, to sight see or shop or just lounge around! The Retreat finishes Friday afternoon. Evening entertainment in the cottage is something not to be missed!

The Booking Form is enclosed with the Summer Magazine, and will be dealt with on a first come first booked basis. For any further information please call Maggie on 01305 771850

Venue

DOLPHIN HOTEL FORE STREET BEER DEVON EX12 3EQ
Telephone: 01297 20068

South West Quilters hold their Retreat during the last week in January each year at the Dolphin Hotel in Beer in South Devon. It is a Grade II listed building and is a family run Hotel. The Workshop is held in the Function Room, which we hire for our use alone for the five days. The Retreat runs from Sunday afternoon through till the following Friday afternoon, and the cost includes Bed & Breakfast at the Hotel and the tuition during the five days.

For the evenings we also have use of a very pretty cottage situated opposite the hotel carpark where we gather after the workshop has finished for the day, around an open fire, and indulge in afternoon tea and homemade cake, and discuss where we will eat for that evening – sometimes a pub, sometimes a takeaway, sometimes a bistro. We then return to the cottage for a glass of wine and natter etc. before retiring.

Beer is a very pretty fishing village, and as part of the Jurassic coast, there are many walks along the cliffs in both directions, and deep sea fishing provides fresh fish regularly available for purchase (for when you leave) from the beach shop.

For more information go to www.dolphinhotelbeer.co.uk

Student’s comments of the Retreat 2011 with Angela Madden

Please pass on to everyone involved in the organisation of the retreat, my thanks for all their hard work in the organisation of the week.

This was my third attendance and so far the best! It was all fun and so enjoyable. Angela was a really lovely tutor, and shared so many tips and tricks with us. Well done to you all, I certainly appreciated my week.

The retreat committee did a splendid job organising everything to perfection, and much planning had gone in to making it such a success.

We learnt a great deal. We now know how to use our index finger especially on the rotary cutter. It is important to use the right type and size of cutter for each individual hand shape!!
Then came the dreaded Bondaweb, which surprise, surprise we now love. Thanks to furniture polish and magic non-stick baking liner.

Needles and fabric density is also important, how to purchase, take time to choose. “Do not get steamed up” “All will then be Okey Dokey” Quoting our teacher. Angela made learning easy and fun with much hilarity ringing out over Beer. A good time was had by all.

We met Angela on Sunday evening at dinner and afterwards at the cottage we used for lunching and evening entertainment!!! Quizzes etc. Angela gave us some idea of what we would be doing over the next 2.5 days under her tutorage. Simple machine appliqué using bondaweb and freezer paper!!

Monday:
Angela showed us how to stabilize bondaweb so that it did not fall apart before one was ready to cut it. We also found out why our requirements list included wax polish, an oven Teflon sheet and kitchen roll……….but no housework thank you. The time flew by and we were having such fun with plenty of chatter and laughter. Lunch came and went, and then it was back to work? We were each given a pattern of a tulip, “a very easy piece” said Angela! Later we were able to choose a flower pattern of our own choice from Angela’s book “Beautiful Blooms”. Four o’clock came and went, we were all so engrossed. It was nearly the end of a very busy and absorbing day.

We had supper at the Anchor Inn then wandered back to the cottage for a quiz and much discussion about the day. Angela is so encouraging and as she said to us “if it’s not fun, why do it”. We did have plenty of both over the next few days. So much information was freely given we were overwhelmed. Thank you Angela for being an excellent tutor.

Wednesday:
Sustained by a nights sleep, a walk on Beer’s beautiful beach and a hearty English breakfast, it was back into the workshop at 10am. Angela started by reading out her very witty poem, written by her about her time with us, it bought back tears and laughter. We had written a letter to her extolling her virtues and skills as a tutor. Beautiful blooms were now appearing on the display wall. We were, of course, all now experts in handling and applying bondaweb! Some were wavy bordering and quilting already- the rest laboured on with Angela’s advice being cheerily given, along with tips on threads, backgrounds and contrasts.

Angela’s workshop was finalised with demonstrations of her tools for perfect plaits and circles. We were shown all her quilts with varied ways of quilting and backgrounds and borders finishing with how to achieve a perfect mitred binding.

After lunch with Angela we were sorry to say goodbye to her.

The entertainment in the evenings at the cottage caused much hilarity and thank you to those that took the time to “walk the extra mile” to make our time at the retreat.

Friday:
Maggie’s mini workshop was making cot quilts for the local premature baby unit. Maggie showed us quilts already made and ideas on what is appropriate for the unit. Many thanks Maggie, keep up the good work. It rounded off a very busy, enjoyable and happy week.

A Teacher’s Ode to the Beer Retreat 2011

Three cheers for the quilters in Beer,
Sincere thanks for inviting me here.
I’ve just had a ball
Whilst teaching you all,
And just hope my techniques are now clear.

We started with fears over “strips”
And “Bondaweb” caused a few flips,
Then the number of “bits”
Made some folk have fits
But they calmed down once fed upon chips.

We toiled through 2 days and a half,
Punctuated by many a laugh,
And the flowers soon appeared,
Despite all they feared,
As they sewed down the Appliqué path.

Wine helped evenings sparkle and fizz,
Poor tired brains sprang to life with a quiz
The meals were a treat
And so much did l eat
It took nothing to send me to zzzzzzzzz

There’s so much to commend SWQ’s
Cakes, soups, chocs and tri-coloured booze,
With their planning sublime
So fast went my time,
In a rainbow of bright “fabric hues”

Then they noticed one problem l’d caught,
And my efforts to stop made me fraught.
I’d say “Okey Dokey”
To more than one “folkie”
These words peppered all that l’d taught

We passed parcels in time with the news
Quoted sayings and imbibed yet more booze,
From Olympics to Michael,
And how we recycled,
We all shared and expressed heart-felt views.

So now here’s to the rest of your week,
My thanks to you all l will speak,
May you blossom and bloom
In this January gloom.
(When l’ve gone please don’t end “up the creek”)

Angela Madden. 30th Jan 2011
Poet, Quilt Teacher and “rock Chick”
“Okey Dokey”
I’m off to sing my Karaoke!

RETREAT in Beer, Devon 2010
Bonded Impressions with Barbara Weeks

Fabulous, wonderful and just brilliant! 16 of us have just spent a super 5 days together, stitching and laughing in equal measures, plus the odd glass of wine in the evening!

Barbara was with us until Wednesday lunchtime, showing us how to experiment putting colour on paper then painting silk to our own colour scheme, including some batik, using hot wax on the silk before painting. We then started to create our pieces using the inspiration picture we had brought with us and the silk we had been painting the day before. By the Wednesday morning we had all made progress producing wonderful pieces of art, and Barbara demonstrated various ways of finishing the edges.

Barbara had a tough challenge keeping 16 of us in order, but she is a wonderful Tutor and rose to the occasion magnificently!

Wednesday afternoon was ‘time off’ but of course some of the ladies continued to stitch in the Workroom. Thursday was spent all day stitching/quilting our masterpieces – some were finished by the end of the day!

Friday we made little Treasure Boxes with a pattern from the Quilting Arts Magazine published in Winter 2005.

Hopefully the ladies will bring their finished pieces to the AGM in May to create a stunning Exhibition of their work, together with the little Treasure Boxes.

Finally, on a personal note, as my term as Retreat Co-ordinator comes to an end at the AGM, the ladies got together and during our last evening, presented me with the biggest bouquet of flowers I have ever seen, and a lovely card they had all signed.

Talk about tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat …..!

Next year we have Angela Madden as our Tutor. I don’t yet know what she will be doing, but I do know it will be great fun, and everyone will have a wonderful time. BOOK EARLY!

Val Thomas
Retreat Co-ordinator