The 13th Quilters Retreat at Pictou Lodge, Nova Scotia is now just a very happy memory. It is hard to believe that we started this event in 1984 after my Guild, the Mayflower Quilters Guild, hosted Quilt Canada in Halifax and we decided we had such fun that we should do something else on a smaller scale. We never dreamt we would still be going strong 27 years later. We just wanted to bring the best teachers we could to teach and what a better place to do it - Pictou Lodge.
On the first night everyone (64 of us) gathers in the bar and on the verandah, time to see old friends and make some new ones.
Our teachers this year were Jane Sassaman, Daphne Greig and Elaine Quehl. Froom all accounts they were all wonderful teachers. I took Elaine's Machine Quilting Boot Camp...me, a die-hard 38 year hand quilting veteran! I learned so much, I can't wait to practice doodling and get going with my machine quilting. It will never take the place of my hand quilting but I can see there are small quilts where this will come in handy. Thanks Elaine for your patience with me!
Elaine demos, she makes it look so easy!
Elaine's poppies Kissing Joy, a stunning quilt with incredible quilting.
We had some great weather this year, no hurricanes! Even though the fog rolled in one day it was beautiful and warm. Lots of bright spots around with the colourful Adirondack chairs.
The view from our cabin, looking across the salt water pond to the Northumberland Strait.
We have a wonderful show and tell every year, we call it a "Progressive Show and Tell" and we go around to all the cabins to see everyone's quilts on their beds and wallhangings and lots more. We do this in the evening, kind of a quilter's Hallowe'en!
To commemorate our 13 Retreats at Pictou Lodge we gave them a quilt to hang in the main diningroom. It was pieced by Faye Palmeter, the applique and machine quilting was done by Debbie Vermeulen and the binding by Ann Carmichael. If you look closely, just to the right of the headland you can see that Debbie quilted in the PEI Cariboo Ferry, as we see it from Pictou Lodge! Thanks to Steve Goodwin at the Pictou Advocate for the photo.
Polly and Anne, Meredith, Betsey and Jamie
I have the best cabinmates! Polly taught me to quilt 38 years ago, her daughter Betsey came from Vermont, Anne from Cape Breton and Jamie and Meredith from Halifax. Have you ever seen the YouTube video of the dog talking about bacon? That is what they are watching! We all had such a great time, can't wait for September 25-29, 2013!