Shoalwater Retreat Last Week

This time last week I was at the WAQA Retreat in Shoalwater. What a fabulous place to go on retreat!!

The St John of God Retreat Centre is a lovely venue in a lovely location. The accommodation is single rooms with ensuite, and they now have a lift for those that get a room upstairs.

The centre has a large workroom set up with tables in groups of four or five. The groups are close enough to join in on discussions across the room, but far enough to have many conversations going at once.

A quilting retreat is not just about quilting but enjoying time away from other commitments at home. At Shoalwater this was noticeable with just about everyone heading off at some point for a meander through the gardens, that can be seen from the windows in the room, or to simply sit outside enjoying the fresh air and wonderful weather we were lucky to have all four days.

A few attendees got up early to go for a walk or run near the water and catch the amazing colours of the sun rising. Others took advantage of being able to sleep in or read a book before breakfast. A couple of quilters discovered the pomegranate tree and picked a few to take home. Some made use of the coffee machine outside the workroom, that was available all day and night. One adventurous soul chose a refreshing swim in the ocean in the late afternoon. A number of quilters decided an afternoon nap was what they needed before heading off to dinner.

The variety of ‘quilting’ related work that was done each day and late into the night was amazing. From hand applique, machine applique, piecing, quilting, making bindings, squaring off blocks, assembling quilt tops and cutting fabric for the next project. A lot was done by all. I did not get through everything I brought (including the wine…) but was very happy with the tops I did finish and the progress I made on other projects. For those of you that may recognize the tops I completed, you would be correct in that the blocks were the January 2023 Community Quilts BOM, finally put together.

I am already signed up for the next WAQA retreat in early July, and should finish more of my projects (and likely another BOM quilt top). I’m looking forward to going back to Shoalwater, just will need some warmer clothes.