Currently Stitching: Retreat Kits

You would think at this point in my life I would learn have learned how to efficiently pack for a trip. Much of the time, the beginning stages of packing is actually just cleaning and organizing. Which astounds me because I'm not a slob, and yet!

This is after an hour plus of sorting and searching for things. I've written several posts about retreat prep and cleaning my studio. And yet it's a mess in here and I have no idea what I'm taking with me. This doesn't even include the piles of things I pulled out and set in the hallway behind me... Who else has this trouble when packing?

But I digress... Let's talk about prepping kits. I know I've mentioned it before, but it's crucial to do some pre-cutting at home, or else you won't get anything done. 

I like to group my patterns and fabrics and then put them into separate baggies. I can work with one at a time getting them cut up and ready to go.

I feel a lot less pressure at home when I'm reading and re-reading the patterns. I can take my time and ensure that I understand the instructions and will (hopefully) make less mistakes. I am one of those people who always buys extra fabric because I know I'll mis-cut something at least one time.

Especially for a project like this that has so many strips. And they're all cut slightly different. 

I try to work through one piece at a time and then make piles. Until I have them all completed and laid out.

**None of the patterns featured in this episode are mine, so I cannot share measurements or instructions with you. But so far I will say I am enjoying how they're written and would recommend them!**

Once everything is cut and ready to go, I go back over the instructions and make sure I didn't forget anything. To the best of my ability anyway. It's hard to get them all just right. But at least majority of the heavy lifting is done and I can correct a few pieces here and there as needed.

Here's another quilt that I was able to get pre-cut before our trip. I'm working with a variety of fabric lines and project sizes. Some of these quilts take a lot of background fabric so I'm making a baby or a lap size instead of a twin or full.

All of these are going to be samples for the shop. We try to keep in mind what people will like, what they'll want to pay for, and sizes folks actually prefer to make. It's hard to keep it all in mind sometimes, but it brings us a lot of joy when customers see our samples and get inspired - and then want one for themselves! 

This is a more modern style pattern and fabric than we usually work with. But we got this cool line at work and needed to come up with some samples.

It's semi metallic which people always love. It also came with a bag panel and folks seem to be enjoying that as well! I like working with these Cutloose patterns, they're pretty approachable for quilters of all skill levels.

We're also making quite a few runners at this retreat. Truthfully, I don't make many of them for myself. But they're really great for something quick that's fun and satisfying. And I can almost always be persuaded to make something as long as it's patriotic.

When I'm doing prep, I like to pick out binding and backing at the same time. When I do this I like to pin a tag or a note so I'm not confused about the fabrics later. Sometimes there's a gap of time between making the front and the longarm or binding. So I'll write what project the fabric is for and which part so I don't have to remember later.

Now that these runners and quilts are cut, they're organized into baggies and labelled. Four projects is probably more than I will be able to get done, but I'm very glad to have them prepped for when I have the time. Sometimes we get to talking and socializing, not as much sewing gets done as I think it will. Spending time with people is more important than getting every single project in a day.

What does everyone else like to make at retreat? Share your helpful planning and packing tips with me! I love seeing how everyone gets set up for projects and retreats.