For the last 16 years, about 30 women have come from all over to meet in the Grand Room in the McCloud River Mercantile for a bonding get-together for My Time Quilting Retreat.
This 4-day retreat is offered 7 times a year and some of these ladies come a few times each year because of the tight bonds they have made with their fellow quilters, sharing quilting ideas and tips, and where to find new patterns or different supplies.
Hosted by Cindy Needham from Chico, who has been enjoying quilting most her life, and has turned her, once very young daughters, into quilters as well, says that quilting is a hobby, lifestyle and business.
📸: Cindy Needham who hosts “My Time Quilting Retreat” working on a project she brought.
“I have always enjoyed putting these quilting retreats on.
I feed and take care of everyone from Thursday through Sunday. We have people come from mostly the surrounding states, but we have one that comes from as far as Hawaii”.
Different people come each time.
Some are new, most have been coming for a while”
Participating is Cindy Needham’s daughter, Emily Zimmerman (pictured). She says that her mother started teaching her and her sister to quilt “as soon as we were able to reach the pedals.” She enjoys going with her mother to the quilting retreats but baking is her passion and she prepares all the desserts and treats at the retreats.
She has a bakery in Chico called Lovely Layers Cakery. She is making a quilt to hang in her bakery.
Rita Traxler has driven up from Sacramento for years to partake in the quilting retreat. “I have been sewing for 65 years and started quilting 38 years ago. I met Cindy in a quilting class and have been coming up to these retreats since. I make mostly custom T-shirt quilts.”
Linda Richter, a local that lives in Siskiyou County, comes each year with her good friend Judy Saunders and sister-in-law, Karen Shaffer from Corning. Showing off her newly made quilt with her friends, every retreat they go to, they receive a star/button to add to their name tags.
Linda Richter and her bestie Judy Saunders wearing their name tags that are covered with stars and buttons from all of these retreats they have been going to through the years
Richter says, “We have developed tight bonds sharing tips and learning from each other about techniques, where to find patterns or what we find about quilting on places like YouTube. We get ideas from each other from seeing different things online or at quilt shops that are inspiring. There is a whole world of quilting. We now have our own little quilting retreats at my place too.”
Each quilter brings their own project and sewing/quilting machine. Leann Stewart enjoys using a 1952 Feather-weight Singer model sewing machine (pictured) as does Judy Hammon who uses the same model from 1939.
which was a birthday present from her husband. “We all have become good friends from meeting at these quilt retreats even though we all live in different places. We sew alone at home so we don’t do as much here because we like to catch up and visit,” says Hammon.
Delaina Watson shows her color guide to make integrated patterns that she puts together for a quilt. Like most of her quilts, she is planning on this being a gift.
Rosemary Costa came up from Elk Grove to quilt with her friends that she has met through the years in McCloud at these retreats. She is making quilts as Christmas gifts but still considers herself a beginner.
Quilting since 1991, Gerene Sayre comes from Hawaii with her cousin to enjoy these quilting retreats. She sews together helpful quilting equipment like the chatelain that she is wearing around her neck to hold her sewing tools while she quilts.
Most of these ladies stay at the McCloud Mercantile B & B where each room is themed of the old days of McCloud’s famous history. It is not just about quilting and friendship but also a fun getaway vacation.
For more information about the quilting retreats, call Cindy Needham at (530) 520-4806.
And, for a fun getaway to enjoy the historic town of McCloud and the fun little shops and scenic area, contact the McCloud Mercantile at (530) 964-2602.
Great story! Thank you for sharing!