Going to a RETREAT - What do you bring?

[Diane M.]

I have started taking a desk chair with wheels on the bottom (it will break down into sections easily) or a cushion for my chair. Tuck in your manual for your sewing machine, an extra spool of piecing thread. I usually take along many more projects than I can possibly do however, I only take in the one that I am working on at a time. As long as you are driving you can leave the 80% you take for "just in case" and only unload the 20% you will need inside.

[Anne B.]

Making a list?? If my sons and friends could hear that they'd be rolling on the floor laughing. I am brilliant at making a comprehensive list for almost anything, with everything on it (that's the Germanic genes).

That reminds me of my camping trips as a teenager. I'd make the most comprehensive lists I could think of. My stepmother never let me forget that the first item on one list she found on the counter was "car." :P

Yep, I'm a compulsive master-list maker. Here's my retreat list:

• Chair (optional)
• Sewing machine with foot pedal, power cord, accessory kit, and manual
• Needles
• 50-foot extension cord
• Power bar
• Dazor light with base
• Ott light
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Rotary cutters and spare blades
• Scissors
• Cutting mats
• Basic sewing supplies (pins, seam rippers, small ruler, glue stick, hand needles, etc.)
• Thread
• UFOs
• Design wall—remember the thumb tacks!
• Fat quarter for the fat quarter exchange
• Scraps to share
• Quilt for bed
• Pillow
• Towels
• Face cloths
• Pajamas
• Slippers
• Toiletries
• Sweater
• Kleenex
• Toilet paper
• Medications
• Glasses
• Reading glasses
• Camera (with extra batteries)
• Books and magazines
• Coffee mug
• Tea mug
• Coffee bag—remember to fill it with coffee and tea
• Spoon
• Water
• Napkins and plate for snacks
• Snacks and treats to share
• Money for nearby quilt shops