Show and Tell at Retreats

[Jean H.]

I attend 2 retreats each year. The spring one is cheep and informal and is at a church camp. We share snacks, eat family style meals and sew, sew, sew. We have a fun show and tell.

The fall retreat is at a luxurious conference center with hotel rooms, gourmet meals, massages, snacks and drinks provided and some nice prizes. Needless to say, there are different quilters at this one than at my spring retreat. This past fall the show and tell got wierd. I'd like to share what happened and see if you have an opinion!

At least 4 teachers brought their class samples to show and pushed their classes. I am a teacher, but didn't do that at all. A couple of long-arm quilters brought their work to show, handed out cards and talked all about thier qualifications. One quilter who said it was her first retreat (so maybe we can excuse her faux pas) showed her quilts and told of their appraised value. Have you ever seen this done before? I was kind of put off! The whole thing got so commercial that it lost the fun and friendly atmosphere that show and tell usually has - where we celebrate eachother's successes and get some feedback and validation.

Any comments? Nancy in frozen NY state

[Jean H.]

Hi. Wow, sounds like a strange (and uncomfortable) experience. I would prefer the more informal trunk show. We learn in kindergarten that show and tell is for sharing, not for selling! Your spring retreat sounds like more fun!

[Cher O.]

Hi Nancy, we have a fall retreat every year at Harrison Hotsprings. The show and tell is always great, the only complaint some might have is when they are working on something there's always alot of advice comes their way.
We did have something similar to you happen at our last guild meeting. The woman doing the trunk show was going to be doing a class for the guild the next weekend teaching Buggy Barns patterns.
The whole trunk show was buggy barns quilts. I thought it was odd. She didn't bring any of her other quilts. I wasn't taking her class and while they aren't my cup of tea, certainly wouldn't have minded seeing some of her buggy barns work, along with other quilts. I felt like the whole show she put on was an advertisment for buggy barns and didn't think it was the right format for a guild meeting.

Cheers, Cher in BC

[Annette R.]

I belong to a group that meets weekly and we usually do a show and tell since I am a pretty attention deficit disorder quilter I usually have something new in progress and sometimes two or three things that will get done and sent out that week so can't show them another time. Everybody is polite but sometimes I feel like I should bring fewer things but I want the feed back about what I am doing so have trouble balancing my thinking. I understand that if I were teaching or advertising my shop that I would be out of line . but often wonder where to draw the line on my vips. any way I love seeing other peoples work even if it isn't my style and hope others enjoy mine. Last week I took a round robin that I was having a quandry about my border because mine is next to last and don't want to make it too hard for the last person but still want to add something in keeping with my style of quilting. I got good feed back and did change my plan slightly so I quess it is worth it. Ann

[Jenny C.]

hi everyone
what is a trunk show?
Jenny in OZ

[Jenny C.]

A trunk show is a trunk load of quilts that the maker pulls out and tells the quilt's story. I like to do my trunk shows starting with my first and early quilts and move to my most recent quilts. It is always fun to see the growth and changes in a quilt artists style. Often the stories of our quilts also give insight into the person we are. A trunk show is IMHO always more enjoyable than a slideshow. Betty Ann in sunny Florida

[Hannelore N.]

I'd have problems filling a trunk with quilts because I give most of what I make away. I guess I could have a "Tote Bag Show".

Lorchen

[Hannelore N.]

I'd have problems filling a trunk with quilts because I give most of what I make away. I guess I could have a "Tote Bag Show".

Lorchen

LOL...I have the same problem!

[Hannelore N.]

I am in the same boat too - I almost always give my quilts away when they are finished.

The other night I got to have my own private trunk show in a manner of speaking though. My best friend took me over to her mom's house for what was supposed to be just a quick visit. We ended up being there for over 3 hours! I laughed out loud when Donna looked at Katie and said "Well, go get the quilts" and Katie just rolled her eyes and said we were going to be a while. There were about a dozen or so quilts in that pile, and every one had a story. I loved it! I especially liked the one with a yellow border - she told me about finding her then husband sitting on it tearing apart a model train engine and oiling the parts. I could almost see her going ballistic and chasing him out of the bedroom :lol: :lol: :lol: There was also one done in red,white and blue she called her independance quilt - that one was the first one she made after she and her three daughters fled from the husband and struck out on their own. All the stories were wonderful.

[Margo C.]

I've done "trunk" shows for local guilds, but I load mine into duffle bags the boys used to use for camping!! I can cram a lot of stuff in 'em! :lol: I always start with my "EIGHT WADDED STAR"....called that, because there is not a single "pointed" tip on the whole thing! It's all polyester, and is just AWFUL! But it's well used, and shows the beginning of a long journey!

[Margo C.]

At least 4 teachers brought their class samples to show and pushed their classes. ...A couple of long-arm quilters brought their work to show, handed out cards and talked all about thier qualifications. .....and told of their appraised value. Have you ever seen this done before?

Hi Nancy,
I've been hosting retreats for 4 years now and have never had anyone use the retreat as a business tool. Our retreats are the casual type like your spring retreat. We have "ta da" moments through-out the retreat, and lots of picture taking during our show-n-tell the last night at retreat.

The first night at retreat we have a table runner swap, where you can steal someone's new table runner, and you get to introduce yourself. Some very briefly mention that they are fabric rep for xyz, a long arm quilter, pattern designer, or other quilt related career, but NEVER have we had anyone PUSH their business at retreat.

Unless the retreat was meant to be a business to business networking retreat, anything more than a casual mention could make others uncomfortable for sure.

Rhonda Baker
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http://www.BeSewCreative.com