And now a blast from the past: Retreats

SCQuilters has been running annual retreats for its members for many years.


Our first Retreat was in Brisbane, in 1998. We were very impressed that 60 SCQuilters attended. For the first time, we had SCQ t-shirts, mugs and other merchandising, a trend that other Retreats have followed.

In 1999, we went to Adelaide, SA. Here's a photo of the organising commitee, the Retreating Angels.

Our 2000 Retreat in Hobart, Tasmania inspired a song by Cathy Miller called Just Look Up, on her CD One Stitch At A Time. It honours the Airing of the Quilts over the balcony railings at the hotel venue, which literally stopped traffic.

Retreat 2001 was on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland.

In 2002, we went to Perth, WA.

Melbourne hosted Retreat 2003.

The Retreat in 2004 was in Auckland, New Zealand

Retreat 2005 was in Sydney. You can see the marvellous free pattern, designed by Di, which all attendees received in their goodie bags here.

Retreat 2006 was in Canberra. We particularly liked the SCQ logo in the council garden bed opposite!

Here are some photos of the 2007 Retreat in Bendigo. These are the portrait quilts:

Here's one of the participants in the Chinese Gardens. And there's still more photos here. And yet more.
Retreat 2008 was in Perth for the second time. Here's a member's blog post about the Retreat and here are her Retreat swap blocks.

The 2009 Retreat was back in Adelaide. This time it was called the Wine and Roses Retreat.
Here's some of the participants on the first day

and the raffle quilt.

Our 2010 Retreat was in Bathurst NSW and there are photos from a retreatee, here and here, and from another, here.

Retreat 2011 was in Kiama. Check out images a video here and the raffle quilt here.


There may be further Retreat photos in the future!

SCQ Groups - Brisbane

The Brisbane girls have just posted photos from their February meeting. You can check out their recent activities on their blog.

More about the Townsville Retreat in 2012

The Registration packs have been sent out today to all who have sent in Expressions of Interest to the Treasurer of the 2012 Scquilters Retreat Committee.


Check out the retreat blog where there is all sorts of information, including the workshops on offer. Time is fast running out for SCQuilters wanting to attend!

Gatherings and Groups Today Pt 3

A long-running SCQuilters group in Sydney is the Sydney Scquilters group or SYDSCQ for short. This group began meeting in an airy room at the back of the Pennant Hills Hotel back, in the early noughties. The pub was chosen for its proximity to Craft Depot, a large quilt shop which shares a carpark with the pub. However, in 2007, the pub remodelled, making the room into an outdoor smoking area, and the group moved to the Blue Gum Hotel in Waitara. They aren't really heavy drinkers! The pubs offer clean, airy premises, with food, at a very reasonable price.

The group has had a blog http://sydneyscquilters.blogspot.com/ since 2006, regularly showing photos of their quilts, sometimes their food and with occasional guessing games organised by clever Pennie, the coordinator.

They even got reported in the local Northside Magazine! http://sydneyscquilters.blogspot.com/2011/06/here-we-are-in-northside-magazine.html after some reporters came to visit the group.

The group meets 1st Saturday of the month 10am till about 3:30pm and issues an open invitation to SCQuilters everywhere to come and visit them.

Retreat 2012

Plans are well in hand for the 2012 Scquilters Retreat in Townsville from June 29 to July 1 next year.

The organising committee say, “Winter is when we know why we live in North Queensland, and we’d like to share it with our fellow SCQuilters. The weather is delightful at this time of year and it will be an ideal opportunity for our southern SCQuilters to escape their cold winter and experience our beautiful weather in North Queensland. Why not make plans to stay for a while and see some more of our beautiful North Queensland?”

Visit the site for the 2012 SCQ Retreat in beautiful, relaxed ,tropical,
Townsville!
http://scqtownsville2012.blogspot.com/

The blog has the Expression of Interest form, ready for members to print off and send to the committee. There are also details about how to book accommodation, plus ideas for alternative accommodation in the area. And make sure you keep checking back, for new details are posted each week.

There is also a 2012 Retreat Yahoogroup so SCQuilters attending the Retreat can keep up to date with others who are planning to come.

We are looking forward to a wonderful time in Townsville in June/July 2012.

Gatherings and groups today Pt2

Another long running SCQuilters group inthe Melbourne area occurs at Carrum Downs on the first Wednesday of every month. The group has a blog http://carrumdownsscquilters.blogspot.com/ which records (loosely) the facts and frivolity that take place  when Scquilters from around the south/east of Melbourne, as well as any who happen to be visiting the area, get together.  Coordinator Helen says, "I think one of our best meetings ever was the one before the Bendigo retreat several years ago when we had visitors from all over Australia. Anyway, we have been meeting for over 13 years, sharing our highs and lows in quilting and in life in general."


Kate's Bedford mystery quilt - aiding the Bedford foundation in S.A. which helps disabled children

"We try have regular charity days, including the "biggest Morning Tea" for cancer research, visiting speakers, travelling "suitcase" quilt shows and occasional classes."

working on Breast cancer comfort cushion and bag sets

"We have a fabulous lending library too. It is a very welcoming group and we willingly share our expertise (or lack of it) with other members of the group. And our Christmas parties each December are really something special. Read our blog and see what you think."

Gatherings and groups today Pt1

Seventeen years later, SCQuilters continue the great tradition of gatherings and groups.  Some states have formal groups that meet regularly; other gatherings occur when someone decides to organise something. 

Our longest running SCQuilters group is probably the SCQuilty Tarts, in Melbourne. This group meets on the third Tuesday of the month in Glen Waverley in Melbourne. It is a lovely well lit room and parking is no problem. Unfortunately at the moment we are quite a small group, but the numbers do fluctuate. The group has a blog http://www.scquiltytarts.blogspot.com/ and a Yahoogroup.

You will see that as well as sewing, we usually have a good supper with our tea/coffee.