Material Girls Retreat 2026

We just got back from another fabulous retreat at Elim Lodge with the Material Girls. Our group was trying to figure out how long we’ve been attending this wonderful retreat and we realized that we started going there in 2015! Eleven years of quilty fun! Diane and Doreen, the original organizers, had it going long before we joined. We’re so thankful that Donna took the reins so we could continue this wonderful tradition.

There were quite a few other attendees that are missing from the photo because we forgot to take it until our final morning there when some people had already left. Next time we have to take it on the first or second day so that doesn’t happen again.

Once again Donna had some amazing swag bags for all of us with lots of goodies in them, including another great t-shirt (shown above), to commemorate the occasion. I contributed by making key-chain wristlets for everyone using sewing themed fabrics. It kept me busy at the cottage. There are all kinds of tutorials online for making them and I got my hardware in bulk because I needed to make so many. It’s a great little mini gift for your sewing/crafting friends.

As usual, the projects were incredibly varied and, you will see, very beautiful. Linda K made an awesome baby quilt from a pattern called Wish by Cluck Cluck Sew. The bright colours and clean white background made this cute quilt very striking. Nora was using the most gorgeous ombre floral fabric in an intense magenta colourway to make her French Roses designed by Heather French…just stunning! Leona created a great runner using a variety of different off-set blocks in a lovely blue colour scheme where the turquoise seems to glow. It looks large enough to place at the end of a mattress as a bed runner.

Gail completed a great Hallowe’en panel quilt for her grandson’s girlfriend with cozy Fireside on the back, perfect for cuddling. The straight vertical channel quilting that she did allows the design to stand out. Allie’s going to love it! Betty got sooooo much done on her rag quilt in these beautiful blue and neutral tones. She sewed like she was on a mission! Rita finished this absolutely stunning French Braid quilt top in the most glorious colours. I wonder if it’s for a gift or can she even part with it?!

Terry C joined us at Elim for the first time and was able to share her beautiful quilt-as-you-go quilt with us in a multitude of blues and greens. She did an incredible job joining the blocks together. Donna S completed a patchwork jacket, High Sierra, that she started ages ago and it was definitely worth the wait. She wasn’t kidding when she said it was an old UFO…the pattern was printed in 1990! Marg made Rangoon (from Quilty magazine Fall 2016), a quilt that uses partial seams to create the design. I love how graphic it is with the bright colours against the navy, and the border is just wonderful with the floating bright squares.

A couple of ladies were working on embroidery designs with hummingbirds. Sue made Hummingbird Hanger by Sweet Pea Designs and it turned out so well. This was her second attempt because she wasn’t happy with how pale some of the flowers were in the first one so she made it again. She was absolutely right…the change in colours made it even more beautiful. Patti is working on the Spring Hummingbirds Triptych by OESD Embroidery Designs and was able to complete 2 of the 3 panels. This design is so stunning, especially because of the different types of shading and accents. She plans on framing them separately to create her own wall art. Shirley also joined the Material Girls for the first time this year and she spent some of her time finishing up some projects, like hand sewing the binding on this lovely quilt using some of my favourite colours.

Terry S and Pat made the most adorable baby quilts using the pattern Geraldine and Her Family. These brightly coloured applique giraffes are peeking around the corner in all kinds of cuteness. Janice worked on a strip pieced quilt using a very soft, calming palette. It was very subtle and reminded me of some older quilts that just get better and softer as they age. So lovely. My son, Alex, and his partner, Lindsay, recently bought their first house and have asked for Christmas stockings and a tree skirt for their first Christmas in their new home. Patti (and Marg) very kindly shared their Christmas stash with me for these crazy quilted panels and we barely made a dent in them. Thanks, girls! I was also able to fix an old cushion cover for Kate’s “Believe in Yourself” embroidery that my friend Trudie did a few years ago.

Christine finished all the pocket pages for her A Place for Everything 2.0 bag by ByAnnie. She combined her love of turtles and sewing to make these great pockets with clear vinyl and brightly coloured zippers. I can’t wait to see her finished bag. She’ll probably bring it to retreat next year filled with all her tools. Marilyn has been working on the most beautiful sampler style quilt called Plum Fusion. Here she is showing off one of many blocks she made for this gorgeous quilt. Val was working on one of her UFO’s from a while back and attached this great raggy border. It adds a lot of interest to this cute folk-arty Christmas wallhanging.

Linda M was working hard on this gorgeous foundation pieced pattern Colorburst by Sassafrass Lane Designs. It’s a great take on the colour wheel, and I love her choice of clear, bright colours that are especially striking against the black background. Another incredible foundation paper pieced quilt, built by Donna C, was a firefighter pattern kit that she purchased from Legit Kits. This will eventually be a gift for her son, the type of gift that is definitely a labour of love. It is absolutely stunning and Donna’s doing an incredible job. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

I also held a workshop where I tried to pull the other ladies onto the dark side of English paper piecing (EPP). LOL. It seemed like everyone (except Marilyn!) enjoyed making their hexagon flower and you can see Linda M’s sample next to her left hand in the photo above. I was able to fill everyone in on the basics and they all did a great job with their flower.

As you can see with the above examples, this group is incredibly talented and creative. I wonder what surprises next year will hold.

Community, PersonalSharon GalnaSeptember 15, 2026retreat, retreat projects, retreat time, quilt retreat, quilting projectsComment