On retreat again

Last week was the second annual art retreat for ten of us who cherish a couple of days away from home (but only a half hour down the road), a whole empty table to yourself, and a lot of wine and junk food.

There were a lot of different things going on.  Some people brought work for comments and suggestions, or questions about specific things that had to happen next.

One person brought her entire stash of hand-dyed embroidery threads (this is only half of it!!) for sorting, and then stitching.

Somebody else was working on a template for a fantastically complex pieced quilt.

Another was using a woodburning tool to put a charred edge on a piece of "fire" for a fabric collage.

On the last afternoon it was warm enough to work outside with wet stuff.

In many ways it made for a much more interesting retreat because of the different things, compared to gatherings where everybody has their sewing machine pedal-to-the-metal piecing.  We learned a lot by talking with others about their work and processes, and of course there were fervent discussions about what is art.  A success all around.