My sister and I sleep under quilts that were hand-stitched by our great-grandmothers (one of whom was a regular part of our lives as kids). We grew up with women who sewed, quilted, crocheted and knitted. We’ve been sewing for many years, and recently decided it was time to get serious about learning to quilt. We agreed to identify and sign up for a quilting retreat event.
Luckily, the greater Pittsburgh area is rich in fiber arts activities. We had found a new (to us) quilt shop recently and it just so happened they were holding a retreat in the near future, so we signed up.
One of the features that appealed to us was that it was local so we didn’t have to get a hotel room. They actually advertise their event as a “sleep in your own bed” retreat, which must be appealing to more people than just the 2 of us.
Also, it was a 2-day event, which for busy people (especially those of us still working full-time) was ideal. It ran on Friday from 1pm to 9pm and Saturday from 9am to 5pm.
As we wound down Day 2, we had made great progress, made some new quilting friends, and learned a lot. We had chosen to work together on a smaller quilt project, and selected the Acrobatic design by Bonnie Bechtel of Villa Rosa Designs.
One of the highlights of this design is that it can be made with 12 fat quarters which simplifies planning – at least for a 1st time project.
We got it cut, pieced, and assembled during the retreat. We then began the task of layering and hand-basting the layers to hold the pieced top, cotton batting, and back together so we will be able to quilt it. We’ll be hand-quilting this and adding binding of a coordinating color to finish.
This was our first quilting event, and we found it well-organized, paced appropriately, and affordable. We will definitely attend more events hosted by The Quilting Needle in Glenshaw, PA.
The Quilting Needle store has a MARVELOUS selection of quality fabric and quilting supplies. The people are helpful, and the only caution I would offer is that you should be ready to carry a lot of things home – you’re not going to be able to browse without shopping because there are too many gorgeous fabrics and creative project ideas!!
I ended up winning a raffle prize, too! The tote pictured below with the Anne Maria design was filled with fat quarters in bright colors, several quilting tools, patterns, a quilting book, and more – a generous gift and a lovely way to end a fun weekend!
My sister and I agree that the weekend was well worth our time and money, and we’re already planning to sign up for the September retreat – and are committed to finishing this quilt well before then.
If you’re a sewist, but haven’t yet stepped into the world of quilting, I encourage you to find a reasonable quilting event, like the 2-day retreat we attended. I suspect that like us, you’ll be hooked!
It’s a wonderful art form, and a great complement to knitting, crocheting and sewing. I know that our great grandmothers – wherever they are – are smiling.
(C) 2026 Fiber Harmony (Stitch ‘n Dish
Fiber Harmony (Stitch 'n Dish) 