Odessa Quilt Club Annual Retreat - Palouse Divide Lodge

Odessa Quilt Club - Annual Retreat to Palouse Divide Lodge

 Our annual retreat was the first week of November and I am just getting around to showing you all a little of what it was like.  Basically, quilting and beauty....all about us.

This is Shirley, our hostess at the lodge.   

 My work space was near this gorgeous cathedral window looking east.  It was so warm and balmy up there, we had the windows open a lot of the time.  In the previous two years we had been there, it snowed.

Here's the view to the south.  The lodge sits atop the summit of a ridge.  More to the left of this shot, you can see a ski lift up top of a steep hill.

Here's retreater, PJ Jacobsen, with her version of a little challenge quilt we did the first day.  We started with 25 charm squares and went from there, cutting them several times after sewing.  PJ used all Fairy Frost.  Pretty!  By the way, PJ has a retreat house in Lind, WA, along with a quilt shop, Crazy-Quilter.  You can write directly to PJ here.

I haven't included photos of all of our quilters here as I don't have permission from them, yet, but will have more photos, I hope, later.

 This was the view out the window directly behind my workspace, looking east, the first day we were there, in the afternoon.

 The following day, at dawn, I shot these photos as the sun was rising.

 Foggy mist was rising from the ravines in the pine forest below us.

What more could anyone ask of a retreat?  See more photos here.

Here are some of the projects quilters worked one during the four days we were there.....

 A t-shirt/jersey quilt in progress......

 Our 2013 club Raffle Quilt - "Your Favorite Block"....you can vaguely see the border against the brown carpet.  This shot doesn't do it justice.  It's a truly beautiful quilt and almost king-size, I believe.  If you want to buy a chance for this quilt, you can write to me.  Tickets are $1 each and the drawing will be at our annual quilt show, the last weekend in April.  You don't have to be present to win.

 A Halloween wall hanging combining embroidery with piecework.  Lovely!

 An old UFO, we were told, lap quilted.  She was able to finish it at the retreat!  That's a great thing.

A quilt made from scraps gathered at our last retreat and made into a donation quilt.

Three blocks in progress for our 2014 Raffle Quilt - "Aunt Millie's Garden".  It's going to be stupendous.

Some blocks from a batik baby quilt in progress.  The baby has southeast Asian heritage so this is very appropriate, don't you think?  Really nice applique' here.

A mother-daughter team of quilters was working on this quilt for a grandchild - happy, happy bunnies.  Very sweet!

If you are looking for a really nice retreat, go here and get the contact information.  There are good pictures of the lodge and all and you can call Shirley for details.  So wonderful.

And don't forget our little retreat house here in Odessa, The Gathering House.  

The Gathering House in Odessa, Washington

Our quilt community is all but complete, here in Odessa, now, with the addition of "The Gathering House" quilt retreat.  Located at 4 West 5th Avenue, it is designed for small group retreats, quilt show weekends, quilters, scrap bookers, beaders, crafters, knitters and others who want to gather and spend time together. 

 The house is completely furnished with plenty of work space to accommodate up to 10 people. 

Utility area includes a cutting, ironing area and a washer and dryer.  All the amenities of home.

 The house includes four bedrooms, two upstairs and two in the basement.
This room is called "In the Garden"

This room is called "For the Birds"

This room is called "By the Sea"

This room is called "Cabin in the Woods"

The family kitchen is fully equipped with seating for 10.  

Work tables, irons and ironing boards are provided.  You need bring only your sewing machines and materials for your projects.

For rates, details and pricing, please contact Jan Hinton

The Gathering House Retreats

4 West 5th Ave.

PO Box 383

Odessa, WA  99159

425-879-5631

tghretreats@hotmail.com

You may already know that we have a very active quilt community here, especially for such a small town as ours (950 people give or take a few).  We have had a full-spectrum quilt shop, The Quilt Crossing, for many years; a full-functioning quilt guild, Fronen Steppdecker, or the Odessa Quilt Club. 

 Each April we hang at least 250 quilts in our annual show repleat with classes, vendors, a "Quilt Walk" and wonderful prizes.  Each March, we "Quilt Til You Wilt", a full, 24 hours of quilting( if you like), in one of our huge local churches, Heritage.  Additional quilt shops are located in nearby communities such as Ritzville, Ephrata, Moses Lake and Reardan (The Buggy Barn is just 45 minutes away).  

Some Quilts from the 2012 Odessa Quilt Show

Odessa is a great community with full services (airport, hospital, police, fire, museum, restaurants, motel, RV facilities, golf, grocery, pharmacy, swimming pool, micro brewery, tennis, sausage factory, motorcycle events,  etc.)   

Odessa features a spectacular landscape, trails and natural wonders, situated on the longest year-round creek in North America, Crab Creek.  

Our special museum tells the story and displays the relics of this historic area.  

We are located, as we say, 35 miles from everywhere, literally.  Between I-90, to the south, and Highway 2, to the north, and where State Highways 21 and 28 intersect, it's a great place to retreat to, on any occasion!

Dry Falls, about 45 miles northwest of Odessa where the waters once flowed washing out a basalt canyon which opens to the south at Soap Lake.

 Dry Falls, looking straight east from the viewpoint on State Highway 17 just north of Sun Lakes State Park.

 Dry Falls, looking southeast from the view point.

Dry Falls, looking northeast; Coulee City on the horizon.

The Odessa area is nearly always sunny with little humidity and good weather almost all the time in any season.  

Our annual fun time is Deutschesfest, the third weekend of September each year.  This is when we roll out the community.  

The high school ball fields become a giant RV park, as well as almost all other free space in the town, including camping in the city park. 

 Deutschesfest features food booths (kraut ranza, reubens, German sausages, cabbage rolls, apple struedel) and lots of activities including German music, a beer garden, parade, bed races, carnival, museum tours, The Sausage Bowl (football), antique quilt show, yard sales, etc.

A Couple of Quilts from the 2012 Antique Quilts Show

(Details to come in the next little bit)

Our September Pattern Winner!!!

Everyone, please congratulate Cassie on winning this month's free Prairie Cottage Corner pattern, the September Banner!

Coming up soon:  A New Quilt Retreat in Odessa:  The Gathering House

TGH is now taking reservations for 2013!  Visit our beautiful little town; enjoy a thriving quilt community within a few hour's drive of most places in Washington state, as well as Idaho, Montana, Oregon and British Columbia, Canada.  I'll blog the details, next.