NEWELL—Beautiful shades of yellow, blue, purple and turquoise fabric filled the NVN Senior Center as busy quilters gathered for the Quilt Bank’s first fall quilting retreat Oct. 9-11. Participants traveled from all over the area to work on quilting projects, including the featured Star Dancer Quilt.
Those working on the Star Dancer quilt selected coordinating colors and carefully cut, pressed and stitched fabrics together, creating their own unique interpretations. Others worked on projects they brought from home. “There is a featured pattern, and then some of them are working on their own projects… they’re not doing the class, but they bring in their stuff, and there’s a lot of stitching and then there’s camaraderie that goes with it,” explained Pandi Pittman, Quilt Bank owner.
Sixteen participants gathered for the three-day quilting retreat, traveling from around the region, including Pierre, Rapid City, Dupree, Faith, Belle Fourche and Moorcroft, Wyoming. “My sister was blown away how people would spend money to go somewhere and work on a project they can do at home,” shared Pittman. “But it’s the camaraderie that’s important when it comes to a retreat because you can get ideas and find out things that you didn’t know—and so it’s been good!”
Pittman instructed the quilters on the steps needed to put the quilt together. “I just walk around and see where everybody is on their project and instruct them on the next step. I really haven’t set it up for a lecture type setting—it’s kind of at your own pace,” she said.
Quilters of all different levels participated in the weekend, from beginners to those more experienced. “Well, you got Kim Ford over there, who is working on her… second quilt project. There are some that are advanced and doing a lot of this on their own with just a few questions being answered and this one here—she’s way ahead of the group,” shared Pittman.
Rita Duck traveled to the retreat from Faith. She had just recently started quilting and is working on her second quilt. She shared that she loves the Star Dancer Quilt. “This is for my grandson—I’m doing the same quilt for all 11 of my grandkids—when they graduate.”
Breakfast, lunch and supper were all served onsite, plus snacks and refreshments were available throughout the day. Most out-of-town participants stayed at either Spur Creek Lodge or at the other local motel in Newell.
If you are interested in learning how to quilt, the Quilt Bank offers classes throughout the year in the onsite classroom. “Well, I’m going to start working on customized quilt classes…that’s the direction I’m headed next—you tell me what you want, we schedule it, and we go with it, in the classroom we’ll hold anywhere from one to four people,” explained Pittman.
The Quilt Bank specializes in natural rural fabrics featuring farm, ranch and western wildlife themes. The store also carries a variety of sewing notions. Pittman offers sewing machine repair and longarm quilting services. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Quilt Bank’s next retreat is scheduled for April 30 to May 2, with plans to have both a spring and fall retreat every year.
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