A recent sewing retreat with Louise Cutting and Linda Lee has made me a convert. In January, a group of 30 women flew and drove in from all over the country to converge at a Best Western in Orlando, Florida, for three days of sewing and parties. We kicked off the retreat with a dinner at Louise's lovely home, which boasts a massive screened-in outdoor patio (I swear it's as long as a bowling lane!) that backs up to Florida wetlands. As many of us were returning guests, everyone showed off their accomplishments from the past year before shopping the great fabrics and notions Linda and Louise provided and housed in a huge garage. The event already had all the earmarks of a sewer's heaven, and the next few days didn't disappoint. We started sewing at 9 a.m., working on machines set up in a comfortably-sized meeting room. Technique tutorials were interspersed throughout the day. Lunch was served to us, so we barely had to stop stitching to get sustenance. We broke for dinner, and then headed right back to work. One night I worked until 3 a.m.—and I wasn't alone! Several us of worked away and joked and sang along to the karaoke next door until the wee hours. It was the best. Nothing but sewing all day and all night long! The event culminated with another party at Louise's, where everyone modeled their accomplishments. With all the time spent sewing, some had two or three garments to show off. I was happy with my one black, 4-ply silk, kimono-style evening jacket. That fabric was some kind of challenge, but it's amazing what you can learn about sewing when you spend three days with some very experienced seamstresses!

Read about the retreat in this story by the Orlando Sentinel. For more information on the retreats, visit Cutting Line Designs  and The Sewing Workshop Web sites.