Quilty Friends are the Best Friends but how do you find them? Here's the story of how one group of "Sewing Day Friends" came to be and how they developed their own heartwarming quilt swap.

It started with three friends, Laura, Brooklyn & Rhylee, all professional long arm quilters, who met at an open sew event. Laura was somewhat new to the Utah quilting scene and was looking for a few more like-minded friends to connect with. She decided to reserve one of our retreat rooms and put the word out, not just to her two new sew day friends, but on her widely followed instagram page @thegatheringquilt -- something like, "Hey! Is anyone in Utah County available for a sew day at Corn Wagon?" Several of her quilty followers reached out with plans to attend and what developed from there was pure friendship magic.

Natalie Smith @ellaandcharming was one of those who joined in and she says, "The group just really gelled and clicked! They were all so nice and kind." That was two years ago. The group continues to meet monthly, sometimes at someone's home, other times they gather back at our retreat center. Kaitlyn Howell of Knot+Thread says, "We love the Horizon Room at Corn Wagon because we all fit in one room." Like Kaitlyn, most of these makers have their own businesses. They're busy women with plenty of responsibilities who found it hard to carve out time to surround themselves not only with their favorite pastime but with a genuine gang of sewing gals. "We've bonded over quilting and life in general," says Kaitlyn, "I'm grateful for the support, chats, love and creativity that we share." 

Back in January, the sewing day friends decided to plan their own swap. Someone mentioned that a whole quilt would be so fun to receive. Think about it for a moment. It's not often that a quilter is on the receiving end of a quilt gift -- and who would appreciate the gesture more than a seasoned quilter? That was it! They each filled out a questionnaire about their preferences, favorite styles and designers -- but nothing too specific. Laura then asked her husband to randomly place them in pre addressed envelopes and drop them in the mail so that the swap would be completely anonymous until time for gifting. Everyone took this very seriously and although they helped one another choose just the right thing for their friends, nobody spoiled the surprise. Four long armers in the group even donated their quilt service to the others in the swap. Natalie says her favorite part was really getting to know the quilter that she was creating for and thinking about her as she worked. The sewing day friends recently met at our retreat center for their swap and, oh, was it sweet. They shared an emotion filled IG story (see it here) of each quilter opening their surprise. The genuine joy, the smiles, the laughter, the tears -- it's what we quilters put into our quilts with the hope that those who wrap themselves in them can feel -- it was all there. It's an unforgettable experience that has created a unique bond for these makers. Kaitlyn says she hopes that by sharing their story, other quilters are inspired; "Don't be afraid to reach out and find your people. I couldn't have imagined how truly magical it would be." 

See this bright, happry retreat room? It's waiting for you to bring friends together for the love of quilting (and each other). We're offering a special discount on bookings for December retreat rentals. Get $20 off your rental fee per day when you book a room for a December retreat! Bring the sewing gang together and finish those Christmas projects with a little help from your friends. Plan a gathering as a gift to your quilting besties and exchange gifts. We have plenty of room for setting up sewing stations, serving up delicious meals, and sewing "from sunrise to sunset" with your own sewing day friends. Contact Kathy Shinners at the shop for details and book your retreat before the schedule fills! 

Discount can not be combined with other offers and does not apply to bookings made previously.

It was a great day thatnks to YOU! This coming Monday 10/07/24, dates & vendor registration for our Spring S.A.B.L.E. Sale will release online (under the "classes" tab) at 10:00 a.m. Secure your vendor stall early for a great spring cleaning destash in the Corn Wagon parking lot in 2025!