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This past week at Ricky’s La Veta Quilt Retreat, the students arrived with no plans, no patterns, and no idea of what they would create. The goal of this improvisational quilt retreat was to create something from nothing with no pre-planning, no measuring, and no drafting patterns. Ricky says, “The amazing thing about this particular five-day workshop is that the students manage to complete at least one quilt top. Many students complete two!”

Why the tiaras? Ricky says, “It’s important to celebrate milestones. When these feel-good moments happen, it’s important to acknowledge that moment. This week the quilters got to wear the tiara. The entire class rallies in support. Every retreat is different. Sometimes we celebrate by simply turning the moment a great photo opportunity!”

Not all of Ricky’s La Veta Quilt Retreats are presented as "improvisational only" but his retreat this past week was just that. The initial lessons focused on the basic elements of design and composition. Ricky also shared various techniques that work well with this format. Students were encouraged to begin by making something familiar such as half-square triangles or free-form log cabins. It takes a day or so to have enough units to begin exploring on the design wall but soon the lightbulb goes off and the excitement grows as the project grows.

The next time you are going to a class or weekend quilt retreat, consider including something fun like a tiara to help celebrate those little milestones.