On the Road: Harpswell, ME—Mother’s Day Retreat 2016

Harpswell, Maine Retreats

Spring hearkens many things: daffodils, peepers (tiny tree frogs), lilacs. It is also the beginning of my Maine quilting retreats. Back in Spring of 2011, I hosted a two-day retreat at a local inn here in my hometown of Harpswell, Maine. I took 20 students, and the space was packed.

The next year, I scheduled the class on the Friday and Saturday prior to Mother’s Day so that moms (like me!) could still spend Sunday with their families. I decided that the space I was using could comfortably handle only 12 students, an ideal class size as far as I’m concerned. I also added a 4-day Summer retreat complete with lobster dinner. We live on the coast after all. Both retreats proved to be fun and successful.

Over the following five years, these retreats have expanded. This year I have three retreats—the two-day Mother’s Day retreat, and four-day retreats in June and October. All of them are full with waiting lists. Next year in 2017, I plan to host (at least) five retreats, two here in Harpswell and three at a hotel in the Old Port area of nearby Portland, Maine’s largest city and a hotel shuttle ride from the Portland airport.

Mother’s Day Quilt Retreat 2016

This past Mother’s Day weekend, I hosted my first Harpswell retreat of 2016. Typically, students travel from all over the country to take the class. That was true this year as well, with students from Atlanta and Virginia, even from Prince Edward Island in Canada. And there were a few “local” Maine residents as well.

Since I haven’t talked about my retreats before on this blog, I’ll take a minute to describe them. I hold classes at the iconic Harpswell Inn, a large white New Englander overlooking a working fishing wharf and Casco Bay, with views both north and south. The spot isn’t called Lookout Point for nothing. Students either commute or stay at the inn itself or other local lodging. Class is held from 9:00 until 4:00 with an hour break for lunch. What a pleasure it is to have lunch prepared for you at the inn, leave the dishes where they are, then take a short walk to Casco Bay before heading back to work. One dinner is also served at the inn. Other dinners are open for students to explore restaurants in Harpswell or in nearby Brunswick.

The class size is limited to 12, both by the space available and by choice. When I teach at conferences or guilds, I usually have 20 people in my classes, though I prefer to teach smaller groups. It’s a treat for me to be able to give more individual attention within the time allotted.

A highlight for students is a pre-dinner visit to my studio, which is within pleasant walking distance of the inn. Students say that they really appreciate seeing where I work. This past week, it was also a happy coincidence that my quilt “Crocodylus Smylus” returned in the nick of time from its trip to Australia. Stevie the croc was proudly hanging on my pinning wall, all twenty feet of her. Students waited patiently, taking turns having their pictures taken with the smiling reptile. I provide treats during the visit. This year we had wild Maine blueberry poundcake (baked by my husband, Tom) and “Happy Cookies” (made by my mama, Meta). These vegan cookies are so popular I often get asked for the recipe, so I have provided it below. My mom seems to vary the ingredients a little each time (different flours, nuts, or fruit) and the cookies are still always yummy.

The retreat was all over very quickly. It hardly seems like we’re getting started before we’re packing up again, though as one student remarked, “(it was) amazing how much you covered in two days!”. Except for three returning students who were working on previously started pieces, this was a fish, bug, butterfly class. These are simpler subject matter, so good progress can be made in the two days, as you’ll see in the slide show below.

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Walnut Maple Cookies (aka “Oma’s Happy Cookies”)

2½ cups walnuts, ground in food processor
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup flax seed meal
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla

1. In a small bowl, add all the ingredients in the given order. Mix well.
2. Spray a large cookie sheet and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Drop dough onto cookie sheet with spoon and flatten with fork.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, checking often to prevent burning. The cookies can burn easily and become hard if too dark. Use a double insulated cookie sheet for baking and bake in the middle rack of the oven.
5. Let cool before removing from the cookie sheet. Makes 1 dozen.

From “Kitchens of Nature’s Harvest” reprinted with permission from Mary Penner