Moose Jaw was host to the 16th annual Stitch N’ Quilt Retreat put on by the Superannuated Teachers of Saskatchewan (STS), which gave retired teachers from the province a venue to do a shared activity they all have in common.
The event was held over four days between Sept. 25 and Sept. 28, 2023, and was held at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. The retreat drew in 35 participants, with 11 of the guests attending their first quilting retreat.
“Our retreat is getting together in one location to do an activity that is common to everyone, and in our case, it’s quilting,” said Marlene McBain, a retreat organizer from the Moose Jaw STS chapter.
Each year, one STS chapter steps forward and volunteers to host the retreat in their community.
The retreat is typically intended for members of the STS. “Our rule is, since it’s subsidized, the majority of participants must be retired teachers,” McBain said.
For this year’s retreat in Moose Jaw, guests arrived from Saskatoon, Melfort, Gravelbourg, Moosomin, Meadow Lake, and other locations around the province.
The furthest guest drove in from Jamestown, ND. She was a former resident of Assiniboia, Sask. and started her teaching career in Saskatchewan before retiring in neighbouring North Dakota.
At the event, quilters brought their own personal projects to work on in an atmosphere that provided tranquility, support and education.
“Most people bring several projects of their own to work on. It’s nice and quiet, you are with people who do similar things, and you get ideas and stuff from other people,” McBain explained.
Guests were also given the option to participate in classes held during the retreat. Most classes were instructed by McBain, with Terri Florkiewicz and Kathy Dodds adding a few classes of their own to the mix.
Three instructional courses included Brenda Halstead teaching a ‘quilt as you go’ course, Karen Mundt demonstrating how to make a table runner, and Kathy Dodds demonstrating how to construct a decorative bag.
“As a special guest, we invited Quilter’s Haven Fabric Shop here in Moose Jaw, and they came and did a presentation on different kinds of batting that you’d use in your quilts, and in other sewing projects,” McBain said. In a show of support, Quilter’s Haven offered STS members a discount at the local store.
“They (Quilter’s Haven) are super generous. I also belong to the Prairie Heart Quilt Guild here in Moose Jaw, and Quilter’s Haven always has a representative at our meetings. They are very generous, giving us gifts of all kinds,” said McBain.
Quilter’s Haven in cooperation with several other quilting businesses across Saskatchewan supplied gift bags for guests, which featured a gift card, instructional books, and packages of quilting material.
Everybody received a project box when they registered, supplying them with practical tools for their hobby. The box included stationary, quilting patterns, and an information booklet about Moose Jaw.
McBain said there was a very nice addition to this year’s retreat, thanks to the local community.
“(W)e had four men – all retired teachers – volunteer on the first morning. They came and helped the women carry their things upstairs,” McBain recalled. “The same thing happened when they were ready to leave on Thursday afternoon; the men showed up and helped them again.
“They were really pleased about that,” McBain said.
Another request asked locals for an ironing board to lend out during the event, and four boards were provided without hesitation.
“I asked for volunteers,” explained McBain. “You know, we live in a very great town where when you really ask for things, people come forward. They really do, and they’re very generous.”
McBain said she received a lot of positive feedback and felt the event was a success.
“I did an evaluation sheet… on the whole, I got good to excellent on everything. I was very pleased with the comments and I’m sure people went away happy.
That was the main thing — just to have a recreational activity that people would enjoy,” she said.
Next year’s event will be organized by Sharon Baker from Kipling, Sask., although no details have been confirmed yet.
The Stitch N’ Quilt Retreat is an annual event sponsored by the STS and has been ongoing since its inception by Karen Mundt back in 2004.
Superannuated Teachers of Saskatchewan is a voluntary group of retired teachers from across the province who are dedicated to promoting the welfare of retired teachers in Saskatchewan.
“STS generally looks after things like our pension plan, our health plan, and recreational activities in the province. (Coverage) also includes travel insurance,” explained McBain.
STS membership is open to all retired teachers who have or are currently receiving an allowance under the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Superannuation Plan or the Saskatchewan Teachers Retirement Plan. This includes surviving spouses.
Membership comes with an annual fee of $30.00 and includes a subscription to the organization’s newsletter, ‘Outreach.’ More details are available at sts.sk.ca.
For more information, Marlene McBain can be reached at [email protected].
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