720-912-4020

720-912-4020



Cindy Grisdela July 14 -18, 2025

Colorado quilting
Irene Roderick Quilting Retreat

Abstracting from Art Five-Day Quilting Retreat

July 14 - 18, 2025 |$1,250

In this five-day retreat, we will begin with a work of art as inspiration for an abstract quilt design. It can be a painting you admire, a photograph, a graphic design, or anything else you find inspiring. We will be using the source as inspiration only for color and shape---not representing the work itself. 
Through lecture, demo, and individual discussions we will study our inspirations and how to translate them into fabric.
First choose your inspiration—photo, artwork, graphic design. Define what draws you to it – color, shape, something else? You may draw from the color story, a favorite shape, and/or the mood or energy in the place to decide how to use it in a quilt. Some quilts have just the colors, some just the shapes, and some just the energy. Some have all three.
Or you may use a 4" window cut from cardstock to identify an area of interest that you would like to focus on, then enlarge it to create your composition.
If your inspiration photo has a variety of shapes, you could decide to isolate just one or two of them and make a quilt using that shape or shapes. Make it bigger, or smaller or both. 
You may end up with one large composition or several smaller designs, depending on how you like to work best. 

Illustration

Your instructor, Cindy Grisdela

Techniques You Will Learn

    Improvisational Design
    Abstracting from an Inspiration Image
    Figure Design
    Color Interaction
    Machine Piecing
Colorado quilting

What's Included

The instruction is five full days Monday through Friday. The retreat includes three lunches and two dinners. Enjoy a lecture by Cindy and a meet-and-greet with hors d’oeuvres on Sunday night, July 13th at 5:30pm prior to the class start.

Rent a Sewing Machine

If you need to rent a machine, we rent the The Bernina 350 Ricky Tims' Special Edition which is a great machine for quilters. Click here for more information.

Important InformationRead Before Registering

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation Policy: If WE cancel the retreat, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel 60 days or more from the start date of the retreat, you will receive a full refund minus $100 cancellation fee.
If you cancel 59 days to 31 days before the start of the retreat, you will receive a 50% refund minus $100 cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 30 days of the start date of the retreat, you will not receive a refund and will be charged a $100 cancellation fee.

Payments

You can choose to pay a deposit of $440 now to hold your seat. The balance of $810 is due by May 14, 2025. You will receive an invoice for the balance due by May 1, 2025. 
Meals & LodgingThe Abstracting From Art Retreat includes three lunches and two dinners. Other meals and lodging are not included in the registration fee.
Estelle Center guest rooms are currently under construction. Estelle’s Upstairs, our overnight guest accommodations, will be available in 2025.
If you’d like to be notified when the registration is available, you can email Sunshine Caulfield. In the meantime, you can find other dining and lodging options on our Plan Your Visit Page.

Transfer Policy

If you cancel 30 days or more from the start date, you have the option to transfer your tuition paid minus the $100 cancelation fee to another retreat within 1 year.
Cancelations within less than 30 days will not be eligible for transfer to another retreat.

Registration & Payment

I wish to pay a deposit of $440

I have read and understand the cancellation policy. I understand the balance of $810 is due by May 14, 2025.