LUSK – Around 50 Quilters from Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado and South Dakota gathered at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds for “Quilt ‘Til You Wilt,” sponsored by Lusk’s own Lickety Stitch Quilts creative sewing center. The quilting retreat began Friday, April 30, at 8 a.m. and ran through Sunday, May 2, at 5 p.m.

Karen Wisseman, owner of Lickety Stitch Quilts, told the Herald, “Attendees from all over Wyoming, as well as neighboring states, are converging to enjoy a weekend of sewing, learning and camaraderie with others devoted to the craft of quilting.”

Wisseman noted this was the second retreat held this spring with the first retreat occurring March 19-21, where they hosted 50 quilters at that time as well. She told the Herald they had hosted around a dozen retreats since owning the business.

“Quilters come together for the retreat to work on projects and learn from one another,” Wisseman said. “For three days, quilters come for demos, classes and guidance. We had a show-and-tell last night where the quilters discussed the projects they are currently working on.”

The quilters are treated to provided meals, giveaways, door prizes, opportunities to network with other quilters and share their love of sewing. 

The event is sponsored solely by Lickety Stitch Quilts. The team of Wisseman and her sister, Jane Filener, demonstrated the use of new tools of the trade, or “notions,” and techniques. Attendants would ask questions and discuss their techniques and tools they had used and developed to create the best product. 

Wisseman noted the impact on the town of Lusk. 

“The event brings a lot of people to Lusk and has a positive impact on the community. 

Elaine Griffith of Lusk showed attendants a table topper she had been working on, noting it was her first attempt at a project of that kind. Griffith discussed the methods she had used to create the table topper with Filener, Wisseman, and Julie Hauck of Rapid City. 

Wisseman explained the importance and careful work that goes into selecting colored fabrics which coordinate with one another, the various methods of sewing, stitching and joining fabrics and the different methods of folding and shaping the fabrics used in the process.

One participant, Kelly Whitaker from Rapid City, told the Herald this was her first time at the retreat, Whitaker, a 25-year veteran of quilting, said she began in 1995 when her husband asked her to make him a quilt.

“I’ve always sewn, and my husband wanted a quilt, so I started,” she said. 

Lickety Stich Quilts shop is located at 206 South Main Street in Lusk. Stop by during business hours, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or contact Wisseman at 307-334-9963. Lickety Stitch Quilts is also available on the internet at licketystitchquilts.com.