LUSK - Lickety Stitch Quilts held “Quilt ‘Til You Wilt” from Monday, March 18 to Saturday, March 23 at the Lusk Fairgrounds. The annual quilting retreat saw robust attendance with a total 143 quilters. Several of the attendees were from other states, including California, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska. According to Lickety Stitch founder Karen Wisseman, retreats like “Quilt ‘Til You Wilt” appeal to a demographically broad set of people from across state lines.

“People just love our retreats,” Wisseman said. “We do a lot of fun things. Quilters are very gregarious. They love to be together. We just give them a place to come and enjoy their craft. Everybody here appreciates what each other is doing. They are all kind of kindred spirits.”

According to Wisseman, the first “Quilt ‘Til You Wilt” was held 12-years ago at the Senior Center. At that time, the retreat drew about 20 people. Since then, it has grown into a sizable affair welcoming multiple out-of-towners. Catering for this year’s retreat was provided by the Pizza Place and Subway. Wisseman stated that the event is financially advantageous for Lusk’s local economy.

“The town benefits hugely from this event,” said Wisseman. “Most of the people are staying at motels for as many as six nights. So, we bring in a lot of business for the town.”

Wisseman stated that one need not boast an advanced level of skill to enjoy making quilts. Everyone from novices to masters can enjoy the craft.

“Quilting is an old craft and it appeals to people on many levels,” said Wisseman. “Anyone can put their artistic stamp on a quilt. You can do it for free if you want to. Some people use scraps or old clothing. Some people do it by hand. Some people do it by the sheave. Some people do it very elaborately. Some people do quilts that have 40,000 pieces in them. There’s just such a wide variety. It depends on your level of investment in the project. Everybody uses blankets and quilts. They make wonderful gifts. People from a wide range of ability levels make quilts.”   

March marks the 14^th anniversary of Lickety Stitch, which has been providing Lsuk’s quilting needs from a venue at 206 S. Main. According to Wisseman, it was not difficult to find a niche in the market because there simply weren’t any other quilting businesses in the area.

“I had the opportunity here,” Wisseman said. “There were no other fabric stores or quilt stores when I moved here. It was always an interest of mine. I started thinking that it would be very small because this is a small town. But it’s gotten bigger than I thought.”

Indeed, Lickety Stitch has surpassed all expectations, as is evidenced by some of the establishment’s accolades. For instance, the business was ranked number 14 out of 2,095 quilt shops in a contest sponsored by ByAnnie.com.

“We’re really proud of that,” Wisseman said. “We think that’s pretty good. It’s just because of our service. People from all over know about us.”

Wisseman partially attributed Lickety Stitch’s popularity to word-of-mouth publicity, which has been disseminated by happy patrons from other states.

“We have quite a reputation among quilters,” said Wisseman. “Quilters travel. They like to visit quilt shops and, then, they tell their friends and it just spreads. You talk to anybody. It doesn’t take you very long to find somebody who has heard of us.”

That widespread notoriety was tangibly evidenced by the wide range of attendees at “Quilt ‘Til You Wilt.” One long-time attendee was Kristin Irvin of Manville, whose adventures in quilting began in the wake of bereavement. 

“I’ve been to every event except the first one,” Irvin said. “When I started going, my mom passed and I got some of her material. So, I thought, ‘I’m going to give it a shot.’ Everybody was so nice and showed me what to do. I really got involved in the quilting part. Everybody’s so nice and you get something done.”

This was the second “Quilt ‘Til You Wilt” for Kelly Eastman of Custer, South Dakota. According to the South Dakotan quilter, another trip is in the works.

“I’m already signed up for next time,” Eastman said. “It’s just fun with all of the ladies and getting to see what everybody’s making.”

For Eastman, quilts are not merely craft projects, but handmade salutations of affection.

“They’re comfortable,” Eastman said. “It’s like giving somebody a hug.”

Those who wish to learn more about Lickety Stitch Quilts can visit https://www.licketystitchquilts.com/ or the establishment’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LicketyStitch.