It’s always a pleasure to reconnect with familiar faces in the quilting world, and Paul Leger is one of those people who brings both creativity and community wherever he goes. We’ve crossed paths with Paul at various industry trade shows over the years, most recently at H+H this past spring. During our chat, he shared a delightful miniature Lego sewing room he’d crafted—complete with an OLFA rotary cutter on the cutting table, of course. But the real highlight was catching up on his long-running men’s quilt retreats, a tradition that began with a simple idea and has grown into something truly special.

Men's Quilting Retreats

The men’s quilting retreats began in August 2008, sparked by a simple idea: a few members of the Yahoo Quilt Guy group wanted a retreat just for the guys. That first gathering in Woodstock, NY brought together just seven of us—but we had such a great time, we've kept it going ever since.

When 16 of us meet up again in Lake George, NY this fall marks our 30th retreat. Over the years, we've welcomed nearly 400 attendees from 16 U.S. states, two Canadian provinces, and even one quilter who flew in from England.

Everyone shows up with their own projects in tow, ready to sew, share, and support. While we certainly help each other with fabric choices, techniques, and creative blocks, what really stands out is the atmosphere of camaraderie. Many of these bonds have extended far beyond the retreat weekends—becoming connections that have last through the years.