Flying Geese Retreat: Where Quilters Gather to Stitch and Share
On a blustery, wet November day when the gray sky seemed to press down on Westport, inside the Flying Geese Retreat, it was bright, warm, and buzzing with the hum of sewing machines and friendly chatter. This was Open Sew Day, and quilters from as far as Renton, Spanaway and Rochester had made the journey to spend the day crafting.
Holly Rydman (left) and Adrienne Knoll are the owners and creators of Flying Geese Retreat in Westport .
Flying Geese Retreat is the brainchild of Adrienne Knoll and Holly Rydman, two die-hard quilters who became fast friends and now business partners. Flying Geese offers multi-day workshops, open sew days, and the option for groups to create their own retreat.
The retreat features a four-bedroom house that operates like an Airbnb for quilting groups and guilds to stay together, and a separate 1500 square foot workspace that has all the things a quilter's dreams are made of. There are large tables for cutting and crafting, as well as smaller individual stations for sewing machines. A design wall is available for hanging quilts to gain perspective, along with comfortable chairs and a cozy sofa featuring a coffee and snack station. The lighting is excellent, the vibe is friendly, and the aesthetic is fun, feminine, and funky.
A Friendship That Binds
Adrienne Knoll and Holly Rydman's journey to opening Flying Geese started inside Adrienne's shop, Stitches Quilt and Craft. "I had a quilt store in Olympia, and Holly started shopping there," says Adrienne. "And then she became a certified instructor, and we just got addicted to each other. We decided to host a quilting retreat here in Westport, and it was really fun."
The shop first opened in Westport, moved to Olympia, and then closed for good. But Adrienne, who lives in Ocean Shores, and Holly, who lives in Olympia couldn't get enough of each other. That retreat planted a seed of an idea that grew into Flying Geese.
Inside Flying Geese Retreat- a fun feminine vibe
Holly owned a home in Westport and they started planning. "We started the business in January of 2025 with a full remodel of this home," says Holly. "We had a soft opening with our friends and family in June so we could figure out what worked and what didn't. Then we had a week to fix it before our first official retreat."
Their partnership works because they complement each other. Adrienne takes on the cooking and Holly does the cleaning. Holly handles the decorating and social media, while Adrienne manages the administration and responds to emails. "We text each other all day long," Holly explains. "Together, we have one brain. Like, separately, we don't have a full brain each.”
Two Threads, One Pattern
Holly came to quilting through an unlikely inspiration: Elvis. "My daughter wanted to make my mom an Elvis pillow, so I was calling every fabric store around. I walked into a quilt shop and was just like, ‘wow, look at all this amazing stuff.’ I had always been crafty. I love to make handmade gifts, and I learned to sew when I was young. Well, the quilt shop owner said there was a beginner class that weekend, and I signed up, and I've been quilting for 20 years now.”
Adrienne's path started earlier. "I started sewing in grade school. My mom taught me how to sew and I made clothes all through high school. In my senior year, I was required to complete an outside-of-school project to graduate. I chose quilting, so I learned all the history of quilting and how to quilt.”
What draws them to quilting? For Holly, it's the transformation: "It's unbelievable that you buy this beautiful fabric and then you hack it up. And then all the different ways you can put a quilt together. I mean, just two colors can make the most amazing quilt. It’s just mind-blowing to me. Every quilt is unique.”
Holly Rydman shares how she creates a collage quilt, one of her favorite quilting techniques.
Adrienne appreciates the structure, but also loves the communal aspect of quilting, a tradition with deep roots. Historically, in the 1700s and 1800s, women held quilting bees. They would stitch quilts, usually working together on one quilt for a special occasion. Sewing circles also brought women together. It was a time for women to swap news and stories, and build friendships. The Flying Geese Retreat is a modern-day version of that.
Stitches and Stories
On the November 5th Open Sew, the studio was full. Women of various ages sat at their stations working on everything from quilting blocks, to table runners, to YouTube inspired projects.
Teresa Risken, visiting from Rochester for her third time, was working on a block swap project for her Monday quilting group. "This is the noisiest it's been," she said with a smile, gesturing to the full room. “It’s is a full house today."
What brings her back? "I love the designer wall. I love the space that each person has. I mean, I like everything about it. It’s so cheerful.” The design wall is a space where quilters can hang their work and step back to evaluate it. It’s also a luxury many don't have at home. "Sometimes you can take a block and you could turn it all different ways and it makes a different pattern," Teresa noted, adding that she welcomes feedback from fellow quilters on her work in progress.
Kris Beemer, also from Rochester and one of the younger quilters in the room, has become a regular despite the 60-mile drive. She's attended an open house, multiple open sew days, and even a full retreat. Kris, who has been quilting since 2017, will soon be considered a regular at Flying Geese. "I love all the amenities, “says Kris. “ You really just need to bring your projects and your sewing machine. They have everything else. The beds are wonderful, very comfortable, and I love the community. Communities are my favorite part of quilting. I just love everything that Adrianne and Holly have built here in just this short amount of time. It's amazing.”
Danielle Allen made the drive from Spanaway. She has been visiting Westport for 64 years (her family camped at Fuzzy Joe’s in the 1960s), but this was her first time at Flying Geese. She was working on a “block of the month” project she found on YouTube. "I love Westport because it's a small town, and it's just so quaint," said Danielle. “I wanted to check out this space because I’m interested in coming to a longer workshop. And I love quilters because we're just a happy fun bunch.”
Carla Mawhorter was the local among the group. A quilter for 25 years, Carla lives just down the road in Grayland. She knows Adrienne from her quilt store, but this was her first time at Open Sew. “Adrienne coerced me into coming,” joked Carla, who was working on a block project. “We are here to socialize, eat, and sew- maybe in that order.”
Open sew days cost $25, run 9am-5pm and lunch is included. The next open sew day is November 28. You can register here
Piecing Together A Community
While the retreats and Open Sew days are best for quilters with basic experience, Adrienne and Holly, both certified instructors, are open to helping with technique. And if you want to come to do something completely different, you can do that too. On the recent Open Sew Day, one woman was making a screen-printed t-shirt for herself.
"As long as you're comfortable with your machine and your questions are more about technique, our classes and workshops are for you,” says Adrienne.
Holly adds: "We're willing to help somebody if they let us know in advance. But most quilting is straight lines. So if you know the basics of your machine and you can slap two pieces of fabric together and follow a pattern, you can do it. We are also totally open to any hobbies. Come hang out, talk story, and eat. We really want to build a little crafty, hobby-oriented community. Come wrap your Christmas presents, bring your knitting, you’re scrapbooking.”
Open Sew Day
Upcoming retreats include Landscape Quilting, Stripology, and Painting a Barn Quilt. South Beach locals who don’t need overnight accommodations can reach out to Adrienne and Holly about registration.
As quilters settled into their projects that November morning, it was clear that Flying Geese Retreat is creating something special. By word of mouth, social media, and local quilt guilds, Adrienne and Holly are building a crafting community in Westport one stitch at a time.