Hey, everyone! What do Broadway, the Muppets, and a fabric collage retreat at The Gathering have in common? Lyn Marie Neuenfeldt, that’s what! Despite a career spent behind the scenes of some pretty big names in the performing arts world, Lyn Marie had never really considered quilting until we crossed paths in a digital design course we were both taking. Since geometry and fractions aren’t exactly her thing, quilting wasn’t ever something she thought she would get into — can you believe that nonsense? When I heard that, I immediately pointed her in the direction of collage quilt legend Laura Heine. Next thing you know, she had a plane ticket booked to go learn from Laura out in Montana. Impressively, Lyn Marie has since become a certified fiber arts teacher, and is now back home in Wisconsin sharing everything she learned with us!

If you’re not familiar with collage quilting, think of it as quilting meets fine art. Instead of precise piecing and perfect points, you’re building an image by layering and fusing fabric pieces together — much like a painter would layer color on a canvas. There are no rigid cutting instructions and no fractions involved, which is exactly what drew Lyn Marie to it in the first place!

Feeling intrigued? Me too! Lucky for us, Lyn Marie is bringing that very skill set right here to The Gathering for an exclusive fabric collage retreat from Thursday, April 30th through Sunday, May 3rd, 2026. The project she will be teaching is a patriotic themed design by Laura Heine, called American Flag. One of Lyn Marie’s current creative goals is to bring a more traditional, primitive aesthetic to collage quilting, so the project will be made entirely using fabrics sourced right here at Primitive Gatherings. They include my new American Gatherings III line along with a beautifully curated mix of supporting fabrics. The finished piece measures 50.5″ x 31.5″, and with 2026 being the 250th birthday of the United States of America, the timing couldn’t be more perfect!

Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Basic fabric collage is just scratching the surface of this class. Lyn Marie will also be introducing you to Inktense pencils, vibrant water-activated pencils that blend like paint and dry completely permanent, along with Pigma pen details and fabric paint accents — techniques that will completely change the way you think about what’s possible with fabric!

Whether you’re a seasoned quilter or just getting your feet wet, all skill levels are welcome — this retreat was designed for everyone! All you need is an open mind and a willingness to try something new. The class fee for lodging students is $250 per person plus supplies, and includes meals and your project kit (project patterns need to be purchased). Day students are also welcome for $290 per student, which includes lunches and project kit (day students are welcome to stay for dinner for an additional $20 per person, per day – please sign up ahead of time). Please give The Gathering a call at 920-778-8031 to reserve your seat!

Heads up! Tomorrow is Thursday (my favorite day of the week!) which means that as usual, we go LIVE on my YouTube channel, STITCH with Lisa Bongean. What’s different about this particular Thursday is that later in the day I’m heading to Las Vegas, Nevada to see Vegas Val, my quilting pal! Due to my travel schedule, we will be airing our show EARLY at 10:30 a.m. CST. I’ll tell you all about my trip and more tomorrow during the show… just click the STITCH button below to watch. See you there! ~Lisa