A Super Size King Flower Garden!

I love my sewing machines....I have too many to mention....BUT there is nothing better than sitting in my chair in front of a good T.V. show with some handwork in my lap. In my chair is exactly where I enjoyed working on the beginning of Our Flower Garden. My sister and I decided that we wanted to make a quilt using our stash. We had our plan and for a year before our sisters retreat I started making around 550 circles using a modified yoyo pattern and preparing about 200 leaves and stems for applique. I go to her cabin on the lake for about two weeks every summer for our retreat, just us and our machines! Doesn't that sound fun?

I was ready for the retreat! I made my way to Table Rock Lake where we got all set up and ready to sew. The flower blocks were the first to be made. Oh, were they fun to put together and see the end product of our work over the past year.

We marveled at all the old fabrics that brought back many memories. We told stories and just enjoyed this time thinking of the past with fondness and sentiment! Between sewing, laughing, eating, sewing, and story telling, etc., we finally got all the flower blocks done. Working on the scrappy squares used in the Irish chain was not quite as fun, however, again we were flooded with memories and stories. WeBloggers Quilt Festival were having so much fun making this quilt. As we started piecing it together we found out how large it was going to be. We actually finished piecing the top together in record time. I will admit there were many late nights!

Our quilt tops returned home with each of us ready to be quilted.

Well, the quilting is done and it was time to go back to my chair and put the binding on. The binding was put together with scraps to tie in the scrappiness of the quilt. I got to end working on this quilt in my chair sewing down the binding reflecting on many memories shared. I was again enjoying this relaxing time alone in my chair with my quilt in my lap. What a great way to finish off a quilt. I call it my super size king. It fits on my bed and hits the floor on all three sides with a fold over for the pillows. I love it!!

Thank you Amy for all your work on this wonderful Bloggers Quilt Festival. It is so much fun to see everyones talent and inspiration.

Luv ya, Gigi

Bloggers Quilt Festival - Christmas All Year at Table Rock Lake

I began my quilting journey in 1990 when I took my first class at our local Recreational Arts Center.  Little did I know that my curiosity about quilts and quilting would become a lifelong passion.  I also didn't realize how my life would change, all the wonderful people I would meet through quilting, and all the fun places I would go, either to see beautiful quilts, attend a class, or visit a quilt shop.

                                     

Quilting also brought my sister and me closer (if that was even possible) through our love of quilting and quilting together.  Many times a year, we get together to sew, seek advice, and share quilting ideas.  Being together often leads to hours of talking, laughing, talking, laughing and most importantly, QUILTING! Needless to say, we have so much fun!

My sister and I not only share ideas, but we also share fabrics.  We have the same tastes, but often have different fabrics, so it is always nice to "borrow" fabric from each other.  That is especially important when we have a scrappy quilt to make in specific colors like red, green and white/off white.

One of my favorite quilts to make, look at and admire is the Log Cabin Quilt.  Depending on how you set the blocks together, you get a different looking quilt each time.  Many quilters have come up with different and exciting designs, but my tastes tend to lean towards the traditional. 

I made this quilt in 2003-2004 using fabrics from my huge stash and fabric "borrowed" from others.  No fabrics were bought except the backing.  The process of making this quilt was very rewarding.  I love being able to make several blocks at a time and seeing the instant results.  And there is nothing like just grabbing random strips from bags and sewing them together without even thinking.  It is very calming to me.

I love my Log Cabin Quilt.  I love looking at it and I love where I have it....on our bed at our cabin at a beautiful lake in the Missouri Ozarks.  I smile every time I look at it, and often think of my sister and all the women in my life who contributed to it with their fabrics.

                                      

Thank you for stopping by and taking a stroll with me down memory lane.  I loved sharing my story and quilt with you.

And thank you, Amy from Amy's Creative Side for hosting the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  Hop on over and check out all the beautiful quilts!

---Jackie

Log Cabin Quilt:  Machine Pieced by Jackie Rodgers; Machine quilted by Beth Cronhardt.

                           

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