A Quilting Journey


 

Every retreat I try to challenge myself on something new or something I haven’t done in a long time. On the annual retreat in 2022 I sewed an appliqued patch worked baby quilt. Mind you, applique not being my favorite, I wanted to use this time to learn how to do it. Applique being at the top of the cutest patch worked giraffe quilt made the decision easy.

During this retreat conversations were about my friend’s children asking her to make quilts for them to have for their grandchildren. She made two which included adorable machine embroidered blocks and coordinated quilt blocks that she designed.

Wanting to continue to sew and machine embroider with purpose, I realized I needed a change and challenge. I was encouraged by that same friend to explore quilting and embroidering on a different level. She showed me how to design various embroidered blocks and how to incorporate different quilting techniques on them as well as the coordinating blocks. Graph paper was my best buddy and oh the notions: half square triangle template and of course more rulers. My mission began in making baby quilts to leave my daughter for her grandchildren.

There have been others over the past two years, but primarily in 2023 is when most were actually long arm quilted and when I put the binding on. I designed the blocks on the 5 embroidered quilts and the Paris quilt. The Paris quilt was made for a friend in thanks for putting me up when I travel to my daughter’s home in Kentucky. The Easy Crowfeet quilt is in my spare bedroom, replacing the first quilt I made and tied over 30 years ago. This year my niece’s July wedding gave me the opportunity to make the Majestic Mountain batik quilt for she and her husband.

I’ve found great pleasure in sewing for others over the years. With the grandchildren more interested in me sewing fleece items and no longer to sew garments other than pj pants and bath robes, making quilts and machine embroidery has fit nicely. I do enjoy sewing garments for myself.

A shout out in support of and in sincere appreciation for our ASG Lansing chapter’s sewing retreats, Lansing Clipper's web site, blog, Facebook page, guild sewing series and our wonderful neighborhood groups: Happy Hoopers, Sew Styling, and Pattern Works. The knowledge folks have shared and the friendships are very much appreciated.

Joyce Savage
















































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