Following Malabar: What We Do For Fun

I'm a little bit country AND a little bit rock n roll. And seeing as there is absolutely no rockin' or rollin' to do in Coshocton County right now I'm tapping into my other half! When my mom invited me to Amish country for a quilting retreat with her, I leapt at the opportunity.

We arrived to Mrs. Miller's Cabin in Charm, Ohio ( so quaint, right? ) on Friday afternoon and I knew I was in for a treat when I discovered that we had to pass thru a covered bridge to reach our cabin. And WHAT a cabin! Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, laundry room, living room and a huge kitchen all encased in beautiful hardwood. It is exactly the kind of place you want to go to retreat.

When the other 5 quilters arrived they began to re-organize the living room. I joked that this part of the day should be called, "When Quilters Attack," because the cozy living room was quickly dismantled and rearranged into a sewing paradise.

The next few days were filled with projects, laughter, sharing, good food and rest. I discovered that I don't like to quilt and would much rather hang out in the kitchen preparing food. My mother discovered that if I'm forced to share a bed with her I'm going to require that she be the little spoon.

Beyond the wonderful women that I met this weekend I think I was most appreciative of the experience when Momma Barb was sharing a blue and red scrappy quilt with the group. She had assembled it with scrap material left over from this project for her son or that project for her cousin. She described where each little piece came from and that's when I realized that quilting is not just the insane act of cutting a perfectly good piece of fabric into little pieces to sew it back together again. Quilting is an art that tells a story. Sometimes it tells many stories at once. It is a way to piece together many memories and many people that are important to you.

A great big thank you to this group of crazy quilters for letting my join in the fun. May your stitches be straight. May your iron be hot. May your lives be made up of many beautiful pieces.

For more info on the cabin where we stayed visit http://www.mrsmillerscabins.com/