Shared by Kim Payne, as Guest Blogger.

For the past eight years I have had the privilege of hosting a Girls Getaway Retreat at James River State Park. Initially it was just six women and we stayed in the 3-bedroom cabin. For two years we returned. The second year one of the women suggested that we get the lodge and invite more women to come. As it turned out we all were quilters, and we knew of several other women who would want to join us.

The ladies turn the living room into their creation stations 

What started out as a once a year Girls Getaway bloomed into a twice a year Quilting Retreat, with a waiting list of 5 or more each and every time. While the group may change slightly each year depending on other work and family commitments the women have, our core group has remained the same.

Ten women come together for 3 days and nights of fabric, food, fellowship and just plain ol’ fun. Over the past several years we have grown into a tightly sewn group of “sisters” that anxiously await the next retreat even before the one we are attending is over.

The ladies bring their own quilts with them to make the cabin feel like home

There is just something special about being at James River State Park. The beauty and serenity makes for some wonderful walks in the mornings and evenings. The other campers and cabin tenants that we encounter are always friendly and interested in knowing what we are there for. And the reason we are there is what unites our hearts, not only with each other, but with those we encounter.

The Seven Hills Quilt Guild, which comprises most, if not all those attending the retreat, has a heart for serving the community. We are located in Lynchburg, but we have lovingly made and donated more than 1000 quilts to the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center, Outdoor Education Center in Harpers Ferry WV, Quilts of Valor for our beloved veterans, Hope for Appalachia, the Safe House for Abused and Battered Women, flood victims, residents of low-income housing complexes without family, nursing home residents who have been forgotten and charity auctions. Wherever there is a need for a quilt that might bring solace or a tangible reminder of being thought of and cared for, the women in the guild jump in without hesitation.

We always have charity projects that each of us work on during our retreats, and what we get accomplished is just amazing. We make quite the sight- 10 women with 10 tables and sewing machines humming away amidst piles of fabric. My heart just overflows during these 3 days.

This past February 13th one of our dear friends Judee Lefler died just 11 days after her cancer diagnosis. Judee loved these retreats and told me on more than one occasion how much these meant to her- being with other like-minded women who loved quilt making and who had hearts for serving others. Judee was so upset about not being able to go on the April retreat- she called me in tears; not to tell me she was dying, but to tell me how sorry she was she was going to miss the retreat. We both laughed when we realized how crazy that sounded. She was dying, but not being at JRSP in lodge #5 with her ”sisters” seemed to be more upsetting.  

We have named our retreats “Judee’s Retreat.” She was a strong woman of faith and loved being nestled in the beauty of creation while creating her own fabric masterpieces. And she always finished an entire quilt each time she was there. Our group returns every spring and fall to JRSP, Lodge #5, and hopefully we will continue this tradition for many years to come as we use these retreats to fill our cups so we can pour into others.