Monday evening I headed out a few miles North to visit the Village Quilters in Wheaton. They were one of the first quilt guilds I ever visited way back in 2008. I went to see them again in 2013 when we had some stitching fun with some little wool appliqué pieces.
I didn’t get organized to take many pictures but I did take some during Show and Tell.
This next quilt top was constructed using some vintage hand made blocks. The maker told us it had been quite a challenge to put it all together. It will become a raffle quilt to raise funds for a retirement home next year.
Isn’t this a beautiful blue quilt? I love the modern styling.
This quilt was a kit dating back a long time that finally got finished in time for Christmas 2017.
I don’t recall seeing the Hungry Caterpillar panel and fabrics used for this quilt before. It will be a lovely cheery quilt for someone special.
The Village Quilters were a super audience for my Language of Flowers lecture. Five winners took home fat quarters of fabric from Frond Designs. I had a good evening and I trust the members did too.
On Tuesday it was our regular meeting of the Naperville Riverwalk Quilters. We enjoyed an informative lecture on Adding Sparkle and Texture to Your Quilt from Lisa Binkley of Madison, Wisconsin.
Lisa does exquisite beading and embroidery and definitely left me wanting to go home and bead something, but no time for that!
Wednesday afternoon I loaded up the car again and headed to Wales, Wisconsin to speak to the Patched Lives Quilt Guild. I’m still not too sure exactly where I was but the GPS got me there. It was touch and go for a few minutes through the ongoing construction around Milwaukee… I’m sure it will be wonderful when it’s finished?
The meeting was held at a community center on a country road around five miles from my hotel. I took careful note on the drive there because I knew it was going to be very dark on the return trip.
The members helped me get my stuff inside and I got set up while they arranged chairs ready to start at 6.30. Business came first, and then a display of the month’s philanthropy quilts.
And then I was on! I took pictures while my projector was warming up.
To the left,
and to the right…
Most people looked up and smiled!
I was booked for Lessons Learned While Quilting. I had had a bit of a scare on Wednesday morning when I was getting ready. I went to open my Keynote presentation on my computer and it wasn’t where I thought it should be… What to do?
I did what I always do when I have a technical problem. I called Julia and she talked me through. For some reason not known to me it had got put in the trash after the last time I spoke. Good job I hadn’t emptied the bin? I pulled it out to my desktop, saved it properly to documents and I was good to go. Thanks again Julia!
People laughed in the right places and sympathized with me where suitable and before I knew it it was time for refreshments. I sold and signed books. I do hope all the people who bought them will find them useful.
We finished the evening with Show and Tell. There was lots to look at.
From a little quilt,
and a table runner,
to a much bigger quilt.
A pair of quilt tops made for two sisters. One in pink,
and one in orange.
A quilt that had been made over many years,
a quilt made entirely from the maker’s stash,
a quilt that matched the quilters sharing it,
a quilt made from leftovers from another quilt,
a patriotic quilt destined to become a Quilt of Valor,
and a pretty little quilt made for a class sample on foundation paper piecing,
I’ll finish with a quilt made after a class I taught a few years ago at Quilt Festival in Chicago,
Nine embroidery designs set together and destined to be a beautiful treasure for years to come!
All good things come to an end and it was time to pack up and head back to the hotel. I had guessed right. It was very dark driving on the roads. I was pleased I had watched where I was going before, but I managed and I was soon back to the La Quinta in Delafield.
I was not up very early on Thursday morning and breakfast was being cleared away by the time I left my room. I had decided to take a detour on the way home and called in to see Julia and Ruby who seemed pleased to see me! We took Ruby to her afternoon session at preschool before I accompanied Julia to the Discovery Center to deliver some work she had done for them. I had a look around the museum stores at all three of the museums on site but resisted buying anything (!). I really do need to take time this summer to see inside the museums… They looked very interesting and I know Benjamin and Ruby would make great tour guilds.
Time for some lunch. We headed over to the Japanese Gardens which have a lovely restaurant in the grounds. We didn’t actually go into the gardens themselves, (a trip for another day?) but I did take a few pictures from the outdoor deck.
Serene raked stones,
and a view over the Koi pond.
The azaleas were in full bloom and make today’s featured image at the top of the post.
Now I’m home again until next Wednesday when I’m heading down to St. Louis for Quilt Market, the industry trade show. I’m booked to give a presentation at School House on the Thursday and sign books on the show floor on Friday. On Sunday I’ll be leaving St. Louis and driving to Villa Maria outside Springfield, IL to teach Folk Art Stitching for two days at a retreat hosted by Peace & Appliqué Quilt Shop.
But first there’s laundry and clearing up to do!
