What was I thinking when I signed all those contracts for spring 2025? I really do like to be busy, but there is busy, and then there’s busy… It’s been a great couple of months. I’m overdue for a catch up?
March…
I headed down to Bloomington Indiana for the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show. The last time I was there was March 2020.You can read about it here.
What a lot has happened since then. (Janet Stone won best of show again in 2025)
I taught three days of handwork classes. Lots of smiling faces. Some repeat customers!!
Ice cream from The Chocolate Moose for dinner on the last night has become a tradition, and 2025 was no exception.
The highway goes all the way to Bloomington now which makes for an easier drive.
Back home for a busy week of stitching (more about that later), and a haircut, before repacking my bags and getting a flight to Houston for an eight day, three guild trip.
First up were the Lakeview Quilter’s Guild in Nassau Bay. The classroom was full for our Walking Foot Quilting workshop.
It was a lovely evening so we went for a quick walk at Sylvan Beach Park.
I do like a water view and was quite happy to take another look… how about Galveston Bay before my lecture the next day?
The water was bluer than last time I visited, back in February 2022.
There was a good turn out for Language of Flowers in the evening.
Looking right,
and left.
The people at the back of the room deserved some attention too?
Time to move on to the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston via the blue bonnets at the Houston Botanic Garden (this post’s featured image).
I was booked for a Trip Around the World. It was fun to see couple of familiar faces from Quilts Inc. in the audience.
We combined Folk Art Stitching and Dorset Buttons for Wednesday’s class…
But no time to stop. I packed my bags and set off again… East towards the Golden Triangle Quilt Guild in Beaumont.
Their meeting is in the morning. Time to take another Trip Around the World. It doesn’t matter how many times you tell people you are about to take their picture some people just won’t smile for the camera.
More Walking Foot Quilting on the Friday. People spread themselves out around the room.
Three hotels in seven nights hardly gave me time to remember my room number. I make sure to keep the key holder in my purse!!
Just home for two nights and I was back at the airport for a flight to Denver. That sewing I was doing the week before I went to Texas? It was needed on set for a taping at Love of Quilting with Sara Gallegos.
We recorded two episodes. First up was walking foot quilting.
Closely followed by some free motion fun! (just time for a wardrobe change in between)
They will be part of season 46, premiering in July. You might be able to see them on your public television station (check your local listings) or you can subscribe at Quilting Daily.
Home again for a Zoom appearance at the Mancuso Virtual Schoolhouse. Everyone gets a front row seat on zoom!!
That was March.
April…
I started the month with a trip north to the Illinois Quilters Inc. in Northfield. Time for another Trip Around the World,
followed by a day of embroidery with Pretty in Paisley,
and then a day of rope bowl stitching, Wrapped in Scraps.
Finished projects are always such fun.
Yet another Trip Around the World followed, this one with the Skylkill chapter of the American Quilters Guild via zoom. Always an adventure!
Time for a quick change of pace with a visit from Julia and family.
We drove into Chicago to the Art Institute. We arrived in time to join the members going in early so that we didn’t have to stand in line for the Frida Kahlo Exhibit. In case you don’t get the opportunity to visit it was basically Frida goes to Paris and stays with a friend. This is what was in the living room… Please forgive my not very academic review but it wasn’t what we expected.
However, the Myth and Marble exhibit of ancient Roman sculpture was definitely worth getting up early for! Here’s one of the sculptures…
What I really appreciated were the cards accompanying the statues. Note the restoration that had taken place…
Benjamin and Ruby are now old enough to go wander. They did the Ferris Bueller tour. We caught up with them to get a suitable photo by the Portrait of Balzac.
Time for another trip. How about ten days in Paducah?
I signed the contract to teach at least a year ago and then I was thrilled/honored/daunted to receive an invitation to be one of the three judges for the show. I have to tell you it was an intense couple of days, judging the four hundred or so quilts with Nancy Mahoney and Doris Goins. AQS have it all very organized and we stayed focus until the job was done. It was amazing to get the chance to see all those quilts so close up and personal!
I then taught for two days before the results were announced.
Here’s my folk art embroidery class in mid stitch…
The award ceremony was hosted by Alex Anderson who made it a fun evening for everyone. The judges got to sit right near the front
Best of show went to Laurie Tigner from South Dakota. Here she is with her fabulous quilt on the show floor.
She recorded an interview with Michelle from AQS. You can watch it here.
Back to the classroom for a Dorset Buttons class!
And one more workshop… Walking Foot Quilting in the BERNINA room .
Never one to miss an opportunity for fun, I had volunteered to be a team leader for a rousing evening of Quilters’ Feud.
The room was full.
Alex had been pressed in serving again, this time as emcee. We all learnt the rules as we went. Nancy Mahoney was also a team leader. Here we are practicing using the buzzer.
There were four teams. My team were very worthy runner-ups and won a selection of goodies from Quilters Select.
Still smiling!
I stayed in town for a couple of days to enjoy the show and look around before I drove back North.
May…
Just three days at home and I headed out again to Raleigh for the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo. Three machine quilting classes. Here’s one half of the Free Motion class.
And here are some of the hand beaders working on their beaded postcards.
I stayed in downtown Raleigh and was able to enjoy an hour at the roof top bar one evening. It was very pleasant up on the outdoor patio of the Homewood Suites! You can see the convention center, just one block away.
Just two nights in Raleigh. I had places to be! I spent the next week at the h+h Americas trade show in Rosemont. Yes, I know it was only up the road but have you tried driving through the construction in the rush hour? I spent the time wandering the floor, seeing what’s new and in-between times hanging out with Yazzii. I bought a new PINK sewing chair (there will be photos when it arrives) and some dresses from my favorites in the Miss Rose Sister Violet booth!
Home to do the laundry, put some stew in the freezer for Steve and then off out again.
I flew to Boston and got a Lyft out to Lexington. Next morning Cynthia picked me up for a trip to the Harvard Art Museum that was closed when we were out East in December. It didn’t disappoint. I bought two fridge magnets that caught my eye in the gift shop.
Steve is always telling me to “Be nice”, and the Mummy Brown just wanted to come home with me. Apparently the actual shade of brown was derived from the embalming substances used on the mummies…
I keep all my fridge magnets on white boards in my sewing room… not on the fridge.
Of course I was in town to work.
Here are the Quilters’ Connection members ready to take a Trip Around the World with me. Honestly, no two groups are the same. It’s a different talk every time!
We spent the next day with Folk Art Embroidery and then I was off to Connecticut to join the Southern Connecticut Modern Quilt Guild on retreat in Deep River.
We were cozy in our cabin in the woods! I shared my Walking Foot Quilting – take the Scenic Route class with the group on the Saturday.
A happy band of quilters…
I flew back from Hartford. The sun was setting as we took off. I needed a picture.
And now I’ve been home for a week. The laundry is done. I put more food in the freezer, got a haircut, assembled some kits for future classes and now my bags are packed ready to go away again. We are going to watch Benjamin and Ruby in the Rockford Memorial Day parade on Monday. On Tuesday I am off to Green, Ohio to teach at Sue Spargo’s shop. The adventure continues.
Be First to Comment