Journeys of a traveling quilt teacher?

I have been out and about since I last wrote. I spent a happy few days in Phoenix at the end of January. It was certainly warmer than Illinois!

I taught a series of three walking foot quilting classes at 35th Avenue Sew and Vac, a large store that sells BERNINA sewing machines amongst other brands. It’s always fun helping people get the most out of their machines. There were several students that were new BERNINA owners and we certainly put them through their paces!

I was just in town three nights and then it was back home to spend time packing kits and generally getting ready for what promises to be a busy few months.

I found time to do a little stitching, including this interesting English paper-pieced biscornu pincushion. Mollie at Wild Olive has some great instructions if you want to make one too!

On Thursday I flew into Raleigh-Durham airport to visit the Capital Quilters of Raleigh. Anne met me at the airport and we enjoyed a lovely lunch and a quick trip to the local quilt shop before I checked into my hotel. (Another BERNINA store!)

I didn’t get any pictures at the Guild meeting in the evening so you will have to believe me that it was well attended and we had lots of fun taking A Trip Around the World in Folk Art Stitches! On Friday we had a full class room to take our walking foot quilting beyond the ditch…

We returned Saturday for Wrapped in Scraps! There were some very happy bowl makers by the end of the day. Here’s just two of them.

Time to move on. The fun continued with the Durham Orange Quilters Guild. They also made fabric wrapped clothesline bowls. Everyone had something to share by the end of the day.

It just so happens that Susan Brubaker Knapp is a member of the Orange Guild and she had volunteered to have me to stay while I was in town. It was lovely to spend a few days with her, sharing lots of stories of our similar, but very different, experiences in the world of quilting.

We set off for an adventure on Monday morning, heading south from her home in Chapel Hill to Pittsboro, the home of French Connections. I have wanted to visit the store since I first came across the company, vending in Houston at Quilt Festival, many years ago.

I was not disappointed!

Warthogs in the front yard…

I took lots of pictures of the eclectic merchandise inside. (visit the website to find out more)

Every room was a feast for the eyes. I will admit to making a few purchases. After all, I had travelled a lot way to get there.

The adventure continued with various stops along the way back north. Susan and I found matching linen dresses to try on in one store. Yes, we both bough them! I know I will have happy thoughts whenever I wear mine.

We returned home in time for a little sit down and some dinner before the guild meeting in the evening. I wasn’t the speaker and it was good to just be an attendee and enjoy the lecture. Some of the previous day’s students brought their bowls to show and tell. Take note of how the pink and blue bowl in the middle had grown since the class.

And that brings me to today. I am currently sitting in my room at the Raleigh Marriott City Center ready for QuiltCon, (coming very soon), but we had time for a visit to the Coker Arboretum on the University of North Carolina campus before Susan dropped me off.

It was a beautiful morning with Carolina blue skies (featured at the top of the post). Of course I needed to take pictures. It’s early in the year for lots of color but the Pitcher plants caught my eye.

Venus Fly Traps are native to the area.

And the tiny cones on the Hemlock tree surely deserved a portrait.

Good times!

QuiltCon starts with registration and the award ceremony tomorrow evening. I’m going to help with set up in one of the booths in the morning and then I’m going to be doing some demos in the Fish Museum and Circus booth on Saturday and Sunday. I will have lots of time just to enjoy the show and catch up with what’s new in the modern quilting world. I’m sure there will be pictures!