Today is National Quilting Day so what better day to write a catch up blog post?!!
Yes, we are more than half way through March already. We’ve had seventy degree days and well below freezing days this month here in Illinois. I was in Atlanta in eighty degree sunshine while it was snowing at home. The bulbs are poking through. I’ve spotted a few brave crocus flowers and we should have some daffodils in bloom before too long… I think it will be warm enough to sit outside this afternoon!
So, in honor of the special day, what have I been up to?
I zoomed with the Garden Sate Quilt Guild of New Jersey, a lecture on the Tuesday and a fun day of Walking Foot Quilting on the Saturday. (Almost) everyone appeared on screen and smiles for the required screen shot!
And then it was time for Quilt Con in Raleigh.
I flew down in time to help Deborah and friends set up in the Fish Museum and Circus booth.
I left going up the steps to Deborah!
Deborah is known for her wonderful ceramic pincushions. We set out sixty each morning which were all gone in the first half hour of the show and then there were different people in the booth showing off their wares.
I sold and signed books each day for an hour. (Today’s featured image is me with Chris from Artistic Artifacts.)
I also did two make and takes in the Wonderfil booth which happened to be next door!
There are lots of pics and write ups of QuiltCon… FaceBook, Instagram, there might even be a few snaps of me here and there… I’ll leave you to look.
I enjoyed a lovely dinner with Julia McCleod and Jane Haworth on the Friday night. QuiltCon is a great time to catch up with friends 🙂
But ever onwards.
Back to Zooming, with the C&T Creative Spark Embroidery Extravaganza… I had done lots of preparation for the event and I had no major hiccups, which is always a good thing.
Participants all got my bird design in their virtual swag bag and I had step outs to show.
All stitched in Sue Spargo’s Eleganza 8 wt. perle cotton.
A close up for your enjoyment.
And one on black, stitched with hand dyed threads from House of Embroidery.
I showed how I make my embroidery into a stand alone appliqué piece.
Good times.
But the fun continued.
I drove to Moline the first weekend of March for a super Saturday with the Mississippi River Valley chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America. We had a full class for Dorset Buttons in the morning and Folk Art Embroidery in the afternoon.
The mother and her five daughters on the front row worked hard and kept me on task!
Beth, one of the stitchers brought her work to show me.
No pressure Catherine!
I drove home again Sunday morning and quickly re-packed my bags to set off early Tuesday morning for the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo in Atlanta. Actually it was in Duluth, just outside the Atlanta metro area… My flight was uneventful and I was ready to teach all day Wednesday and Thursday before flying home Thursday evening.
Walking Foot Quilting all day Wednesday… 7 hours of class plus lunch provided.
Three hours of Free Motion on Thursday morning. Let’s doodle first and yes, we will get to your favorite motif but we are going to take it one step at a time!
A full class for Hand Beading on Fabric in the afternoon, no pictures of the students but look what one student stitched.
Students just need to bring scissors. Everything else is provided in the kit. I make the little postcards myself, thinking happy thoughts with each corner I turn out.
Atlanta airport was very busy. I have TSA pre approved and one kind agent decided I look like I deserved to go in the even shorter line… do I really look that old? It’s a bit of pressure to make the evening flight but it was nice to be home and not getting up for the early flight if I had stayed that extra night?
I’ve been here this week, working on getting ready for a trip next week and then AQS Quiltweek in Hartford which is just after Easter weekend. I mailed my boxes Tuesday… 54 pounds of books and kits! Definitely cheaper than a third suitcase.
Janis, who took my Walking Foot class at Sue Spargo’s last year sent me a photograph of her quilt that won the best machine quilting ribbon at her guild show recently. Those are some lovely spirals Janis!!
And I spotted something familiar on @bethmakes_ Instagram feed…
Did you spot it, tucked in there next to the Royal School of Needlework book?
I am always excited to see my book out in the wild. Have you bought one? If you have I would love to hear what you think about it… please leave a comment.
I’m flying in to DC on Thursday for three days of classes at Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria. I have wanted to visit Judy’s store ever since we first met, at least ten years ago, and now I get to! AND it looks like I might even get to see the cherry blossoms. Always the adventure.
