I always have a great time when I fly west and my trip in July proved no exception to that rule!
It was hot and humid in Chicagoland when I left but just pleasantly warm in Southern California…. Here is the Long Beach Convention Center set off beautifully by bright blue skies and those gently waving palm trees!
And inside was International Quilt Festival and Sheila, the hostess with the mostest.
I booked the trip on a bit of a whim when Steve was in New York for the day and I was bored… Sheila coped admirably for the 5 days of my visit.
We went to Festival where we took a decolorant class at MIU with Judy Coates Perez, hung out at the African Folklore Embroidery booth with Leora Raikin and her family, and attended a reception for the QuiltArt list and faculty.
We learnt that it it is probably worth spending a little extra and parking at the Hyatt and it will definitely be worth spending more on hotel accommodation for a sweeter smelling room in future…
My Under the Sea quilt came 3rd in the AFL challenge. I spent my winnings (and a little more) on 6 new designs and lots of hand dyed threads.
Here is Sheila working on her Decolorant project… she is probably still working out what use it all is… but she is smiling in this picture,
It was still hot and humid when I got home again. I have been knitting little decorative scarves out of all the sock yarn I have amassed. This one is being modeled by Yvette. They will be featured at dream on this autumn.
So I haven’t been doing very much sewing in the last few weeks… I have finished June’s Imperial Blooms block,
and July’s…
There were some very interesting stitches to learn. Just two more flower blocks and then we will start on the borders.
I got my sewing machine serviced at our new Bernina dealer, Gentler Times Stitching. It was really ready for a tune up. Now I need to get some quilts quilted before Benjamin’s sister arrives! It is always cool in the basement.
Tomorrow I am off to the Weekend of Valor Quilt Show put on by the Gazebo Quilters in Huntley Illinois. I will be making a quilt in a workshop during the day and attending a lecture by Marianne Fons in the evening. Then I am headed to Rockford to hang out with that grandson. He has some new cars for me to play with!
