Walking Foot Quilting in Santa Rosa

It was time to get back to work with the Santa Rosa Quilt Guild on Friday morning and Rhonda did the introductions just after nine o’clock.

There were twenty seven students, eager to learn, set up in the nice light and bright room. Before long the machines were humming as everyone set to stitching.

I’d talk a bit, we’d sew a bit and then I’d talk again. Here I am during one of those talking bits. I commandeered a BERNINA 160, just like the one I used to have, for my demos.

This is what it looked like from my side of the machine when everyone actually looked at me… It was two o’clock by this point. I think they were getting tired?

I had chatted to a very nice lady at the meeting on Thursday and noticed the name badge. I’m nothing if not shy so I went away and checked up… yes this really is the Judy Mathieson, maker of multiple major award winning quilts, including one of the 100 best quilts of the twentieth century, international teacher with thirty years experience…

There’s nothing like having someone who knows far more than you do in your class! Suffice to say I tried really hard and we all went home smiling…

I do love me some walking foot quilting!

So Saturday I packed my bags again, a few DVDs lighter, but with lots of happy memories to bring home. Phyllis drove me back to Oakland airport. It’s quite a ways but the traffic was light.

That’s San Fransisco across the water, behind the barrier… The Golden Gate Bridge is behind the right hand side fence post!

It was a beautiful day in the Bay Area but we boarded our plane under a weather advisory. That meant that Southwest couldn’t guarantee that we would be able to land in Chicago when we got there so might have to spend the evening, and possibly the night, in an airport not our own… Some people rebooked their flights but we all know Catherine likes an adventure?

It was almost (but not quite) an anti-climax when we landed in clear sunny skies at Midway! Steve was running back down the up escalator as I was going down to the baggage claim…

So now I’m home for a few weeks. I’ve got lots to do. I’m back at the sewing machine!

Today’s featured image (that’s the one at the top of the post) is one of the beautiful roses in the gardens at the Luther Burbank Art and Garden Center where the workshop was held.