It is wonderful to be back home after a great trip to Brainerd, MN with the Pinetree Patchworkers. I taught two classes and did a lecture for the general meeting, and everyone was so welcoming and attentive.
I know it is tough in a class situation with round tables, machines the wrong height, machines bouncing at times, dead zones of lighting in the room, and the ever-present too hot in the room for some and too cold for others!
But we persevered with humor and fortitude and a bag lunch on the patio in the lovely warm temps, 80’s. I realize there were experienced quilters in the beginning class and I so appreciate your efforts to work along with me, and not be frustrated and bored. Beginners who were terrified loosened up, and quilted wonderfully. There are so many things to keep in mind all at once that it is incredibly daunting and I realize that, and give you all full marks for being so game to keep at it and come up with some very nice results.
This town is the home of Cherrywood fabrics (shown in photo above), and of course I came home with new additions to my library of their suede-like hand dyed solids that I have used in many pieces, most memorably in my log cabin quilt “Through a Glass Darkly: An American Memory,” and more recently “Shadows of Umbria.”
The rich color saturation, the way this fabric can be pieced so easily and precisely, the wonderful hand of it, the texture--all these things help make my quilts rich and elegant, and allow my intricate quilting to be showcased beautifully. #100 silk thread and Cherrywood cotton? A heavenly combination, and one I will revisit often.
My 7 ½ -hour drive south to Minnesota’s Twin Cities, and then south and east through Wisconsin was beautiful and relaxing. This time of year the landscape was at its best, and some early color in the maples and aspens blazed out amid the deep green of the pines and the oaks. Yellow milkweed and a hazy mauve mist of foxtail at the sides of the road and in the median were so pretty with the greens of fall grasses, farmers’ fields, woods and streams.
I listened to favorite music and before I knew it my home was down the road, and another trip came to an end. Arnie is glad I am home. He is still purring.
Hope to see you on one of my trips soon. You never know the delightful people waiting at the end of a journey.
Thank you Pinetree Patchworkers! I had a wonderful time.
Diane
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4 comments:
I agree nothing like Cherrywood fabrics, LOVE the block and quilting picture the whole quilt is just beautiful.
makes me want to go on a road trip the way you described going thru Wisconsin.
Kathie
I have some fat quarters of Cherrywood fabric and they are so beautiful. I would love to see you on one of your trips, but I live in the south and rarely get above the Mason/Dixon line :-)
Jocelyn
And I rarely travel much now. Some of you will have to come to Wisconsin for a class! And I didn't mean to imply our classroom wasn't great, it was terrific, really wonderful. We even had soft background music and lots of sunlight. However, all class situations are not the easiest for machine quilting, so don't be too hard on yourselves if you felt you could have done better. It's always easier at home. Forge on! Take breaks!
Thank you SO much for coming, Diane. We had all been waiting for a long time and were rewarded with your wonderful humor, gracious sharing of ideas, gentle encouragement and real results. Our whole group had smiles on their faces after our meeting and we went home to dream of wonderful stitches.... especially when put on Cherrywood Fabric, right??? :-)
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