Home from a wonderful trip to a charming town, Galena, IL, and a most welcoming shop, Phat Quarters! The shop, above, suffered severe flood damage right before our scheduled event, but fast work, Jane and her intrepid staff managed to salvage inventory and move to a new location right on the busy Main St. in time to host our event.
Classes were held in the new front room of the shop, with big windows and plenty of room. Now that we have left, they can proceed to setting things up and arranging inventory, decorating, etc. They were flying by the seats of their pants, with an old cash register, no computers, but none of us complained at all.
We had two days of great classes, fun, excitement, and success! The charming shops and restaurants were all on the same street, and in the beautiful summer days there we took advantage of it all.
Feathers were amazing, stitches improved, students were smiling. I thank everyone in class and especially the staff for making this happen. If you are in Galena, stop by their new place and see what's going on. Fabric not damaged is on killer sale, great bargains to be found. And yes, they have Berninas!
I stayed in a hotel at the outer part of town and it had the most perfect carpet that included scrolls, feathers, leaves, and spirals, and of course the ubiquitous tendrils, below. Perfect to set the stage for class as I unpacked and regrouped before my lecture the first night, with vintage 35 mm slides.
I arrived home Wed. night thinking I just might have time to bid on my AAQI quilt online and own it myself, but by the time I got to it the auction was over. Thank you all for your bids and support, and congrats to the final bidder who will receive this quilt. I think it is one of my favorites, and I hope it will be enjoyed for a long time.
"Mourning Too Soon"
Teaching with talented quilters gave me many ideas and inspiration, and now I hope I can find some time to work on a few long delayed projects.
Oliver of course scampered his little heart out when I arrived home, then settled down for unpacking and sniffing everything from foreign lands, well, IL at least, and purred in contentment as we rested and relaxed.
Monday he will be two years old, and we must plan a party. He is still a Vegan, although he has been licking the remains from melted frozen custard in my dish, his first real people food, definitely on the path to becoming a bona fide Cheesehead. He is a cautious boy. He much prefers corn husks, raw green beans, and any veggie.
Thanks again to my Galena students; it was such a pleasure getting to know you in class. Don't let too much time go by before you quilt some of the techniques at home. Repetition is the key.
Keep quilting! Your work gets better every day.
Diane
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