Wonderful Wednesday: Quilty Friends

It's been a crazy busy summer, but a crazy awesome summer!  I don't  know where to start or even how to start back blogging, but here I go again....

photo bombed

I might as well start with the most recent activity since I already posted a quick recap on our guild's blog.  (Hopefully I won't have the same problems with Blogger deleting the post and then publishing an older draft when I went to update.....UGH!)  If by chance you have read those two recap posts, don't go away, as I will put my own personal spin on it over here ;-)

someone borrowed my camera to take a picture of my rear

 The Orlando Modern Quilt Guild hosted two days of workshops with Jacquie Gering a few weeks ago, and it was a blast!!!!  Not only was I thrilled to see Jacquie again, but it was the first time I had touched my sewing machine since my Gruber's retreat in July (which I need to blog about...hmmm...wonder if my retreat friends have blogged about it yet....guess I would know that if I hadn't banned myself from the blogosphere...need to check that out because I am sure they have....but I digress), and I was itching to stitch.

proof

Jacquie taught her Piecing Hexagons by Machine class the first day.  I was super excited when I found the y-seam sweet spot on the first try (Jacquie's expression - not mine).  Of course as Jacquie pointed out, it only took me two classes to figure it out!  In my defense, the class I took at QuiltCon was only half-day, on the last day, we didn't get to use our own machines, and I had a sewing buddy distracting me ;-) 

Michele the teacher's pet

I was determined to be a model student this time around and didn't get in trouble at all.  I left that to Beth ;-)  Michele was my workshop buddy, and I obviously didn't distract her.  She had two columns of hexagons stitched together in no time.

future quilt for a friend

For this workshop I made my hexagons REALLY big thinking that would help my accuracy ;-)    I also have to say using your own sewing machine makes a huge difference, especially when one stitch too many can prevent you from finding that sweet spot.
  

Jacquie and I with her quilt/my quilt

 I brought Jacquie's neighborhood quilt with me for a photo opp.  It's been living with me ever since 2010 when Jacquie auctioned it along with her two others to raise money for the Red Cross.  The quilt now has her signature on the back (and a label), and my copy of her book has a lovely, sweet note from Jacquie inside!

label your quilts folks!

  Michele arranged dinner at a favorite local hangout where the owner showed us his own quilt.  It's times like this when a cell phone just doesn't do a picture justice.

showing us the details

Jay's aunt made several of these family photo quilts - can you imagine?  I love this type of quilt and have not seen one quite this beautiful.  The pictures are sharp and colorful, and the background fabrics are so soft and pretty.  I could have stared at the quilt for hours.  

attracting quilters wherever we go!

While having dinner, a quilter on vacation from California stopped by to chat and see Jay's quilt as well as a local quilter.  We may have a new member!

we opted for shots rather than tattoos

I have many more pictures from the workshop on Flickr if you care to see them.  Well, this was exhausting.  I think I'll save the pictures of the Stitch and Flip workshop for another day.

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy stitching,