Full Circle

I have now come full circle! I have gone back to my roots if you will.
While I was away in London, an email popped into my box announcing space still available for a New York Beauties class at Lady Sew and Sew in Henley. As I had just landed and a little bleary eyed I skipped over the email until massive amounts of coffee and naps had occurred. Not my typical class - love the block but curves - I have plenty of my own and have a fear of them in blocks. However, Dawn Cameron-Dick was the teacher. I called, registered for the class and then promptly announced that I had no supplies having just gotten off a plane - come early - so they could fix me up! I did.
So why the interest? Why drop into a class on vacation without supplies? Simple - Dawn. She was my very first quilt teacher all those years ago in Brussels. She taught me to quilt when I really wanted to learn to knit and have been grateful ever since. Her words still swirl in my head as I sew, and as I teach. Totally thankful to be able to tell her in person all that she has meant to me and my craft.
It was a huge surprise for her and such a fun day. Tons of giggles and catching up. The other ladies in the class where very gracious about our catch up too - big thank you to them.
If you are ever in Henley - pop in - Lady Sew and Sew has an amazing collection of fabrics with way cool fabric lines from the Isles and Europe! Plus you never know who is teaching that day!!



Oh yea - and the curve piecing is awesome!! Fun even! Dawn has an amazing method that makes it easy! Bring on more blocks!! Who is with me?!

One year!!

So one year ago I moved from one side of the Atlantic to the other.
Home! After many, many, many years and countries later.

It has had many ups and downs as most have. But let's talk about the ups!

Since hitting the shore line I have been crazy busy with this awesome quilty world!
I have hit Houston, Hershey, New Jersey Quilt Festival, Flights and Fantasies shows! I have hit every shop I could find and was open between McLean and Cambridge. I have attended classes with both Victoria, Lizzie, Kate, Kaffe, Brandon and Liza.

I have worked with the amazing Jennifer Paganelli with her latest and greatest (yes each one is the greatest) fabric lines!

And of course my fantastic local quilt shop - Christie's Quilting Boutique. Where I get to play and share and play some more. (and fold and pet fabrics!)

Not to mention all the new friends along the way - Julie, Terrie, Toni, all the ladies at Southern Connecticut Quilt Guild and of course all my friends from the quilt shop!!
Reconnecting with old quilty friends - Trudi and Susan - nothing better!! I am very blessed!

The journey so far has been non-stop and more than I could have asked for!
So happy to have landed back on these shores - here - right here!!
Game on!!

Been Quilin' . . .

and bout to resurface.
What a ride and a crazy month - promise to catch you up soon!
Best couple of weeks - sharing soon!!

Today is the day!!

The latest name of one of my quilts!! Means sooooo many things but here are 2 of them!
One - I finally decided to make a quilt that I had hiding in my quilt papers from sometime in 2005/6/7! And two - it is a line from one of my favorite movies - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel!

This quilt has been made through the kindness of the Southern Connecticut Modern Quilt Guild, Denyse Schmidt, Terrie and Jennifer (members of my guild). SCMQG and Denyse threw down the challenge of making a quilt based on her patterns using her new Hadley fabrics - now available! Didn't make the first round of the challenge - limited number of bundles but through Terrie and Jennifer sharing their extras - game on!!

I created it Denyse style - using bags to put the strips in and them pulling them out blind. I really tried not to edit tooooo much but I kept pulling out the same color/print strip as I went along.
Love this quilt!!!

I let the quilt do the talking in terms of the quilting - never again - it wanted soooooo much! But I kept going and going and tying strings. Very pleased with it now but wow it was a lot.

Now it is to hang in Christie's shop for a special preview night with Denyse on the 11th (next week!)
Then it is going to hang in my house! Woo hoo!

Huge thank you to SCMQG and Denyse and Terrie and Jennifer for letting me play!!
Loved every minute of it! Even when tying off all those strings!

Over the moon!!

OMG!
A very sweet lady traveling from Massachusetts popped into Christie's Quilting Boutique while I was there. She came in to grab a Row by Row pattern and kit.
Jennifer Paganelli happened to visiting as it is "I Love Fabric Day" (and yes this is a national holiday at least in every quilt shop!!) Not only did she purchase the last Miss Connecticut 2014 kits but she asked Jennifer to sign her pattern and then she asked me too!! I was asked for an autograph!!
Sitting her still tickled pink!!

Almost done -

Almost done if you count getting to the quilting stage almost.
Sadly you will have to wait to see it - it will go public soon but I promised to keep it a secret until later.
I have had all the fun to playing with Denyse Schmidt's new fabric line Hadley along side my fellow quilters from the Southern Connecticut Modern Quilt Guild. Through the generosity of players I got leftovers!! (my secret favorite kind) A little of this solid and a few of that and I have a quilt top! Now basted and heavy with pins.
And quilt . . .

Here is a teaser of how I put it together - I tried really, really hard not to edit but just pull. But I will fess up to a few edits - not many but a few. Had a habit of pulling the fabric I just used in a different size strip.

Ready to make another quilt this way - kept the bags just in case!

Guess what I got!!!!!

Any guesses? Those that would guess a handbag - might not be wrong except this time -  nope.
Not a sweater either - another favorite purchase and clearly it is not Lululemon.
Anyone?

I will give you a hint - a went to visit one of my favorite fabric designers!! Jennifer Paganelli if Sis Boom.

OK tooooo excited -

Good Company!! Time to play!! Wooo hooo!!!