Best Weekend Ever!

(This post is out of order. I started it when I came back from North Carolina, but forgot to publish it. This took place the weekend of March 1st.)

I've just come back from a weekend in North Carolina with the African American Quilt Circle of Raleigh-Durham. I haven't said a lot (anything?) about it in case I was an abject failure...didn't want it widely known that I had fallen flat on my face...that would have just been between me and the ladies of Raleigh-Durham. Well...it was fabulous! And not so much because of what I did, but because these ladies are so supportive, so warm and welcoming...I had a blast!

Friday I stayed at the home of Kimberley Cartwright, and we went to the opening of their quilt show. My favorite piece featured some of their activities over the past 15 years. I sent Rachel a photo so she could see her place in the guild's history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now I'm a part of that history!

 

I taught a paper piecing class on Saturday. The block I taught was the New York Beauty, and I think the class was a success. Several people said they wanted to do more paper piecing, and I’ve had a lot of requests for the template we used. There were 25 people in the class! Here are some of the blocks completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After class on Saturday, I was soooooo tired. I went to Wish Upon a Quilt (great quilt store! Lots of fabulous batiks!), then went to the room and put my feet up until time for dinner. We went to P. F. Chang’s for dinner, then went to a dance show at . It was a wonderful show. Afterwards we went to the room with snacks and wine, and sat up drinking and talking until after 1AM. I thought I would struggle to get up the next day. I took a sleeping pill when I went to bed, and slept solidly, and I was in good shape Sunday morning. Kimbereley said I snored all night long.  Breakfast the next day, then we went to a great store called French Conections. Their sign says they sell French Antiques and African Art.  But it says nothing about the fantastic African print fabric they sell at great prices. Loved this store.

Then it was time to go back and get ready for the 15^th anniversary luncheon. When they asked me to be their guest speaker, of course I was flattered, and then reality hit! It was a lot of work getting ready, but I think the presentation went well. My heart was so full from the generosity of spirit of the group that I think anyone would have done a great job. The food was delicious and the celebration was full of heart and soul. I stayed over Sunday night and just crawled in to bed after the luncheon was over. On Monday, I had planned to go to the Botanical Gardens, but I couldn’t get up, so I met Kimberely at the scrap store, then went to Thimble Pleasures, (another great store!) then came on home. It was a great weekend!

 

Friends are like the walls of a house. Sometimes they hold you up, sometimes you lean on them, but sometimes, it's enough to know they're just standing.