Where've I been?

I've been absent, but I'm back. Rest assured I've been sewing, just not blogging about it, but I am on vacation this week and plan to describe all the fun I've been having for the past several months. Both my travels and my projects.

But first, my excuses:

• Health scare: Not cancer, but I had to have surgery to find that out.

• Aenghus, my Grand-dog: With my daughter in Hawaii and her boyfriend deployed in the middle east, I had several months with Aenghus the Irish Wolfhound while he was recovering from chemotherapy. What a grand dog he is, the embodyment of joy, hope and optimism.

• Travel: For work and for pleasure. I'm going to describe the fun trips only!

A list of my notable travels since the last blog are below.

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The Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival

I attended my very first quilt festival. I I enjoyed the shops and exhibits, but particularly enjoyed the long arm quilting classes. I took several: 2 from Kris Viera from Quilter on the Run, and her beginning longarm class moved me forward by leaps and bounds. I took a class with Sue Heinz of Kismet Quilting, which was a drawing class, and purchased every one of her books and several of her tools. She's a wonderful instructor with a great sense of humor. And last but certainly not least, a class taught by Julia Quiltoff, an award winning quilter and inspirational teacher.

Save the dates for the 2025 festival. I hope to attend again.

The Pacific Northwest

I audited a site in Camas, WA, just outside of Portland, OR. If I can't find my dream home in the deep south I'm looking in Camas.

Kentucky

While auditing in southern Indiana I took a side trip to my mother's house to pick up an antique bed that I bought while I was in high school, my first antique purchase. The beginning of a life long love of antiquing. It's my dream to someday own an historic Bed and Breakfast where I can offer quilt retreats, so maybe you will have an opportunity to sleep in this treasure some day. I have another antique iron bed but this one is the prettiest.

Laurel, MS

Erin and Ben Napier's Home Town. What a wonderful place, and the folks there are as nice as they are on the show. I went to Pearl's Diner, took a golfcart tour with Bolton Hometown Tours, visted the Rusty Chandelier, the Scotsman, The Scent Library and Laurel Mercantile. And there's a quilt shop, "Let's Make Something". It should be named "Let's buy something", because I did. And there was a traveling interactive Van Gogh display at the Lauren Rogers Museum, an always free museum. This exhibit was for kids but I loved it. I would like to make a quilt with these colors. The night IS more richly colored than the day, in a Van Gogh painting.

And yes, I would love to make Laurel my home town!

My Next Blog: Projects I've been working. Check back soon!