Commenting

Our lovely snowed-in friend Teresa has just raised the problem of commenting on our blog when you haven't got a Google account or one of the various others.

• Click on "comments" at the end of a post.

• Write your lovely words in the text box and remember to put your name at the end.

• Below the comment box select to "comment as" anonymous in the dropdown menu.

• Click "post comment".

• Copy the word verification security text into the box and press "post comment".

That's it!  It will seem more simple when you try it!  Hoping to "hear" from you soon.

100th Post Giveaway

As I get the Holiday Quilting posts lined up I realise I am fast approaching my 100th post on this blog.  I have loved blogging and getting to know lots of other bloggers and quilters all over the world and so it's time to give a little back.
Wow, that must mean it's time for my first giveaway.  It's going to be a little difficult to organise it in the traditional fashion so this is what I'm going to do.

I'm going to leave the giveaway open until the first quilt shop I get to in New Zealand (which will be soon after 20th February).  Then I'm going to buy some gorgeous things and pick a winner to send them to.

• If you're already a follower you get one extra entry.
  

• Sign up to follow my blog (or if you are already a follower), you get one entry.

• Leave a comment on this post and tell me why you'd like to visit New Zealand, you get one entry.  Or if you live in New Zealand please tell me the thing I must do when I visit for one entry.

• And finally, if you blog about my giveaway and link back to this post you get one entry in my giveaway.  Leave a comment to say you've blogged.

So you could have a maximum of four chances to win something gorgeously quilty from New Zealand.  Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you.
And thank you for joining me on my blog, Happy Quilting, love Lis xx

Holiday Quilting Part III

On the way home from New Zealand in May I am stopping for a few days in Tokyo.  This is somewhere I have always wanted to visit and if you've been following my blog for a while you'll know I'm interested in Japanese techniques and fabrics.  I have actually started a different blog just for Japan and sashiko and you can find it at Sashiko Started It.

The final section of my journal quilt (if that's what I end up with) will be based on my time in Tokyo and I expect it to feature some stunning Japanese fabrics and also sashiko quilting.  I have done quite a lot of research on the internet and shortlisted a few places I definitely want to visit including Tomato which I understand is a massive fabric shop, and also the Japan Folk Crafts Museum.

I chose the location of our hotel, a traditional ryokan (inn), based on the proximity of places of interest such as Ueno Park, various gardens and shrines and the Tokyo National Museum but, totally unintentionally, honestly, it turns out that it is very close to Nippori - Fabric Town

and my thanks go to Suzy at Floating World for a wealth of useful information.

I'm hoping to be able to buy a lot of Japanese fabrics and sashiko supplies and perhaps even a kimono or some kimono fabric and will be leaving a lot of room in my suitcase.  I understand there is a service called Takkyubin in Japan and should I buy more fabric than I can carry in one shopping expedition it can be delivered to my hotel for me!

I have no expectations of a design for the Tokyo part of my quilt project.  I won't be visiting Mount Fuji (although it may be possible to spy it from the observation gallery on the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Building) so that iconic image is unlikely to be part of it.  I think I will be too late in the year to see the cherry blossom although Jenni Dobson (with whom I did a sashiko workshop) told me I might see irises in bloom in the Empress' Garden at the Meiji Shrine.  I will just go with an open mind and be inspired.

Holiday Quilting Part II

While I'm on holiday I am hoping to complete (or at least start) a series of hangings that might or might not be joined together into a travel journal quilt.  As you can tell, I don't plan very precisely, I'm much more of a 'make it up as I go along' sort of quilter.  The miniature Storm at Sea quilt might be part of this, or not.

I have, however, given the projects quite a lot of thought and decided that I must make them with fabrics bought locally and therefore I must go to lots of quilt shops while on my travels!  I've also thought about places and events that might be sources of inspiration.

While I am in Singapore it will be Chinese New Year.  This is on 14th February this year and the New Year will be the Year of the Tiger.  There are lots of inspirational themes there - tigers, lanterns, fireworks... and I'm wondering if there will be a specific range of fabric available in the same way as we have Christmas, Hallowe'en ranges etc.  I'm planning to visit Quilts n Calicoes in the Tanglin Mall in Singapore and am sure Ira will point me in the right direction.  On her website is a lovely range called Twelve Moons that I like the look of.

In Sydney I will be meeting up with Sal, my GGCS partner, and I'm sure she will find us one or two quilt shops to visit.  My thoughts so far are moving towards using some of the range of Aboriginal design fabrics available but again, I won't know until I get there, I might end up being inspired by the Sydney Opera House or doing something based on the harbour or the botanical gardens, I intend to keep an open mind.

The largest part of the holiday will be spent in New Zealand and, in addition to the Timaru Mini-Symposium, there will be inspiration beyond my dreams.  I'm hoping to enjoy a few quilt shows, including the NANZQ that I shared in my previous post.  I would like to use the wide range of Kiwiana fabrics available and I imagine I will be working on something to do with nature - the coast or the bush, or maybe the glaciers or the sounds.
I would like to take this opportunity to recommend Gail Lawther's book on New Zealand to you.

I bought a copy at the Great Northern Quilt Show in Harrogate, attracted mainly by the words, "New Zealand" and it has turned out to be one of my favourite books.  Not only has Gail created 35 very interesting quilts and used a wide variety of techniques but she includes all the patterns and templates should you want to replicate one yourself (or will make one for you if you so desire).  The text and photographs in the book are wonderful for a wannabe-Kiwi like myself, with stories of places visited and things experienced it works as a great advertisement for New Zealand.  It is also a great reminder of some of the things I have seen and done on previous trips.  Should you need the ISBN to get your own copy it's:
978 0 9553499 3 5
I am keen to create my own version of a tivaevae, a Cook Islands-style quilt, at some time and Gail includes a tempting project using sun-created images of NZ flora that interests me:

So, as I say, inspiration beyond my wildest dreams.  Watch this space and I'll share it with you.

Let's Get Packing

This is the state of the spare bed as we try to sort out our packing for the great trip.  Clothes are the (relatively) easy part as we don't need too many because it will be easy enough to do washing while we're away.  The areas causing a bit of hassle are the additional things like

• three months supply of medication
• chargers, adaptors and batteries for those items of technology now essential to our lives
• whether or not to take carry-on bags as well as hold luggage, backpacks or cases
  
• whether or not to share out our stuff between both bags in case one gets lost
• shoes  (Lis' problem, not Al's!)

Usually we would aim to buy everything we need when we get to NZ but the pound is so weak at the moment that this is not a particularly attractive proposition.  On our last visit we were spending $NZ that we had bought at three dollars to the pound, on this trip we'll be lucky to get two dollars to the pound - unless the forthcoming General Election in UK makes a major difference to the economy.  We're therefore taking more with us, especially in the way of toiletries etc, than we would have expected to.  We did leave some things, like walking boots and fleeces, with Terry on our last trip.  Al spoke to him this morning and he reminded us that they're still there, stored in a chilly bin, waiting for our arrival.
We're not actually complaining about all this by the way, after all we're off to New Zealand in two weeks time.

Susan Briscoe's Japanese Design Sources

Susan Briscoe, my main source of help for things sashiko-based (her books are wonderful) has written a very useful post on Japanese Design Sources which can be found here

http://susanbriscoe.blogspot.com/2010/01/japanese-design-sources-for-theming.html

There's a lot of information about using kamon and about using festivals as a starting point and a lovely warning about getting kanji correct.

NANZQ Challenge

These are some of the stunning New Zealand made quilts that inspired me on my last visit.  They were exhibited in Stratford and were from the NANZQ (National Association of New Zealand Quilters) Challenge 2007.

The first is called "Elemental Colours" and is by Maria van Buel of Auckland.

This second quilt is by Norma Ewart who lives in Whangamata.  The quilt is called "Nga Hau E Wha O Aotearoa".

The third quilt I especially liked is by Katherine Reeves and it won a prize in the "rookie" category, it's called From The Deep".

Finally is Jennifer Patterson's "Contours of Nature" and her presentation of four individual quiltlets joined with beading is how I imagine my holiday project might work.

The theme for NANZQ's 2009 Challenge was "Illumination" and the quilts that have been invited to tour can be seen here.  They will be exhibited at the Percy Thompson Gallery in Stratford until 28th February 2010 and I hope to get to see them.  Helen at Honeybunch Quilting has one of her quilts in this exhibition, do take a look.

Holiday Quilting Part I

I'm getting ready for a great trip to New Zealand with stops in Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.  I'm very excited as you can imagine, only two weeks to go before I leave the chilly Fens and head for warmer climes.

There will be fewer posts here at Online Quilting but I have started a travel blog at Australasian Adventure and do hope you will check in with me there from time to time.

I won't be abandoning my needles and thread altogether - that would require a surgical procedure - so here's what I hope to do while I'm away, part I.

One of the most exciting things is that I will be going to the Mountains to the Sea, A Quilters' Gathering mini-symposium in Timaru and doing a workshop with Meryl Caudwell.
Timaru is in South Island, New Zealand and we have arranged to be on South Island for about a month so there will be plenty of time to relax, explore and be inspired.  At Harrogate last autumn I enjoyed seeing this quilt by Joan Weston representing Milford Sound in the Fjordland region of South Island.  I imagine I will also enjoy seeing the actual place too.

The workshop I'm doing is a miniature, foundation-pieced, Storm At Sea quilt and I will be borrowing a Bernina Aurora 440QE BSR machine to work with on the day which will add it's own excitement.

I'm going to pack my own cutting and sewing equipment and that will be useful for the other projects I have in mind.  As I will need fabrics, thread and other goodies I will obviously need to go to several quilt shops while I'm travelling!

At the symposium there will be a Merchant's Mall and, of course, a wonderful display of quilts.  The two challenge categories are "Sand Sea and Sail" and "From the Alps to the Coast or Anywhere In Between"  

The owners of our accommodation in Timaru have written saying,  "We will enjoy directing your husband around our area, and we are sure he won't have time to learn quilting while staying with us"!

In Holiday Quilting II,  I'll outline the projects that I hope to work on while I'm way.

Missing, presumed stolen

I have lifted the following directly from Kimberly's blog.  Please keep your eyes open on ebay, etsy, at quilt shows, anywhere that someone might try to sell this quilt.  Jocelyn suggests we look at other lost or stolen quilts, and go to this website lostquilt.com   Maybe with all of us looking, we may be able to help recover a quilt that's been missing. 

And now, the not-so-good news.

I’ve heard many stories directly from the mouths of nationally known teachers and quilters that they have been a victim of a crime. Quilt theft. As shocking and truly inconceivable as this seems to me, apparently it’s true and it happens. And now, it appears to have happened to me. I just wouldn’t have thought it was possible.

Two weeks ago, I gave a presentation for a quilt shop open house here in the local area. It was quite crowded — there was standing room only — and everyone was pleased at the enthusiastic turnout of quilters and sewers. The owner of the shop had asked the teachers for the winter and spring season to present their class projects and even though I will be teaching a mystery quilt class in a few weeks (and therefore, didn’t have a class project to show) I took quite a few of my little quilts and class samples to share. One of the quilts I took with me, Charming Circles, is featured in my new book. After all the presentations were done I was happy to mingle, meet the ladies, and demonstrate how my rulers work to anyone who was interested in learning my techniques. I happily spread out my quilts across the table and passed them around to anyone who wanted to see them.

At the end of the open house, my husband (I call him my  CEO — which stands for “Carries Everything Out“) began to pack up my quilts, samples, and rulers and he asked me if everything was accounted for. I looked through the pile and at that very moment I had a niggling feeling in the back of my mind that “something” was missing. But I honestly couldn’t remember what it was. I told him I thought one of my quilts was missing — but I couldn’t think of which one. Always the detail-oriented guy, he asked me if I had made an inventory sheet of everything I had brought with me that day, and sadly, I admitted I hadn’t taken the time to do so.

Big mistake. Big……huge!

Fast forward to today. This afternoon we were photographing each of the quilts from the book on a quilt rack my Dad built for me. All of a sudden, it hit me like a lightning bolt — my Charming Circles quilt was not in the pile with the other quilts and immediately I knew: it had not come home from the open house! That was it! That was the quilt I couldn’t remember and was missing the day we packed up at the shop!

Immediately, I called the shop owner to ask if she had seen the quilt, which sadly, she had not. Just to be sure, we went through every possible nook and cranny it “could” be here at home. But in my mind — no, in my heart, I knew it was gone that day.

I can hardly wrap my mind around the idea someone could have willingly — no, make that knowingly — taken the quilt and stolen it. How could it be possible that someone could feel so “entitled” to just take what doesn’t belong to her? Surely quilters — such kind, generous, caring, creative, talented, giving people — could not be so low as to think they can just steal a quilt which doesn’t belong to them. How does she sleep at night? How does her conscience allow her to go about her daily routine? Does she have my quilt hanging in her home? Or, guilt ridden, does she have it stashed in the back of a closet or drawer never to see the light of day again; to be enjoyed or inspire someone in the future? It is simply more than I can comprehend or imagine.

And because I was working on such a tight deadline when I made it last winter, I sent the quilt off to my editor without so much as taking a picture of it. Which means, I don’t have a photo of my quilt at all. Just this (from the book):

If someone out there is reading my blog and has my Charming Circles quilt, please return it to me. No questions asked. Really and truly. Or if you see my quilt — just ask the person who has it if they would please give it back. I would just like my quilt returned. Sure, the quilt is small (only 22″ x 22″) and no, it hasn’t won any awards. But that’s not the point. The point is, I made that quilt and it is special to me. It was meant to be part of a collection that would help inspire many other quilters to create a quilt from precuts or scraps. It wasn’t yours to take. So please send it back. Think about how you would feel if someone took a quilt you had made. Not too good, am I right?

Well, readers, thank you for letting me vent my frustration and sadness. Gosh, I wish this never had to happen. But it has and unfortunately, it has made me wiser and much more cautious. I hope I don’t end up just worrying about the quilts I take to show and share with others, when I should be spending my time simply sharing and caring.

Western Sashiko?

I'm using sashiko-style stitching on a wallhanging with no Japanese flavour at all.  Please have a look on my quilting blog, Online Quilting and let me have your thoughts about this combination of styles.

Progress Report

I've been at my craft group this morning and worked on my Norfolk Broads WIP.  I did some sashiko-style handquilting using a hand dyed variegated thread by Valdini.  It's 35wt and I'm using it double after some experimentation.  The colour is Mediterrana - M95 and it's 100% highly merc long staple cotton.  Very nice to use, except when it gets caught around my quilting pins. 

We had a bit of a bonus at Crafty Time Out, in addition to chocolate biscuits and friendly chat - a lady turned up with a box of "crafty stuff" for us "if we are interested".  Bees around a honeypot is the expression that springs to mind.  We all went home with a new project, mainly tablecloths or runners to embroider or cross stitch and a selection of lovely threads.  A very successful morning all round.  (There are some goodies left for those who didn't make it to the group this week, don't worry).

Furoshiki demonstration

 This great little video is on YouTube and shows the Furoshiki store, Kakefuda Kyoto.




Furoshiki are such a good, and green idea.  I shall be using one to wrap small items in my luggage when I travel and will aim to use them instead of wrapping paper at Christmas and for birthday gifts.

French Toast

We are getting into the mood for New Zealand now, this is the plate of French Toast I've just made for brunch today.  FT is my culinary downfall in New Zealand, my meal of choice in cafes across the country and the reason for a lot of excess baggage (on my hips) when we return to England.

This was a fairly good plateful, I'd give it 8/10 - no sunshine, not the most crisp toast.  Our favourites, the ones that scored 9.5/10 in 2007 were at The Lazy Lizard in Whangamata and at the Loose Goose in Tirau.  We will be checking those scores on this trip!  For an amazing 10/10 we'll be returning to the Cove Cafe in Waipu Cove.  In our 2007 diary I wrote:

"...the most fantastic brunch...Delicious creamy latte and...a pile of French toast with bacon, caramelised bananas and maple syrup 10/10!"

Tokyo Great International Quilt Festival 2010

Jennifer at Moving Hands has been posting a wonderful selection of photographs of quilts on display at the Tokyo Great International Quilt Festival 2010 both on her blog and in her flickr album (73 photographs and counting).  Today she features a quilt made by Miyoko Murata with enough detailing to keep you looking and surprised at what you find forever. 
I have found it very interesting to note while looking at the quilts that while not many of them are overtly Japanese, they are obviously not Western.  I can't pinpoint what it is.  There is a fantastic range of colours although it would be fair to say that indigos and taupes dominate, there is a complete range of styles and methods although I noticed particularly how much hand-piecing there was, but maybe because I like it myself.  If you go over to Jennifer's site and have a look please let me know your thoughts.

Cold Summer

Al had a chat with Terry last night and the weather in New Zealand is awful.  Apparently they are having a wet and chilly summer.  We have suggested that he gets it sorted out before we arrive if he would be so kind!  We will be heading into autumn while we're there, and of course visiting South Island is a little like heading up to Scotland, so we will be taking waterproofs and an extra sweater but even so we are expecting some sunshine, please.

Friday Night Sew-In: Saturday Morning Report

My beloved went out into the wet and windy Lincolnshire night to fetch us fish and chips for dinner so that I didn't have to think about food as well as the Friday Night Sew-In, bless him.
So, equipped with plenty of cups of tea (in lovely china cups), choccie biccies and dressed in my most cosy cashmere socks (among other things) I was ready to join over 100 people all over the world for the

The first thing I did was finish off this little Sweet Treat bag (Moda pattern).  That was just putting the fastening on and taking the photo,

so I moved quickly on to this Courthouse Steps block for the Sampler Quilt I'm making from Lynne Edwards' book.  The central meeting point isn't very accurate so I'll have another go at that another day but I was pleased with the fabric choices.

I wasn't sure whether to share the next picture as it's definitely a WIP but here goes:

It's a wallhanging I'm working on inspired by  a trip I took on the Norfolk Broads near Stalham earlier this year.  I finished piecing it, put the two borders on and layered the project today.  The rest of the design will be appliqued and sashiko-style quilted.  These are some of the photos I'm working from:

After all that arty excitement I decided to return to the Sampler quilt and a little gentle handstitching to finish the sew-in.  The block was Dresden Plate, one I'd been dreading I have to admit, but it actually went together very well no small thanks to Lynne Edwards' thorough instructions.

I didn't quite get it finished before tiredness overcame me but I'm sure you get the idea and I shall enjoy appliquing the "plate" to the background while sitting in front of the fire this afternoon.  Fortunately all our snow has gone but it is pouring with rain today and very miserable, definitely a sewing day.

I hope everybody else has had a great Sew-In, I'm really looking forward to seeing what you all got up to.  Thanks to Bobbi and Heidi for organising a great party, shall we do it again soon?!

Japanese Sewing Terms

Marissa at Quilt Otaku sent me to Jennifer at Moving Hands who will be attending Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2010 at the Tokyo Dome and posting photos for those of us unable to attend.  Looking at Jennifer's blog I found her fantastic list of Japanese Sewing and Pattern Terms, what a great resource.

 布:  fabric

I needed to install Japanese on my computer to read it properly (all I was getting was little boxes with numbers in them).  This was easy:  Control Panel - Regional and Language Options - Languages - check box to "Install files for East Asian Languages" - Apply
The Tokyo Quilt Show is on from 15th - 23rd January 2010.

Something Fishy

I just wanted to share my lunch with you!  This is totally off-topic but I am really impressed with my nearest  supermarket, Asda, today.  I'm not a fan of supermarkets, preferring to shop in small, local shops when I can but found myself in Asda today and decided to try their fresh fish counter. 
Did I want my fish in a normal bag or an oven-ready package?  What?  Well apparently there have been adverts on television but I haven't seen them. 
For no extra cost I could have my fish in a bag that goes straight in the oven (full instructions on the back) and could have a choice of butters and slices of fresh lemon included.  What a great way to encourage people to eat fish which is so healthy.  Well done Asda!

Shibori Dragon

This is not a recommendation but I have just found this website Shibori Dragon and they have a good range of Japanese fabrics, kits and patterns.  They have the Sylvia Pippen patterns I have been coveting too. This is from the website home page and I think I will be exploring the site further, particularly when (if) the UK pound gets a bit stronger:

Shibori Dragon ®
Your complete source for Asian Quilting Fabrics,
and Wearable Art with an Asian Flair.

GORGEOUS ASIAN FABRICS, TRADITIONAL JAPANESE
FABRICS AND SASHIKO FOR ALL YOUR QUILTING &
SEWING PROJECTS.

SPECIALIZING IN SASHIKO PATTERNS, SAMPLERS,
THREAD, NOTIONS, FABRICS, KITS & BOOKS -
We have the largest Sashiko selection on the internet!
 

To read our latest on-line newsletter, just click on the envelope.   
 

11124 Gravelly Lake Drive SW
Lakewood, WA  98499

Shop Phone: (253) 582-7455

E-Mail:  shiboridragon@juno.com
 

Getting Ready

With a month to go before we set off we're getting quite excited!  We're making sure we've got tickets, passports and money - what else do we need?
We leave from Heathrow on 11 February and our first stop, after a flight of 12 hours and 55 minutes, will be wonderful Singapore.  We're staying in a different hotel from usual, we'll be at the Strand for four nights before heading onwards, a further 7 hours and 30 minutes, round the world to Sydney where we'll have a brief stopover, staying at the Victoria Court for two nights.  This will give us a chance to explore the harbour area and decide what we would like to do when we return for a longer stay at the end of April.
From Sydney we have a short hop of just three hours to New Zealand, and we'll arrive in Auckland on
19 February.  We'll be in awesome NZ for just over two months and will be exploring the South Island, right down to Fjordland, as well as visiting NZ friends and rellies. 

We hope you'll keep in touch with us while we're away by checking this blog and posting your comments.  I'll publish each new post on Facebook too for those of you who use it.

Happy Birthday Bonni

Thank you to everybody who helped me to come up with a name for my lovely Singer sewing machine who's 81st "birthday" is today, it was on 9th January 1929 that her serial number was allocated.  This morning I gave her a service and a dust and a brand new needle and started my first project - a little Sweet Treat Bag from a Moda Honeybun pattern (sent to me for Christmas by my GGCS partner, Sal).  It is so satisfying to be using such a great machine and if the snow keeps coming and the power cuts out I'll still be able to stitch.  Mummy told me how my grandmother used to take her hand sewing machine outside and sit in the garden and stitch.  Sadly this isn't her machine but it has been Mummy's for a long time (she's not sure where it came from originally).  The only problem I've encountered is that I miss having both hands to guide my work but at such a gentle pace I'm managing.

So please say hello to Bonni.  I wanted a Scottish name as she was made in Scotland and Bonni means "pretty" or "charming".  Michelle set me on the right path when she suggested the name Vivien after Vivien Leigh who starred in Gone With The Wind - Bonnie was the pretty little daughter of Scarlett and Rhett and GWTW is one of my favourite books/films.

Friday Night Sew-In

 Bobbi and Heidi are hosting a Friday night sew in which sounds like a lot of fun so I've decided to join them (even if I'll start and finish before they do unless I stay up very late here in England and go with their time zone).
The "rules" are here but it's all about having fun and getting a lovely block of time to work on crafty projects (it doesn't have to be quilting) on Friday 15th January - that's next week!
I shall be in my very cosy dressing gown (and cashmere socks) and with chocolate nearby and a nice cup of tea, or two, spend the evening working on...
you'll have to look at my post on Saturday 16th to see what I achieved.
There's even the chance of winning something in a giveaway, what more could anyone ask.  So, are you in?

The more it snows, tiddley-pom

This is the fantastic photo from space taken by nasa and being shown all over the place today - television, newspapers, twitter etc etc so I thought I'd share it too.  It was taken yesterday and shows our amazing white out - the Big Freeze!  We're in the middle of a blizzard here in Lincolnshire as I type and I think the forecast is for more of the same.  All the local schools are closed (the children are really, really upset!) and, more unfortunately, a lot of roads are blocked due to accidents.  I'm very fortunate that the fire is blazing and I don't have to go out.  Please keep warm and safe if you're having winter and to all Southern Hemisphere bloggers - please send us some of your warmth!

Isn't She Lovely?

This is my very exciting acquisition - a vintage Singer sewing machine.  It was sitting in the guestroom when we stayed with Mummy and Daddy over New Year and I was allowed to bring it home.  To say I am over the moon is putting it mildly, I think it is an incredibly wonderful thing.
I did a little research at sewmuse and from the serial number:  Y6390437, found that my machine was made in Kilbowie, Clydebank, Scotland in 1929.  Wow, it's 80 years old.  The serial number was in a batch of 4,000 alloted on January 9th 1929 and the class/model number is 16K.

My gorgeous machine works but is fairly dusty as you can see.  As it is her birthday in two days time I will give her a lovely dust and polish and then do a little stitching with her, I can hardly wait!

Welcome 2010

Happy New Quilting Year!

This image from the fireworks in London last night is taken from the Guardian website.  I thought the fireworks were stunning and for the first time ever thought it would have been fantastic to have been in the city for the start of the New Year.  I had a good time, with family and friends,  and time to reflect and I send my best wishes to you all for a peaceful 2010 in all ways.