Classes are over and exams are done - and I've been sewing! *squeal*
Last week was a busy but oh, so awesome week. I turned in my final paper and stats exam - and was able to host
Quilt Dad at the
Triad MQG meeting. And what amazing timing it turned out to be!
I was so excited to meet John - I've stalked his blog for well over a year - and he did not disappoint. He talked to our group for about an hour, detailing his way through his first quilt to recent finishes. Inspiration extravaganza. It was comforting and encouraging to hear that he started out, basically, just like most of us. Loving fabric and enjoying putting them together.
He walked us through his quilting "story" peppered with humorous anecdotes and stories - like how he named his blog on a whim at work one day - and how amazed and humbled he felt when designers would ask him to do things. (I'm thinking...the same way I'm humbled and amazed that he came to visit us!). I love it when quilting giants - um, quite literally in this case, he's so dang tall! - turn out to be real people.
I
pushed people down had the opportunity to help him display his quilts during the talk. I can't even tell you how beautiful these quilts are in person. I may or may not have tried to steal this one...
You know, John, I do have a big birthday coming up in July. Just sayin'.... ;o)
Another of my favorites...
Does it look familiar?
Couldn't help but think that was cool. I mean, I have a quilt just like one of his... eek!
And yet another...I really loved this Christmas one, even though the prints weren't necessarily Christmas-y. In fact, that's probably what I liked most about it. Outside the box thinking and oh, so beautiful.
John capped off the evening by revealing his two Nightshade quilts...
Double, Double, Toil & Trouble ...that he made for his girls.
By the way - you can see here that despite my 3-inch wedges, John still towers over me!
Afterwards,
Karen Gray and I had a late dinner with John, where I pretty much just sat like a fly on the wall. I'm so humbled to have been included in conversations with such wonderful people. I quite literally sat there soaking in all I could of their advice, thoughts, and ideas. On the way home, all I could think about is this - it's about doing what you love.
Throughout his talk, and in the ensuing conversations, it was obvious that John has a passion for this hobby. I think that's why it's so easy to connect with him. Shared passion creates an instantaneous common ground from which inspiration and encouragement flow. It's so easy to learn from people who are truly excited about what they do.
The next day, I was fired up and ready to hit my machine and dive back into this hobby that I have grown to love so dearly. In fact, within 20 minutes of turning in my stats exam, I was on the floor in our office mail room working on a paper-pieced layout of my next quilt. More than one person walking through commented on how they could tell classes were over....LOL!
Refreshed, revitalized and re-inspired....and ready to go!
**Special thanks to my friends Kelly and Abby for their photos - so glad you took them while I played Vanna!**
