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Wondering where I've been recently???  Here are a few highlights....

 

Ladies of Lilac Barn October
Katherine (Quilt Direct) & me exhausted! Festival of Quilts

Teaching in Scotland in June and the Isle of Skye was one of my favourite venues!

The commute between workshops is a delight with view like this!

A super quilt shop in Northern Scotland!

The lovely, fun ladies in Cullen advised me to visit a shop nearby called Rainbow Fabrics.  It has been run by Pat (second from left) Robins for 12 years and it is amazing.  Had to stop myself from buying ten times as much batik as I did.

The lady on the left is Shirley Morice who works in the shop and the far right is teacher Caroline Roff.  They offer a huge number of workshops and now sell my Pocket Tutor as well!

If you are ever up there go to Oldmeldrum AB51 0EX

 

 

 

 

MOSCOW - GELA at CRAFT FORMULA March 2012

 

 

 

St. Basil the iconic image of Moscow and the Red Square but it sure looked like Disneyland to me.... "It's a small world after all.  It's a small world after all."

 

Temperature?  Minus 11 with ice and snow...lovely!

This is my associate Alexey from the company GELA who invited me to teach patchwork at the Craft Formula exhibit in Moscow the first week of March.  What an opportunity!

 

The Russian ladies now are finding they have the time to rediscover the pleasure of making things by hand.  They are very interested in patchwork and love Makower fabrics and Mettler thread!

 

Alexey did most of my translating....and anyone who knows me will realize what a monumental task that was!  The fact that he is still smiling in this photo on the last day shows what a wonderful man he is :)

 

 

At the entrance to their booth GELA posted two very authentic knights..who rather took a fancy to me and inisted I try out their equipment! Their words not mine...

 

You crossed over a drawbridge to enter the World of GELA where you found 9 different places where you could try a new craft.  Larisa (the well respected boss lady) believes in the value of education and knows that if you can try something you  may learn to love it!

 

And if you can't learn to love patchwork from a lady wielding a 10 kilo sword then there is no hope for you :)

 

 

 

Siem Reap, Cambodia Jan 2012

 

Would you believe there is a wonderful shop in Siem Reap (near the Ankor Wat temples) that sells beauitfully hand made quilts?

 

They teach ladies in remote villages how to piece and quilt and then sell the quilts at a quite reasonable price... a win/win situation!!!

 

Use this link mekong quilts

In front of the shop is this Log Cabin Quilt hammock!! And with the stand it is $75!

The only real problem is fitting it into my backpack!! :)

Ubud, Bali

Here are two Trip Around The World baby quilts hanging outside a shop in Ubud, Bali.

Ubud is somewhat of an artist community and, of course batiks are in abundance!!

 

I was amazed to find I could take daily workshops in making my own batik with a lovely Balinese man named Wayid (see him in the photo patiently assisting me in some intricate bit). 

He works out of an open air studio surrounded by chickens, local families and, unfortuntely rain! But no amount of moisture in the afternoon could dim my delight in trying this technique.

Part of my design waxed (chanting), painted and partially background painted.

Do not fear that is NOT the colour that the sun will eventually make it!!

Wayid's work and another student chanting her design.

 

A super way to spend a few days when it is raining in paradise!