More Friendship And Reveals...

Look at the beautiful friendship block I received yesterday from Mary F. of Miss Mary's blog. You can read about the block, as well as the Farmer's Wife quilt she created as a gift for her daughter. It's a truly gorgeous quilt.

Now I understand that each of the blocks I've received were created using fabrics that are in each givers blocks. I know. Can you even believe how much more special they are because of that fact?

Thank you, Mary for your beautiful block. I'm just thrilled to know the details behind the blocks that I have received, too. Your work is so wonderful, and I'm honored to have something created by your hands. I so appreciate the time you took from your crazy busy schedule to do something for me. I'm humbled by your generosity.

I hope all of my friends will drop by your blog and say 'hello'. You guys, it's a great place to visit and see what keeps Mary busy.

I want to show you a couple more nearly-finished American Treasures blocks, too. This is a close-up of the Oregon block created by Susan Slaton and her team. Susan did the stitching and (like me) she has the fingers to prove it.

This block only needs the hand embroidery (a few vines and tendrils) to finish it. Susan doesn't do embroidery, so that work will be done by another volunteer. Barring that, I'm happy to do that part. It's fabulous even without the embroidery right now. Don't you agree that Susan and her team did a remarkable job?

Kathy took another photo of my on Tuesday night as I held up the Florida block. Karen and Jettie are working together on this one. Jet prepared all the applique' work (I love the alligator in the center!), and Karen is doing all the embroidery on the palmetto fronds and she decided to embroider the areas that might usually be created with 1/4" bias strips. I wish I had a close-up to share, but I'll do that when they finish the block and hand it over to my temporary care.

I'm telling you, though that I can see where it's going to get more and more difficult to give up this quilt. I'll probably have to go into mourning for at least a month! 

Thanks to all my quilting friends for bringing light and love into my life everyday - but especially in the past couple of days - seeing all their inspirational work.

One more thing today...I've agreed to teach two applique' classes at the shop where my friend, Loreen works. I'll be teaching on Friday, November 30th from 10 am to 2 pm and again on Friday, December 7th from 10 am to 2 pm.

If someone had told me in 2010 that I'd be teaching this technique in 2012, I would have told them they were crazy. Flo must be so proud of me! (For those of you who don't know, Flo - who is now a dear, treasured friend and mentor - was the teacher in my very first applique' class. Let's just say that applique' and I didn't immediately hit it off.)

I'm really looking forward to teaching the classes and hope to inspire a quilter (or two) to embrace this historic technique. I mean, why should I be alone in my new-found obsession?