Quilting to know you.

Well, I've not been on here lately. The NHS has kept me chained to a computer for the past week. Little trips up to the sewing grotto before work I'm about four blocks from having the centre finished on our Tracey's quilt.

This coming week, we will have our AGM meeting of our needlework group. I'm allegedly being voted in as the new President. Ya'll don't get too impressed, no one else would do it! I win by default.

I quite enjoy this group. Since moving to the UK, I've made friends at work...but that is pretty much all we have in common...work. We went out for drinks and dinner a few times, but there are one or two personalities there who are mini time-bombs. We never know when they will explode and who will be at the receiving end. Not so with my quilting group. Lovely ladies, ranging in age from 40ish to 80ish! One lady brings her daughter sometimes, so she's a cute little teenager to add to the excitement. She likes beading and I've got a new project that might be just up her street. Tessa a friend from popularpatchwork.com sent me the directions and supplies to make one necklace from papermache' beads, plastic beads and a 2.5 inch strip of fabric. This is what we do...we help each other.

Finally I got around to what I started this blog about. As a quilter, I've not noticed the petty competition amongst our group that I've found so common in other situations. We just help each other, encourage each other and learn from each other. We get to know each other, and our friendships grow stronger with each stitch we make. When one lady's husband passed away, we pulled together to help her through. When another lady joined us, depressed over losing her spouse, her health and her "future"...we showed her there was more than just day time telly. It keeps our minds active, learning new techniques and skills, teaching each other, and expanding our knowledge of the craft. Mostly though, I enjoy the friendship of these lovely ladies I've met from around the world. Australia, to South Africa, Turkey to the Caribbean, California to Cumbria! We have a world wide quilting bee. So, Bee good.