Thursday, July 10, 2014

Old Friends and New

This title reminds me of the Girl Scouting song - "make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold".

The gals of McLean QU gave me this top at the May luncheon as a moving away gift.
Isn't it sweet! I can't wait to hand quilt it.


Many of the members signed it.
I will always cherish it as I do the friendships I made at Quilters Unlimited. I had already moved when they gave this quilt top to me but things were still in an upheaval so I put it in a safe place. A couple weeks later I went looking for it to take a photo for a blog post and I couldn't find it. I was so annoyed with myself. I have a feeling there are many things I will remember holding in this house but not remember where I put it. I was so glad when I uncovered it in a bag of quilts. For whatever reason I hadn't just put it in the bag, I'd tucked it under another quilt.

My cousin, Jan, who just moved from Oregon to Lexington invited me to the June meeting of the Rockbridge Pieceworkers Quilt Guild. There isn't a quilt guild in Staunton so my choices are to drive 40 minutes north to Harrisonburg or 40 minutes south to Lexington. No deliberation needed, I went south. My cousin saved me a seat next to her and when I looked at the woman on the other side of me I had a deja vu moment. I asked the woman if she used to live in Burke. She said yes and I couldn't believe it. I told her I sat next to her at my first visit to Quilters Unlimited almost 20 years ago. Isn't that wild!?! What are the chances that I would sit down next to her at the Rockbridge meeting so many years later and 150 miles away?!? The woman's name is Teri and I think this means I need to get to know her! 

I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting and am looking forward to the July meeting this Saturday morning. I took this quilt to the June meeting for Show and Tell -
and they asked me to put it in the quilt show at the county fair. How sweet! I plan to sew a hanging sleeve on it tonight since the fair is next week. I've only been to suburban county fairs so I'm really looking forward to a country county fair.

I'll close with some kitty photos. They are 8 weeks old.



8 comments:

  1. sweet signature quilt - enjoy quilting it. Your nine patch is lovely! What a small world!
    such cute cute kitties!!

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  2. Don't you love the quilting community! No matter where you go there are connections - whether old or new. Having been on both the making of and receiving friendship quilts, each one is a treasure and ties us even closer. Have fun at the fair ! (I keep hoping one of these years, my husband will attend his class reunion for Staunton Military Academy. )

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  3. What a lovely going away gift! Glad you found it. : )
    I love that 9-patch. That photo looks like it could be the cover of a magazine.
    What are the chances you would sit by the same woman the first time you attend two different branches of a quilt guild? Crazy! Yes, I'd say you should get to know each other.
    Sweet little kitties. So cute!

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  4. The signature quilt is wonderful. Special memories as you stitch each heart.
    What a fun guild meeting - it was meant to be. Great you will have a quilt entry at the fair.
    The kittens are adorable, and they look very, very BUSY!

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  5. Very special signature quilt and your quilt will be a great success at the fair.

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  6. I love the big scrappy 9-patch and the picture that you took of it draped casually on that wonderful couch is worthy of a quilting magazine! Kudos to you for making new friends at your new guild. The kitties are precious!

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  7. What a lovely gesture and gift from your pals at McLean QU. Love that none patch so casually draped over the couch.

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  8. Sweet signature quilt,.. enjoy quilting it. Your nine patch is lovely! The kittens are adoreble,..

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