Home Again

Well I started this note earlier and forgot to hit "save" on the keyboard. I guess I thought it had an autosave function on. July is almost gone, and with it some of our warmest weather. It seems as if July is a month we like to travel and see other places . My friend Peggy and I attended the Maine Quilt Festival last week. We left home on Thursday morning, heading for Augusta. It is a fairly short trip to Maine, and the Mainers are so much like us it feels like home. We had a little experience at the border crossing that resulted in us learning something previously unknown. I knew that citrus fruit could not be taken into the USA, to prevent the entry of some pest that would injure their crops, but I hadn't realized that if you wanted to bring a banana into the country it must be declared, as must a small salad.There is a $300.00 fine if one carries these items in without declaring them.Fortunately we were not fined, but it is something learned.
The Pine Tree Quilters Guild were the hosts for this festival, and they did a great job. Thursday evening there was a Champagne Preview, a ticketed event that allowed us to view the quilts, and roam the Merchants Mall  before the show opened to the public.That was a real bonus for me as my days were full days of quilt classes. Oh yes. there was champagne or wine or soft drink available with the ticket given on admission, as well as snacks,fruit, crackers, and cheese. It was a fun evening that also allowed Peggy and I to map our way from our hotel in Waterville to the Civic Centre in Augusta.
Friday's workshop with Gail Garber was most definitely a challenge. I entered the classroom with trepidation on Friday morning. I'm not a math guru, and those strange looking tools required sounded intimidating. As we all know, if we don't put ourselves out there, we might miss some really fun adventures. That was true for me. I would not likely ever work with a flexible curve and a compass with extender arm without Gail's class.We were drafting and designing our own piece. I needed a significant amount of help, and it was provided. I don't think it was as difficult for others, but I have a learning disability.I don't perceive things in three dimension, and need help with these perceptual ideas, Before day's end I had one section sewn using Gail's freezer paper piecing method. It was fun.
Saturday Peggy and I were having a great day in Sue Nichol's Feathers and Fillers on domestic machines. Sue tells us that we need Patience, Perseverance, and Practice to develop the skills necessary to make the delightful FMQ designs on our home machines that she makes.This was  another good day and we were fatigued at day's end.
Sunday was our trip home. Again we took it in stages, and it worked well. Thanks to the teachers we met, the merchants who shared demos at their booths, and the Pine Tree Quilters for helping us have a great few days. Oh yeah, Peggy was a great traveling companion.
Lynn

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