Seams

Tonight was the third year anniversary of Seams For Fun, our monthly sewing group which meets at Bonnie's house in Wales. We congregate around five o'clock, or whenever everyone can get loose from their lives. The M.O. is simple. We drink. Then we eat. Then we sew.

There's a floating number of people who attend. Some evenings have seen as few as three people, other times there may be a dozen or more. Sometimes the machines are humming all evening, other times we're all doing handwork. These are mostly traditional quilters, with a very, very inspiring standard of workmanship. I would do a round robin with this group any day, and I don't say that about everyone I know.

Knitting is allowed, which is a good thing, as sometimes a small knitting project is all I have the psychic strength to lift after a hard day.

But oh. After a glass of "chateau box" wine, my soul is nourished and I'm ready to burn the midnight oil.

Tonight Diane did the Tom Sawyer thing and enlisted help in pinning a gorgeous scrappy top. Many hands, etc., etc.



Diane had been the most prolific Olympic quilter. She finished TWO other quilt tops in the course of the watching of Olympic curling 24/7. (Diane and Bonnie are avid curlers. Bonnie even has a butter dish in the shape of a curling stone. Hard core.) Here's one of Diane's completed tops--a combination square in square and rail fence variation with lots of zip and verve.

Judy-from-Illinois, a specialist in all-red-quilts-all the-time, was beginning yet another red quilt. This one will be stars, full of bandana prints.

One of our number, Cheryl, is an accomplished longarm artiste, and had just completed quilting this exquisite lap quilt for Sue. I used to work with Cheryl and always admired the meticulousness of her work back then. She's continued the high standards as she's built her longarm business. Every quilt she does has equal care put into it as if it were Cheryl's own quilt.

Feast your eyes:

I repeat: this is LONGARM quilting. Incredible.

As for me, I knit tonight. I finished swatching for the new shawl, and worked on sock number two of the current pair, which is STILL the Trekking yarn, begun last October. I am truly embarrassed to admit how long it takes me to knit a pair of socks.

Honestly, these people who finish a pair of socks in a weekend: there's something I don't understand about that. Like HOW. They can't be using size 1 needles, that's for sure.

Hey, Casey, where were you tonight?? We missed you.