The South can do hospitality just as well as the North

I think spring might have finally sprung. It's been a glorious day and not just weather wise. Having travelled to a lot of groups I have noticed that in general the north is far better at hospitality than the south. Sorry, I'm a southerner myself but that's how I've found it. Today I was in Fleet, and I can only assume they are the exception that proves the rule. We've been spoilt rotten all day, by a lovely group of quilters. I feel it has to be the joint best faith lunch I've been too. I don't know how quilt groups manage to get such a great variety of food. I would like to give a special thank you to whoever made the lemon sandwich cake, oh boy was that good. The whole event felt very well thought out, from the choice of venue to the signage, to the helpers, everything seemed to run very smoothly and there was a great atmophere.

I arrived at lunchtime (as requested, not just for food :) and as the speaker was on and I didn't want to interupt I went to see what the young quilters were up to. They were making very good progress on journal covers. They seemed to have really taken to the project and were progressing really fast. As with a lot of adult quilters they obvioulsy prefer the sewing to the pressing, but being young quilters were managing to get assistance with that bit. I guess there is an advantage to being young a cute :) By the time I started my talk they had very nearly finished their covers. That's is very good going. I teach a very similar class and they had got further than a lot of my students do. I also really liked their choices of fabrics, which I guess impies that the group are good at donating nice fabris for them to use. I hope the young quilters were as impressed with their work as I was.

The lady who had been working with them asked a ery interesting question. How many groups have a young quilters section? The answer I think was one of them. Now that is better than I thought, but it is a shame. Oddly it isn't something I had thought of. I am really keen on finding ways to help younger people learn about quilting, but the law makes it very difficult for shops to do. If groups could manage to put on a few events for their associated children it might go a very long way to filling this gap. I suspect for some quilters it might negate part of the reason for going to a group if it was too often, but even a couple of times a year would be a huge improvement on what is currently available. Also younger quilters have much less idea of what is possible and a whole load of imagination, which they are more than happy to share if given the chance. I am sure we can all learn a lot from the new generation of stitchers, we just have to let them in.

Despite having had a very fine lunch just before my talk it was a very interactive audience. It is a risk that on a warm afternoon with a full belly everyone will fall asleep but the ladies here are up to the challenge and at the end of the talk came up with lots of interesting questions. They also approved of the binding I've put n Greek Fossils which is a relief. I've been debating what to do for a while as the quilt wasn't planned as a finished piece. I was somewhat limited in my options but I thought the result was good, but a lot of people have had very strong views on this particular quilt so I was worried how others may see it. I'm less concerened now. 

There were also a high number of really interesting questions today. I like that as it means I have to actually think about things rather than just repeat the same answers, and having net several of tomorrow's class I think it's going to be fun. It sounds like I will have several people who are already thinking what they can use the techniques for even before they've leanred it and that makes for a very lively class. I don't think most of you have any idea how much I needed today. It was wonderful, thank you all so much.