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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

When Quilters Gather...

You can find THESE in parking lots!!



VCQ Plates 2010

Aren't these great!!?

If you pulled up behind a car with a recognizeable license plate, would you beep? Wave? Quilting is about community as much as anything else, and I just love it when I come upon cars with personalized plates or bumper stickers like these!

One time (maybe I've told this story)...I was out running errands with DS Jeff (who will only ride shotgun with me if food is promised somewhere in our excursion!)and he pointed out to the van in front of us..."MOM! She's a QUILTER!!.....Mom.....she is pulling into DUNKIN DONUTS!!" LOL Yep. We definitely are our own subculture!!

I would have beeped and waved, but she wouldn't have heard me and I was in the wrong lane to turn into Dunkin Donuts myself ;c) But doesn't just KNOWING that a stranger is also a quilter make them approachable somehow? I love this sense of community among quilters!

I had an absolute blast teaching at the Virginia Consortium of Quilters Celebration this year. I don't think I can ever hear "CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES COME ON!!" And not break out into song and dance, because it was the theme song for the whole weekend!

I had the best time in the evenings just sitting with Pepper Cory, Cathy Miller and her hubby, Mickey Depre, Kevin Womack, Annette Ornellas and the other teachers just UNWINDING and telling stories until the late hours. Friendships were formed, strengthened, much laughter shared, it was SO GOOD. Usually teachers can leave exhausted, but I left inspired by everyone that I taught with!

I've got some class pics to share, but I'll have to plan that for tomorrows post. I'm hitting the ground running today, there is so much to do to get ready for my trip to AUSTIN on FRIDAY!

And you know how the universe sometimes swings in your favor? Get this one....you know my friend LUCY from the Netherlands? What kind of Karma/Kismet thing is this....The same time that I am teaching in Austin, she and her hubby are 2nd honeymooning in TEXAS!!! So we are planning an evening to get together and share hugs and stories and cram what we can in a small window of time because they are traveling the state, and I've got guild activities planned. Still. I'll see her and hug her in a place that is very far from both of our homes.

Yep, Quilting is a lifestyle choice...and look how it is blessed all of our lives through the people we've met!

I'd definitely beep behind you if you were in front of me ;c)

11 comments:

  1. This reminds me of a few months ago when I went to a small local market and saw a car in the parking lot with a quilty license plate and also a quilty plate frame. I parked next to it, of course! My whole shopping trip was spent scrutinizing each shopper to see if I could figure out who the quilter was! The car was gone when I left and I never found out who my quilting sister was!!

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  2. I have a theory that Virginia has a higher percentage of "vanity" plates than any other. I got tired of counting them as we left Hampton (Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show)!

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  3. Having had an upholstery/drapery workroom for 15 years, I had a bumpter sticker on all my vehicles and the delivery truck which read:
    OLD UPHOLSTERERS NEVER DIE, THEY JUST RECOVER!

    I can't tell you how many times I was stopped as I was getting out in a parking lot or whatever... FUN!

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  4. When I was visiting Poland I wore a quilted jacket (buses get cold) and while in one Potter store I noticed this woman standing near me several times. I smiled and nodded...she smiled and then went back to her group and chatted excitedly. After a couple rounds of this the girl working behind the counter told me the women were pottery painters that worked there and they wanted to look at the fabric and designs in my jacket only none of them spoke English! I left my jacket on the counter while I finished shopping and let my fabric do the talking!

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  5. I remember going to a conference with my husband, and not knowing any of the other wives. On the first morning we had a wives bus trip to go shopping. I was very shy then, but then I saw a lady with a patchwork bag. We started talking about quilting it was great.

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  6. Hey girl,

    I was just over on your website and it is definitely in a funky state...is it still being worked on? It could just be my computer or something, but you might want to take a look-see.

    I love your site, your blog, your article in Quiltmaker, and I ordered your 2 books...you rock! I just finished an intense hand-appliqued, hand-quilted project and I am SERIOUSLY ready for some machine-sewn scrap therapy!!

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  7. I think Va has the most vanity tags. My sister lives there and we see all sorts when we visit. I gald you had a great retreat.

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  8. My license plate reads: LTZQWLT and the piece around the plate reads: He fishes, I quilt. At our guild meeting I love to park next to my friend whose plate reads QWLT2WLT.

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  9. Anonymous11:19 PM EDT

    My plates say WANASEW. Every once in a while some not very bright person will ask me why I want to sue someone. Duh!!!

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  10. My daughter lives in VA and she told me vanity plates are only $10.00 extra there, so that's why you see so many of them!

    My plate is NC and it reads QLTR4LYF. Honk and wave if you see me!

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  11. Just recently I was reading resumes and cover letters for a job opening in our office. There was one woman with absolutely no experience in our field, and I was ready to toss her on the NO pile until I saw "Avid quilter" listed under her hobbies! How fun would that be to work with another quilter! Alas, she never made it into the finalist pile, but I was sorely tempted - I knew this was someone I would want to meet.

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