Texas Tumbleweeds, Wichita Style!

Another day to stitch and chat and laugh and learn in Wichita, Kansas with the Prairie Quilt Guild!

They’ve done a good job in choosing 3 workshops with completely different techniques and we dug right in to a two block quilt yesterday, Texas Tumbleweed from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders!

From what I understand, West Kansas has it's own tumbleweed issues, and many are calling their quilts KANSAS Tumbleweed instead of Texas!

This was a whole new group, and it was fun to meet everyone!

The Prairie Quilt Guild is LARGE with 700 members, so  sign ups were limited to one class per student until everyone had their chance to choose a class, and then if there were any openings left, students could choose a second class if there was still room.  All classes are full!  And I love how busy and happy a full class room is.

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A Smith Mountain Morning in Wichita!

Squeeze it all in here girls, we can fit in this photo!

We had an ADVENTUROUS day yesterday with the Prairie Quilters in Wichita – including friends who had come from as far as Nebraska to join in our fun this weekend.

This bunch was such a hoot! We had an absolute ball, and I have made plans with Jean (purple shirt, second from the left) to do some antique mall hopping and lunch out on Wednesday because my flight doesn’t leave until later afternoon.  Yeeeeehawww!

We met at the extension office, and what a busy place it was.  Saturdays in this time of year also mean the farmer’s market has full control of the parking lot, and the place was hopping.  There was also a vintage/antique clock and watch show going on.

Just about 11:20 while we are busily cutting and sewing and pressing – the power went out for the whole building!  Our first thought of course was that “THE IRONS DID IT!”  But it turns out that something happened with the entire grid and power was out for 4,000 residents as well as some of the traffic lights in the area.

No, the irons did NOT do it!  But we were still without power!

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Bye-bye, Naperville!

It was just past zero-dark-thirty when alarm clocks went off and we got our happily weary bodies down to the awaiting limo that would take us from the Naperville Marriott to O'Hare airport and off to our own next adventures.

Pam is staying a few more days in Chicago wandering through museums and art galleries and soaking up all the city can offer before she heads to Asilomar to teach.

Lisa is on her way back to New Mexico where things are waiting to be attended to. Our limo dropped her at the terminal for American Airlines.

Pepper Cory and I  disembarked at the Delta terminal, loaded our luggage inside and gratefully handed it over.  Much lighter, we wandered our way through security and off to find breakfast.

Before I knew it, I was alone with my thoughts as Pepper’s flight left before mine and I could really stop and think and unwind while I waited for myj flight to board.

And waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.

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All Good Things Must End..

We had our closing banquet and student show and share last night, and just like that, our Naperville Cocoon 2016 was over!

There were many hugs and tears and laughs.  We’ve made such good memories over the past 5 days since we all gathered together.

We’ve learned skills, been pushed out of our boxes and expanded our  experiences.

It’s been a wonderful time and I will greatly miss everyone!

Can you see how much fun these folks are?  You know when people will do a “CRAZY” photo and not feel the least bit self conscious, you have found a group with a zest for living and there are no limits on what you can do.

I hope my paths cross with these great quilters who I call friends again before too long!

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