Teaching There and Here

This past week I did something I haven't done for quite a while. I traveled to give two quilty programs and a workshop. Though I had to do quite a bit of prep, it was an enjoyable, refreshing change-of-pace.

Sun City Center, Florida is where I went to spend a day and a half with members of Kings Point Quilters. Their guild has 135 members.

They were simply lovely people, and treated me royally.

Thursday morning I presented the program: What is Modern Quilting? and shared 14 of my modern quilts. 

Then I enjoyed a member-made pot luck lunch. Their soups and desserts were delicious. I moved around a bit, sitting with quilters at different tables to get acquainted with them and learn about their quilting interests. Following lunch, I presented Domestic Machine Quilting: A Quilter's Journey, and shared another 8 quilts. 

Friday morning I led my Domestic Machine Quilting: Around the Bend (free motion quilting) workshop. 

Time spent with them couldn't have gone more smoothly. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, sharing what I love. I'd like to believe the quilters learned and had fun too.

Kings Point Quilters meet in a community building that's in their retirement community. Amazingly, they have a dedicated quiltmaking space for themselves called the Fiber Arts Room. Given that their dues are only $15, they have a wonderful set-up. 

Their rooms are set-up beautifully with tables and chairs, multi-plug electrical disks, and two raised ironing stations. 

Apparently this was once an exercise space because mirrors on one wall reflect great light. 

In the center of the room is an island cutting station with storage for rulers and rotary cutters.

Shelves of Janome sewing machines, bought several years ago, are available to members.

In a side room are spacious closets fabric, threads and notions are kept. 

A quilt is in-progress on a hand quilting frame near a window. 

And there's a coffee center. 

A number of quilters used a foldable cart that I'd never seen before. I looks like a shopping cart and is called a CLAX. Amazingly, it folds entirely flat for storage, with even the wheels coming off to be popped into storage cavities. The basket is a separate piece that also collapses flat. Multiple baskets can be stacked. I was told that most quilters trolley their sewing machine on the bottom, and supplies on top. Here's a video. From what I've been able to find online, the CLAX comes in black with green, red, or pink accents. Pretty cool, isn't it? Don't you think we each need one?

After returning home, on Saturday I spent about five hours with the local 4-H club.

The kids are wrapping up the making of their quilts that will hang in "Showcase," the January 24-25 quilt show put on by Quilting Guild of The Villages.

I guided 11 year-old Jada as she measured her quilt for binding, cut and pieced strips, sewed binding to the quilt, and begin hand-stitching to sew down the binding. She's definitely got quiltmaking talent.   

I have to say I was really touched when Jada thanked me for helping her, saying I was the only person (other than her mom) to help her with her quilt. And best... I got a hug. Made my day!

As for my own sewing room activities... time there has been limited. I've begun quilting the improv quilt made in the Speed Date With Improv workshop. Thus far I've quilted four whole and partial spirals spirals using three thread colors - blue, while, and black. 

Small snatches of time find me weaving selvedges on my peg loom. So far, my rug is about 15" long.. 

Book Recommendations

The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith is about a family that's been torn apart, both physically and emotionally. 

Olivia and Caitlin were left at home while their parents went to dinner. An intruder goes to Olivia's room, and while Caitlin watches through a crack in the door, Olivia is abducted by a mask-wearing man who's holding a knife to her throat.

A decade later, Caitlin receives a call from her father saying Olivia has returned. Overjoyed by the family reunion, no one sees that Olivia isn't the quite same person who was abducted. Olivia's remembrances and explanations don't jive with what Caitlin knows. She becomes suspicious, and unknowingly puts herself in danger. 

This is one of those books that tells two different stories that are seemingly unrelated. It's not until well past the half-way point of the book that a connection is made between stories. Then it becomes a little far-fetched, yet compelling. Few readers will envision how it ends. I liked it. 

This author was recommended by my local quilter-friend Karen, and I'm glad she suggested it. I see more Dandy Smith books in my future. 

Linda's score: 4.4/5.0

Funny Story by Emily Henry is a book title an Instagram friend read, so I thought I'd give it a go.

Daphne and Peter have been engaged for several years and their wedding is imminent. When Peter's bachelor party includes his childhood friend, Petra, who admits that she's always loved him, Peter dumps Daphne. Her world crashes. Petra has wrecked her boyfriend Mile's world too. 

Daphne must move out of the house she shares with Peter; since Petra's departure, Miles has extra space in his apartment. They begin co-habitating. Daphne quietly continues working as a librarian, feeling utterly alone. When Peter unexpectedly calls, Daphne lies to him - that her formerly platonic relationship with Miles has become more. Daphne realizes she has to let Miles in on the ruse. When there's an opportunity to make their relationship appear real to Peter and Petra, both Daphne and Miles realize something is happening.

But Miles and Daphne are carrying emotional baggage related to their childhoods: Miles with a gaslighting Mother, and Daphne with a never-present father.

I've scored this book lower than on Goodreads. Call me a prude, but among my reasons for a lower score is its too many graphically-descriptive physical interactions. 

Linda's score: 3.8/5.0

Mind Games by Nancy Mehl is book #1 in the Kaely Quinn Profiler series. Kaely is introduced as a skilled and highly-respected profiler who works for the FBI. When she was 14 years old, Jessica (her name at that time), her mother and brother were traumatized when they learned that their husband/father was a serial killer. As Kaely Quinn, she has devote herself to her job, identifying, finding, and stopping these monsters. 

A newspaperman who's been hounding Kaely for an interview about her life story, receives a cut-out block letter printed poem indicating that several people are going to die, including Kaely. Working with Special Agent Noah Hunter, she is intently focused on profiling the person who's behind the threats... and murders. The killer knows Kaely too well, and is determined to make her pay for her father's sins.

Perhaps a bit surprisingly, this book has Christianity woven into it, with Kaely giving Noah a testimony about her faith. I found this utterly refreshing, and I appreciate the clean language too.  

This author and the Kaely Quinn series were recommended to me by Minnesota Blogger-quilter-friend Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting. Thank you, Nancy! I'm looking forward to continuing the series. 

Linda's score: 4.4/5.0

Linda