Scotland was amazing

I am back from a 10 day textile tour with Celtic Quilt Tours in bonny Scotland. We saw castles and cattle. Edinburgh has both a castle and a palace! We had brushes with royalty, in Edinburgh, Prince Andrew -Duke of York, and in Dundee, Prince Charles and Camila. No pictures, their motorcades were much too fast.

We saw amazing textile factories like the historic Verdant Jute Mills in Dundee and the now restored Knockando Woolen Mills near Aberdeen.

If I had had a computer with me I would have tried to blog about it, but in a pinch I did post pictures to Facebook. All of the pictures are public, so if you just search my name (and "friend" me) you will get to see lots of inspirational sights and happening.

We attended a patchwork class with Ann Hill where we (Canadian and American travelers) were paired with a Scottish quilter. We exchanged gifts, ideas and addresses. I have amended my block to include a hour-glass border. My thistle was made with a yo-yo that was in my sewing kit and a piece of fringed tartan that had been gifted to me from a scrap found in the Edinburgh Castle Woolen Mills shop. My piece is ready to quilt and be added to my "Textile Techniques Book".

 

That half day class was followed by the VIQ dinner (Very Important Quilter) and the International Gathering of the Guilds, with guest speakers, from Scotland, Ireland, USA and Canada. It was a highly charged and entertaining evening with much laughter and the most splendid Show and Tell! What a great event.

I am home now with laundry done and souvenir fabrics spread out on the table. These are so fun to have with the memories that came with each stop; Melrose, Peebles, Latham, Linlithgow and Glasgow patchwork shops. And the tartans from my new quilting day partner and friend- Ann.

My friend Kim Caskey was in Devanter Netherlands to give a presentation to the Dear Jane club there. She then shopped her way through France and Germany before joining us in Scotland. Because she knew I was working with orange in September, she bought me these two beautiful phat-quarters.

So, speaking of orange I finished the last of the orange twirly blocks last night.

To ease my way back into studio life I have worked on some brown string blocks and the first Chocolate block, looks like a Maltese Cross Medal to me.

I may be late to the party, but I am hooking up to SoScrappy over here.
love and hugs
Kathy