Quilt Guild Good Times

This past Thursday night our quilt guild had its Christmas party. Last year we did a sewing space hop where we went to a bunch of ladies homes and looked at their sewing rooms. It was such a great time last year, we decided to do it again this year. This year we went to 4 ladies homes, looked at their sewing rooms, and had a progressive dinner along the way. It was so much fun. I think this will be our annual Christmas tradition from now on.

This little sign was at my friend Linda's house. I thought it was super so I took a picture of it. Maybe I will make myself one.

The last house we went to was amazing. It was gorgeous and it is the nicest, largest home I have ever been it. It felt like a hotel. Anyway, my friend Kim lives here and she has this amazing foyer type thing. After you park under the portico and walk in the 2 sections of front doors, you enter the foyer. It is 5 stories tall, the ceiling is WAY up there. There is a gorgeous stairway up a few levels and she had them draped in quilts. It was breathtaking. She told us a few of the quilts stories, very interesting. She is a collector and loves old quilts.

She has this old thread cabinet outside her sewing studio. It is filled will old thread spools, all color coordinated and all wooden spools. I loved it. One day I tell myself! Kim just opened her own online fabric store. It is called novelyfabrics.com (I think) and she has some really great dog, cats, and collegiate fabrics.

We had dessert at Kim's house and had our little business meeting and then sew and tell. It was amazing that all of us could fit in her living room. Well, not really because her living room is bigger than my entire house, but it was fun to see everyone sitting around and visiting at her house. I was sitting on the hearth of the big fireplace to take these pictures. This fireplace was 3 stories tall and all done in amazing rock. So pretty.

It was a really fun night and I didn't get home until 10:30. I bet you all never thought quilting could be so much fun!

Before you scroll down, you have to guess what I am holding. Yes, please give it your best shot before you look down and cheat. I know you already looked and so you did cheat! Darn you! Kim was telling us about a particular quilt we saw that was made in Kuwait a few years ago. She told us that her husband had some family that lived in the Middle East for a few years doing business. She said they had given them a few pieces of furniture and things from the Middle East, including a pair of camel stirrups. So, while we were eating our delicious dessert, I spotted the stirrups and asked Kim's husband if I could touch them and take a picture of them. Here they are!

The funniest part about the whole camel stirrups is that when Kim was telling us the story, I leaned over to my friend and told her that my brother used to tell girls that he was a camel jockey. He had a whole story made up about being a camel jockey and going to the camel races in Scipio. If you asked him where he was going and he didn't want to tell you, he would say "To the camel races" or "Taking my girlfriend to Scipio to watch the camel races" or "Going to train the new camel jockey." You get the point right, Glen is a jokester and he loved the camel race story. The bad part is that some people believed him! When I was telling my friends about it, Kim's husband Bruce overheard and thought that was so funny. He loved the Scipio part of it. Anyway, he let me take a few pictures and fondle the stirrups. Glen doesn't read my blog much anymore, but if you happen to read it, this is for you Glen.

All goofiness aside, they really are gorgeously hand carved. It is one piece of wood that is hollowed out for the foot and carved amazingly on the outside. They had a set and you could tell which one went on which side because they were each a little worn and darker on the side that was closest to the camel. Very cool.

It was a super night and very inspiring to see every one's sewing rooms. It made me want to go home and sew all night. I didn't, but I plan to right now.