Teaching a paper-piecing class

I cut out of work an hour early, stopped at Walmart and then ran into Dillard's where I finally think I've found the liquid eye-line I might like. I have been on a mission to replace mine as it is no longer being manufactured. The deal was sweeter when the product I bought, Lancome threw in a nice gift bag, with another pink gift bag inside with eye cremes, mascara, eye shadow, and lipstick. That made me feel better since the makeup cost more then a Wal-mart purchase!

A quick drive through to McDonald's for a sweet tea and I was in the parking lot at the Missouri Conservation Runge Center with 20 minutes to spare before the Nature's Needles Quilting Class was to start.

Twenty-one women filled the room and Gretchen Hanna, my friend ,was waiting for me. The setting was beautiful with floor to ceiling windows looking into the woods. While Gretchen was talking I see the women turning their heads to look outside. Tom Turkey has decided to check in on the quilters.

The class was then begun with a talk about the "Bullfrog". A skeleton was passed around of a grown frog. OMG, did I have to come this night? Frogs are my worst fear. Then a cardboard colored frog about 15 inches wide and 12 inches tall was shown.........

I was introduced and I began by showing the quilts and wall hangings I had brought with me.

First were the wall hangings, the one of Bentley, our black Lab, then the MU tiger, on to the big quilts, first the Horse quilt, the Noah Ark quilt, the Dear Patti Quilt and then the sample blocks. My nervousness left then minute I started the show and tell, I was in my comfort zone.

The ladies showed the blocks that they had been working on, the Missouri paddle fish. Other show and tell started coming out, including a lap quilt given to Gretchen by one of the quilters there, Bee L. It was all hand pieced and hand quilted. It was done in shades of greens and browns in a crazy quilt pattern. Truly awesome. And to think I had the camera and didn't take a picture.

Assignments were then handed out for the their next project, of course it's a frog, now we know why the class started with the frog segment. A sewing machine was plugged in and I gave a very informal demonstration. Bad scissors and all! LOL. Several ladies needed a hands on demonstration.

After closing, Bee L. came up to me and we talked quilts for quite a while. I noticed while talking to her she had a cute handkerchief in her breast pocket with what I thought was crocheted lace on it. Turns out, it was knitted lace. I didn't know lace and/or doilies could be knitted. She then asked me if I liked doilies and pulled a roll full of them out of her bag. She told me I could take one. They were awesome, white, off white, pink, blue sparkles, etc. I took a square pink one. I told her she reminded me of my favorite Aunt, who was my quilt mentor and a doilie maker. I then teared up talking to her about Aunt Faye. We exchanged calling cards and gave a goodbye hug.

As I drove home the storm clouds were rolling in, the moon peaking through.

BT and I enjoyed a bowl of strawberries while reading the newspaper and catching up on our day.