Sewing Summit Part I: Friends

Pin It Like everyone else returning from the Sewing Summit, I am exhausted and exhilarated from a whirlwind weekend.  There is so much to say and yet, it is impossible to put everything that the Sewing Summit was into words.

The most important part for me was: friends.

My son often asks who I am making things for or who I am writing to.  He then follows with the question if I have ever met so-and-so.  Until now, the answer was almost always No.

Friday night dinner with {Sew} Beautiful Bee (all but 2 members!)- pic from freshlypieced

I started this blog almost a year and a half ago out of the sole desire to make friends my age that loved to sew as much as I did.  Now imagine all of those friends gathered in one place, eager and excited.  Chomping at the bit to laugh, chat, sew and most of all FABRIC SHOP together!

Walking into the Sewing Summit reception was like walking into a room filled with 160 of your best friends.  Although we'd never met before, everyone hugged and laughed like we'd known each other forever.  This was the best part for me.  Meeting people that you so instantly and deeply connected with.  It was the. best!

Sat. night dinner - pic from Ellison Lane

Lee (Freshly Pieced), Amy (Diary of a Quilter), Amy (Sukie, Don't you know my name?), Me, Elizabeth (Don't Call Me Betsy) - pic from freshlypieced

Faith (Fresh Lemons), Jennifer (Ellison Lane Quilts), Angie (Starlight Stitcher), Me - pic from EllisonLane

[Until now, I've been hiding behind Cosmo Bags, etc in pictures....  But after the Sewing Summit, I think my little secret is out!  If you haven't noticed a bump in the pictures above, go back and look again.  Baby #3 is coming in March!  The summer was slow and my sewing mojo was lost, but I am back now and totally inspired by the Summit.  I hope you'll understand if you've emailed me anytime since the beginning of July and I haven't responded.  I've had a hard time keeping up with it all.

But!  I've got 2 baby quilts to make and a load of ideas, so be on the lookout for a quilt-along as I quilt-prep for baby.]

Roomies:  Lee (Freshly Pieced) and Elizabeth (Don't Call Me Betsy) are the two people I have bonded with the most since starting this blog.  This weekend was the first time we've ever met...I'd never talked on the phone to either of them either!  But as excitement about the Summit grew, the emails were flying.  What great fun it was to share a room and finally get to meet!  They felt like old friends I just hadn't seen in a while - we picked up exactly where our emails left off.  A million things to share and talk about.  They are SO creative!  So glad to have shared the weekend with you girls!

Lee (Freshly Pieced), Elizabeth (Don't Call Me Betsy), Me - pic from freshlypieced

I also enjoyed meeting Amy Smart (Diary of A Quilter).  When I first started this blog, she was very supportive of me and helped answer questions for me while I got my bearings.  She probably doesn't know it, but I think of her as sort of a mentor.  She is the sweetest and kindest person - as if you couldn't already tell from her blog!

Me and Amy (Diary of A Quilter)

If you've never had the chance to meet sewing friends in person, take that leap the next chance you get.  Be it a guild, retreat or conference, I think you'll be amazed at how instantly you connect with other sewists/quilters.  We're fascinating people after all, right?

Here we are actually sewing.  To be honest, I didn't do much of that!  Too many fun things going on. - pic from freshly pieced

**Thanks so much to Amy and Erin who organized the Summit!**

Stay tuned for Sewing Summit Part 2: Swaps and Swag Pin It