Back From Cleveland and Quilting Arts TV!

What a trip!  I feel like I have sort of been around the world and back again and can I just say, "There is no place like home!" I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have been invited to be on QA TV!  Helen Gregory and Pokey Bolton are amazing women and the whole experience of being on QA TV was totally exciting!!!!  It was really interesting to see how the entire production of the TV series is put together.  I don't know how Pokey makes it through all the taping she does.  I can't help but think of her as "Superwoman" when I look at all that she and her team has accomplished from the start of the magazine to where they are now with Interweave.  What a journey and what success!!! 



I met some wonderful people while I was there.  Diane Rusin Doran, who makes beautiful art quilts using digital methods, Terry White, who has written books on Threadpainting, Machine Embroidery, and Machine Beading (which I can't wait to get my hands on), Jo Leichte, who authors the Bernina USA Blog and is a quilter herself, and Jackie Marsal of Havel's Sewing - who provided me with a bag-full of new scissors and cutters!  Thanks again Jackie!!!  We all had dinner Thursday night at the Bahama Breeze in Beachwood near our hotel - great food and company!!!  The laughs never ended!



On Friday, it was my turn to tape my segments with Pokey.  I was soooo nervous!  I just know I stumbled over my words a couple of times but I hope all comes out well.  We didn't have to re-take anything so I guess it was good enough.  Sitting behind the camera was an entirely different experience.  It's really amazing to see everything that goes into making these segments and the team of people that make it all happen!  And it felt so cool to be on the set!!  I kept noticing all of the beautiful fabrics and items on the shelves that I always see in the background on the DVDs. 




For those readers from the 3 Creative Studios Blog, the TOM Giveaway pillow slipcover was included in the segment I did on using personal imagery for home decor projects!  (Just a little additional plug for the giveaway!!)  You will have to look for it in the next QA TV series!!!



I spent one more night in my hotel to unwind (NAP) and then on Saturday, I drove to Pittsburgh where my husband and his son picked me up.  It was Jim's birthday on 9/2 and I was in Cleveland then but felt bad I was missing his birthday, the first since we have been married.  (These "firsts" are really important to me!)  But being the super supportive guy that he is, he understood the opportunity I had been given and was behind me 100%.   It doesn't get better than that!  (I love you, Jim! xoxoxox)

After visiting in Freedom with family and watching Jim's son's football game, we got on the road for our long trip back to Boston trying to get a jump on the Labor Day weekend traffic.  We rolled in a little after midnight, left half the stuff in the truck and crawled into bed!  So today was filled with unpacking, cleaning, food shopping and generally trying to get things back in order before the work week begins.  I need a real vacation!!!  The studio needs cleaning and organizing which I will get to this week while I begin formulating some new ideas tugging at the back of my mind.

I'm also getting excited to begin the ASAP Program with Lesley Riley that begins in another week!!  I've got to get everything organized before then!!!  I hope you have had a wonderful weekend filled with family and friends!  I'll check back in a few days!

Margaret

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