Thank You!

Due to a number of circumstances, I have been unable to produce a newsletter since the last one in January. I want to thank each and every one of you for remaining subscribed and patiently waiting for this one. I appreciate you all more than words can say!

One of the major, and most frustrating, problems I had was a constantly dropping internet connection. It only took 17 months for one of the technicians to realize that our underground cable had deteriorated and needed replacing. Since that was done my computer connection has remained constant - at last!

It takes quite a bit of time for me to produce one newsletter and it has become increasingly difficult to find the hours and weeks needed. My solution is to start a blog - as soon as I learn enough to actually do it, that is.

A blog should be the perfect answer because I will be able to add a small section each week instead of waiting until there is enough time for a whole newsletter - and all of it will be archived. The content will remain the same but will be presented in small segments. Once it is ready, I'll announce it here and hope that each of you will subscribe to it. Unfortunately, I cannot transfer your membership to a blog. Each one of you will have to do that on your own. More about the hows and whys when the time comes.

Until my blog is ready, I will publish this newsletter in parts and will send an email notification when each part is ready to view. This is Part One.

Last spring I taught an online beginner's quilting class at Quilt Campus - an experience I very much enjoyed and will be doing again this fall with two sets of lessons. More on Quilt Campus further on.

I have exciting news about the 100 Years of Anne celebration that began on September 12th, too!

I find it incredible that summer is at an end and that children have already returned to school. Summer has simply "whooshed" by!

Maria

I'd like to introduce you to Cindy McCoy, owner and creator of QuiltCampus.

If you are not already familiar with it, it is a great site which offers online quilt classes twice yearly, in the Spring and Fall as well as a Chat Channel for quilters. You will recognize the names and perhaps the photos of many of the quilt teachers there including myself. One of them, Eldrid Royset Forde, was the Featured Quilters for our May 2006 Issue.

Cindy's first website was, and still is, CD Designs. She finds it fun to provide programs but became frustrated with her site's limitations, which inspired her idea for QuiltCampus.

In October, Your First Quilt will be offered again. If you are new to quilting or a beginner who wants to be sure not to have missed any of the basics, visit QuiltCampus for more details.

For this lesson, quilt panels are used so everyone's quilt will be different in appearance and size. The photo on the left is just one example. It is one I made as a baby gift.

I had lots of fun with the students who signed up for this class last Spring. Answering their questions and getting to know them was a most enjoyable part of the process. Most of the class were from the U.S. but one quilter was from New Zealand.

In November, Your Second Quilt - A Quilt for All Seasons will be offered for the first time. Watch for it to appear in the listings on QuiltCampus next month. I'll include a picture of it in a future addition to this newsletter.

	I recently made this special, reversible tote as a gift for my sister, Celeste, whose website, Teatime and Roses will appear online in the not too distant future. (I'll let you know about it when the time comes.) As you can see, the appliqués are all about tea time and the fabrics all include rose prints and the colour of roses. It was great fun to make and I was very pleased that she was not only surprised by this tote but delighted with it as well. Credit for this tote goes to both Kay Mackenzie and Betty Cotton.
	This reversible tote pattern is from Betty Cotton's book, Cotton Theory® Quilting: Quilt First — Then Assemble™ which I reviewed in my newsletter of March 2007. The delightful teat time appliqués are from Kay Mackenzie's books Teapots and Teapots 2 reviewed above. I highly recommend getting all 3 books and having fun making wonderful gifts for Christmas. You can be very creative by using Kay's teapot patterns as embroideries too, or by choosing the perfect fabric prints for the center panels.