I just returned from a fantastic trip to Tampa, Florida. I started with the Feather Princesses in Tampa. Dorothy Johnson was my contact person and if you ever get a chance to meet her I am sure you will like her just as much as I did. Dorothy is one of the most gracious people I have ever met. We started with a fabulous Thai meal the night before the workshop. Let me just say this. It’s not just about the quilting. It’s also about the food! Quilters do know good food. I spent one really nice day with the ladies from the Feather Princesses. If you want to find out more about the Feather Princesses you can contact them at http://www.featherprincesses.org/
From there I was picked up by Judy DePaul of the Piecemaker’s Quilt Guild of Brandon. Judy is the president of the guild and I really liked her. We talked the whole way from the hotel in Tampa to Brandon like we had known each other for years. She made me feel right at home. I taught three workshops and did one lecture for the Brandon guild and everyone I met was so appreciative for what they had learned. They made me feel really special and treated me like a queen. Again, I must mention the food. On my last night in Brandon several guild members took me to the Cheesecake Factory to eat. I hate to say it but I ate one entire piece of chocolate coconut cheesecake. Why did I do that? It was awesome. My contact person at the Brandon guild was Jayne Torres. Jayne made sure everything ran smoothly. Thanks Jayne. Loved working with you and spending time with you. If you are interested in finding out more about the Brandon guild you can contact them at http://www.brandonquiltguild.com/
From there I was met by Cheryl Irvin. She is the program person for the Quilters Workshop of Tampa Bay. The workshops with this guild were held at the local Pfaff-Bernina store. You’ll see some pictures below. If you are ever in the area stop by the shop. Very nice shop and very nice owners. Everyone in the workshop talked about how much they loved their shop owners. Cheryl and her mother attended both workshops. Cheryl’s mom used to live not too far from me. It was really nice talking with Chery’s mom about things we were both familiar with in Pennsylvania. Cheryl’s mom gave me a beautiful scarf she made. I love getting handmade gifts. There is nothing like it. Cheryl took very good care of me while I was visiting her guild. To contact the Quilters Workshop of Tampa Bay go to http://www.quiltersworkshop.org/
My final leg of this journey was with the Cypress Creek Quilters. They are located in Wesley Chapel, FL. Another lovely part of the start. My contact person was Cathleene Tokish. Cathleen and some of her friends took me to one of their favorite quilt shops, Rainbows End. Visit their website at http://www.rainbowsendquiltshoppe.com/ This shop is amazing. The selection of fabrics was one of the largest I have seen and I have been around! The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. If you are ever close to Dunedin, Florida you should stop. You won’t regret it. I added just a little fabric to my stash!
Cathleene and several of her guild members made dinner for me one evening. Each person brought one of their favorite dishes. Well, you know it was all good. One thing they made was salmon on the grill over cedar boards. Never heard of it before. It was excellent. If you live any where near the Wesley Chapel area contact the guild to see about joining. They had lots of good stuff going on at their meeting, and show and tell was fabulous. http://cypresscreekquilters.org/news.php
Well, after a few days rest I’m heading to Montreal to teach on a cruise going from Montreal to Boston. I’ll send photos when I return.