Great Minds Think Alike

I am participating once again in the Studio 402 Self Portrait Exhibit at the Anderson Arts Building. So for the last couple of months I have been trying to decide what I would do this year. The theme was “Hello Again.” But all I can think about is how crazy 2022 was for me.

My dog Abbie had some serious surgery to remove a malignant cancer on her hind leg in the early spring of 2022. She was 14 and recovered well until she suffered a series of seizures. Quite a scary thing to witness if you have never seen a dog having a seizure before. I thought she was dying right before my eyes. But being the ever-resilient Abbie, she bounced back from several days of seizures and was even able to gradually stop the anti-seizure medications. She was fully recovered by June and able to accompany us for a week at Keuka Lake. We had a wonderful summer with Abbie. But over Labor Day weekend, while in Cleveland visiting Jeff’s 92-year-old mother, Abbie’s stomach suddenly bloated and we had to say goodbye to her. If you ever met Abbie, you know how full of life she was. Absolutely the smartest dog we ever had. She could open doors and backyard gates. She lived for 14 1/2 years, quite unusual for a Weimaraner. So needless to say, we were devastated by the loss.

Oh but 2022 wasn’t through with us yet. After a fun two weeks of Fringe Festival and a visit from our dear friend Karen, we felt as though life was getting back to normal. But the night before Karen was to return home, I started coughing and thought I was coming down with seasonal allergies. Nope! After avoiding Covid for 2 years, I tested positive. After a round of Paxlovid, I felt much better and tested negative, only to relapse in several days for yet another week of isolation. Fortunately both Karen and Jeff never caught the virus from me. Although Jeff also had Covid for the first time in May after a radio conference in Philadelphia. I did not go along because I was home nursing Abbie back to good health.

But fortunately I recovered from Covid and tested negative again just in time to leave for a previously planned vacation at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This vacation was a plan to help us relax and recover a little from the pandemic and our recent loss. And the plan worked. We came home rested and ready for the holidays. But 2022 still wasn’t done with us.

Five days after we returned home, we got a call from Jeff’s brother. His mom was in the hospital. She had suffered a massive stroke. So we packed again and headed to Cleveland for what we expected to be a few days. The few days turned into over 2 weeks, as my mother-in-law ended up unable to swallow and not wanting a feeding tube, went into hospice and eventually passing away.

So we returned to Rochester, heads spinning, to face the holidays. While I was trying to come up with an idea for my quilted self portrait in December, I suddenly decided it had to be a crazy quilt. And since I love machine quilting and it’s my favorite step in the quiltmaking process, I decided to machine quilt my image over a crazy quilt. The thought being: my image with the crazy behind me.

But here’s the funny thing. After dropping off my self portrait quilt at Studio 402, later that evening I get a text from Nancy Valle. Seems Jeanne Simpson had practically the same idea for her self portrait. Only for her self-portrait she machine quilted her image on one of her specially hand-dyed discharge fabrics. And another friend, Martha O’Connor, also machine quilted her image, but on a sleeve of a handmade “Hamilton-inspired” jacket. None of us have seen each other recently or even discussed what our plans were for the self-portrait show. My only reaction: “Great minds think alike!”

You can visit this amazing exhibit featuring 63 local artists which runs January 6 - February 11 at Studio 402 in the Anderson Arts Building. The exhibit will be open to the public by appointment or on the following dates:

Opening Reception, First Friday, January 6, 6 - 9 p.m.
Second Saturday, January 14, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
First Friday, February 3, 6 - 9 p.m.
Second Saturday, February 11, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Happy Holidays

If you missed my special open hours for the holidays, you can still schedule a personal shopping hour at the studio before the end of the year. Simply give me a call, send me a text or drop me an email requesting a day and time. I will do my best to accommodate you. Be sure to give me your phone number so I can confirm the day and time or schedule another time if I am not available at the requested time.

Or you can shop safely right here on the website. I can either mail your purchases to you or arrange a pickup time for no charge.

Thanks to everyone who chose to shop local, small and handmade so far this year. I hope everyone has a happy holiday and a great new year.

And speaking of the new year…stay tuned for some exciting BIG news from Quilting with Margaret in 2023!

Join Us in 2023

Join us in 2023 for the 16th annual Get-Away Weekend at Beaver Hollow Conference Center on April 27 -30. Don’t miss this weekend of comradery, crafting and relaxation. Sign up by October 31, 2022 to receive 2 yards of free fabric of your choice.

This is an all inclusive weekend which includes gourmet meals, corporate quality guest rooms, a large and well-equipped workroom all in a relaxing natural woodland setting. Each workstation is spacious and includes a fully adjustable executive office chair for your comfort while creating. The Beaver Hollow grounds include a small lake and numerous hiking trails to enhance your creativity. Every night we have a cash bar set up especially for us with quilt-inspired cocktails. Also, each night there is a bonfire with complementary s’mores.

Our days are spent crafting, quilting and creating through a guided project and by working on individual projects. Lots of sharing and inspiration always happens encouraging a creative environment.

And of course, each year I set up a “small shop” filled with things you might have forgotten, things you “must have,” things that are new at Quilting with Margaret and ideas for a new creative projects.

We have fun extra activities like show and tell, quilt Bingo, a free kit project, giveaways and social activities. It’s a fun weekend for sisters, friends, or even just a self-indulgence. Everyone is welcoming to newcomers and many are excited to see their friends from previous get-away weekends.

Hope you can join us this year. We can all use a little “normal” these days!

One-Day Fabric Sale, September 2

Yes, summer is nearly over. Sad, but this means more time to get back to quilting.

To help get your creative juices flowing again, stop by my studio at 1115 East Main Street and check out all of the new fabrics that have come in since last fall.

I will be open extra hours for First Friday, September 2, 2 - 9 p.m. so you have time to take advantage of the Special Labor Day Fabric Sale. All by-the-yard fabrics will be 25% OFF the already low regular prices.

I also have some table runner kits and gift item kits left from the past two Get-Away Weekends. Also new since last fall are lots of Riley Blake fabrics by-the-yard, plus precuts like 5” squares, 10” squares, 2 1/2” jelly rolls and fat quarter sets.

If you can’t make it for the sale, you can still schedule a personal shopping hour. Just give me a call, email me or text me to schedule. I will be open this fall on First Fridays and second Saturdays and anytime by appointment.

Hope to see you Friday afternoon or evening for the BIG SALE!