Did you see the sign?

 It's time for another adventure. How could I not enjoy my vacation to the max without attempting a hike! 

I researched and found a decent hike—Lahaina Pali Trail on the west side. It's hard to get a good count on the distance, but the section I was going to do was about 4 KM. 

So, I violated the first rule of hiking and went alone. I was cautious! And DH knew where I was. 

OK—so this trail is not very well marked. I got to the top of the initial climb and spotted this old road. So I continued on the road, and within a half hour, I knew I had missed something. But it took me a half hour to realize that. When I checked back on the map, I saw that I was near the trail but not on it. 

However, I did get to see how they secured these giant nets on the cliffs to prevent rocks from falling. There are massive cables attached to the rocks, which were holding the nets in place. 

Cables to secure the nets

The view was spectacular from up there. 

The view from above

OK—I spotted these markers when I finally got back on the correct trail. Which was good, except when I spotted 4, number 5 was nearby. I checked it out, and the trail seemed to disappear. So, I went back to that intersection and tried what looked like a more passable trail. I didn't get far, so I thought I should call it a day!!

A trail marker

I have always wanted to just stop by the side of the road and walk up those big hills! Well, this was my chance. The terrain was challenging because it was very rocky (lava rock) and somewhat steep in places, but it was very doable. I had my hat, water, food, and cell phone with service. 

It was very windy up there in spots, and here's a tip when hiking: If you need to make a pit stop, try to find a place that isn't so windy. That's all I'll say about that! But I had a good laugh about it!!

There were a few trees on this crater, but they were rare. Lots of grasses and a few flowers. 

Flowers on the trail

That view was so worth the climb!! As far as the total distance goes, I didn't get very far, but it was far enough to make me happy, and that's all that counts!! 

Happy trails to me

The descent was better than I thought, and my new trail shoes (non-Hokas) worked amazingly. They have a smaller footprint than the Hokas, are sturdy but flexible, and are perfect for clambering over rocks. 

As I was getting nearer the trailhead, I spotted this. Are you KIDDING ME?? The first time, I walked right past that yellow arrow and past the dead branch. I was so focused on the road that I missed this. I spotted the trailer marker on the side of the hill the second time, but again, I completely missed the yellow arrow. I only spotted it as I descended!!!

This way!!!!

Yet, I did not get lost on the Camino, where it was "easy" to spot small arrows on the sidewalk's edge or a signpost. I was definitely not in hiking mode yesterday! But everything worked out, and I was good and happy with my efforts. 

It just means that I have to come back another time to hike the entire distance. That would be amazing!!! 

Once I was back in the car, I headed off to the quilt store. I managed to find the license plates from the Row by Row experience from the previous years. I don't think I had one from Hawaii, so I got one. How could I leave that behind? 

Then we went down to Charley Beach for a bit. I'm not a huge fan of the beach, so I could take it or leave it, but I went down for a bit. I walked to the end of the beach and back and then hung out with DH for a bit. The beaches are relatively quiet, so it was perfect. It was so windy that my hat blew off!! I had to run to catch it - I didn't want to lose that! 

On the beach

I LOVE that all the armchairs have backpack straps, which make them super easy to take to and from the beach. It leaves your hands free to carry other stuff. Who invented those? 

Backpack chairs

Then, we were off to a family dinner with both families. We had to walk down this tree-lined drive to get there, which was an excellent and quiet way to end the day. We watched the sunset at dinner. 

I'm finally getting my hours shifted, and it's time to leave!!! There likely will not be a blog tomorrow as we have to check out at 10 AM. Then we're off to do some more exploring and need to be at the airport around 5 PM. 

That means you'll have to wait until the next day to hear about today's adventure, which was harrowing at times!! But we survived!

As sad as it is that the vacation is almost over, I'm looking forward to going home. I miss the girls and the boy. I don't have much on my calendar for the next few weeks, and I'm looking forward to getting some work done!! 

On that note, I'm out of here!!

Have a super day11!

Ciao!!!!

Do something every day that scares you!

 Have you ever heard that quote in the title? Yep --- I've seen it many times. While I don't do something scary every day, I do attempt to learn things, and sometimes that can be scary. I also take on tasks that might scare me, but I embrace those things. 

So when we arrived in Hawaii and decided to book some excursions, we booked easy ones. The bus trip up a crater to see the sunrise wasn't scary. The whale watching trip on the catamaran, that wasn't scary, although I'm not a fan of water stuff as I'm not a swimmer. So, it was "somewhat" scary for me. 

However, when we seriously considered a helicopter tour, that was scary. And then we threw all caution to the wind and decided to go on a DOORS OPEN helicopter tour!! My gosh—what were we thinking? OK—I suggested it!!

We made our way to the airport, or should I say the heliport, which was close to the airport. We had arrived a bit early, which was OK with me. And then we saw the safety video, which wasn't much—how to buckle that seat belt, and so on. 

Then, it was time to get on the helicopter. 

Our ride

Yes—it was little, and yes --- all the doors were off the helicopter!!! There were five of us tourists on the helicopter and the pilot. We paid a bit extra so we could sit in front. Hey, if you're going to do it, do it right! And I got to sit on the outside! OH MY GOSH—what have I got myself into! I'm not happy when there's turbulence on the plane! As you can imagine, weight is an issue; the combined weight of the two front passengers must be less than 400 pounds to sit in the front. We passed with flying colors. 

We were off once we got our seat belts fastened and donned our goggles and headsets. 

And yes, there was the OPEN side of the helicopter on my left. ACK!!!!! It was a little unsettling at first, and it took a LOT of "skill" to let the feeling of not being in control go. 

OH --- there's nothing to hold onto!!!

And then we were up and flying over the water as we followed the coastline of Maui's western side. 

It was the most exciting thing I've done in a long time and worth every penny! The views were spectacular, and it wasn't that scary after all. 

Spectacular open-air views

There was literally nothing to hang onto, so I went with it and enjoyed it 1000%. We did have a "few" moments when I felt out of control. There was a lot of wind, and there were times when you could feel it buffeting the helicopter, but the pilot (Drew) was amazing and very skillful, or at least he appeared to be. 

Then, we scooted over the channel to the sparsely populated island (7,345) of Molokai. This island is stunning and has some of the tallest sea cliffs in the world (between 3,600 and 3,900 feet). Yes -- we flew from the backside of those cliffs over the water!! Yikes! That always freaked me out when I saw it in the movies, and here I was, experiencing it with no doors on my helicopter!! I even looked down!!!! 

The coast of Molokai

Thankfully, I sat on the outside because I took a ton of pictures and videos. Yes, it was spectacular, but those pictures do NOT do justice to what we saw or how it felt. There were a few other "moments" when Drew banked the helicopter to turn around to show the passengers the same thing that we were seeing. Yikes! And we hovered for a long time at one of the spectacular waterfalls. This is the Oloupena Falls (2,953 feet).

Oloupena Falls

Yes --- you could see those waterfalls from a boat, but you could NOT look down into the bottom like we were able to. Yep -- I got over that fear pretty quickly! Who knows - I might decide to ride a roller coaster!! 

This was my view from the front of the helicopter. It was just stunning!!!! 

Looking through the window of the helicopter

And there's me!!! Yep --- why not take a selfie while I take all these pictures? We were not allowed to take anything in our pockets, and our cameras were in lanyards that kept them securely attached to us. I want one of those lanyards—they were awesome. 

Me in the helicopter!

We wore an athletic jacket, but I was wearing shorts, and it wasn't cold. We could feel the wind, but probably less than we would feel on the beach. But the second I accidentally put my finger out of the "door," the force of the wind was incredible. Hence, it is frowned upon to put any part of your body outside the "door."  

It gives you a great appreciation for any helicopter scene in a movie!!! 

Before we knew it, we were flying back to the heliport over the water, which was spectacular. 

The ocean

The waves were long at one beach and broke far from the shore. 

Breaking waves

And then it was time to land. WOW --- it was an amazing experience, and I'd opt for a helicopter ride again anywhere!! It was amazing, and if the doors could be off, I'd go for that option!!! 

The other stuff we've done here has been amazing. Of course, the proposal was fantastic, and we're so glad we could be here for that. The helicopter ride was spectacular!! It's been a great trip, and we're not done yet!

I had another adventure today, which I'll tell you about tomorrow, and another adventure planned for tomorrow. 

On that note, I'm out of here!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The WHOLE TRUTH

What can I say? This whole trip has been filled with lies and deception! But for an excellent reason! 

And yes, I confess there have been more lies and deception since I attempted to clear things up the other day. But today? I get to reveal everything!!

Some of what I told you before is true. DH and I have not taken a vacation together in many years, and we rarely do anything spontaneous. I might from time to time, but he never would. OK—so that's the background there. 

To keep the record straight and I know someone who will appreciate the information, on February 19, we received a call. And let me say that I had lost faith that people like this still exist. Dillon (M's boyfriend) called for our blessing because he wanted to propose to her. Even though I had only met him once when they first started dating, I have come to know him quite well through texts and IG. 

I think he's the best thing that has ever happened to her. We have seen so many positive changes since they met that we jumped up and down during the call. Bear was also on the call, and he was happy!

Dillon planned to propose when they were on vacation in Maui. His family was all coming here and had it planned since Christmas. 

The following day, we looked at each other and said, "Let's go!" For both of us to say that is HUGE. 

So, the lies and deception started. But first, we asked permission to make sure it would be OK. 

We planned to arrive but to stay out of the way and meet them on the beach during the proposal. 

We didn't really have to deal with misdirection until we arrived here because she lives on the West Coast, and we live in Toronto, so we don't see each other much. Poor Dillon has been dealing with it the entire time they've been here. I bet his story is way more exciting than mine. 

Dillon is a planner and had all the details worked out. A few extended family members knew some of the details as they helped with the planning - getting the ring here, having champagne at the event, etc.- but not his immediate family—sisters, and parents. 

It threw me for a loop when his stepdad proposed to his mom a couple of days ago because I thought that would steal some of the thunder, but all was good. His parents got married on Wednesday on the beach. 

Things went awry on the first day when we accidentally ran into M in the market. That was NOT supposed to happen. I panicked and said, "We had an appointment," and left her standing there. We had no story, and I had to tell Dillon I had blown his plan. 

He was upset, and I was sick! I felt so bad that we had blown it. So, while he's on the golf course, we're making up a story about why we are in Hawaii!! He wanted the proposal to be a total surprise - that's why he was upset and he figured that if M saw us here, that would give it away. 

Our story was good, and it was partially true! She already had a promise ring, so it wasn't a total surprise that they would get engaged. The story was that due to her begging us to meet Dillon, we decided that since his entire family was here, and we had not had a vacation together in a while, we would surprise BOTH Dillon and M. DH was on the West coast for business (a lie), and I was totally free that week as I was supposed to be on a quilt retreat (the truth). 

The timing was perfect. The proposal was set for Thursday, and we wanted to come in a couple of days before. Because of the flights, we could get a direct flight to Honolulu on Sunday, so we came in a day earlier than planned. We then island-hopped to Maui. 

We lied about knowing where they were staying by looking at his IG account. We knew where they were staying because Dillon told us! I just didn't realize how close we were. Our condos are less than 2 KM apart. 

I think it was in the cards that we were to meet up before, and we've had some good bonding time with M. I think she would have freaked out if we had met on the beach, and she wouldn't have been able to enjoy her evening with her finance! 

After she knew we were here, we had to keep up the deception. We were busy on Thursday, so we had to repeat our travel story several times and not let a single word slip. Poor Dillon had to pretend that he had NO IDEA we were coming. 

We ran around yesterday and did some errands for Dillon, and all was good. We got to the beach but waited in the car to avoid being visible. Then we went down to the beach just shortly after he proposed. It's all been recorded, so no worries—we got to see it. 

Earlier in the day, we rented a red convertible as our car of choice for the rest of the week, so we drove them back to their condo to get packed and then to a hotel for the night. It was very romantic and all organized by Dillon. The poor guy was so stressed. I think we were all excited that the deception was over last night. I was exhausted from the effort!!!

Of course, she said YES!!! And so very romantic - on the beach, at sunset.

Here are a couple of pictures that I snapped. Of course, they had a photographer for the family pictures, so he also got official pictures. 

Romance

LOOK -- we're engaged

Love is in the air

The ring

All I can say is that being with everyone last night was so worth it. I have zero regrets about missing my quilt retreat (OK—I would have loved to be with everyone!!). But as I always say, family comes first, and this was a big moment, and we were lucky to be there with them. She was so excited, and I truly think she was surprised!!!!

OH -- one other deception. There is a family dinner tonight, and she wanted us to come. I said, "No, we don't want to intrude." But she insisted. We were already on the reservation list, but only Dillon knew about that! She wanted to know the entire story and all the lies and deceptions told to her by her parents and her future husband, so I've documented my part here. I probably missed a couple of things. It was stressful, especially the day we ran into her, but it was all worth it!!!!!

As we dropped them off at their hotel, we glanced up and noticed the sky was filled with stars. So, I managed to snap this from my camera phone. YEP -- those camera phones are pretty good!!!

The night sky

Other super exciting stuff happened yesterday that had nothing to do with romance, and I'll share that tomorrow. We can now enjoy the remainder of our time here and have ZERO lies and deception to worry about!!!

And I will continue my story about the YOUNG history of quilting, but probably when I get back home. That was another thing—we could NOT post a single picture of where we were going or what we were doing. The blog could not reflect where we were, either. And even after we met up with her, I felt I needed to keep the deception going as if I had prepared the blog posts ahead of leaving. Which I didn't—I wrote them here. 

Oh, the things that parents do to their children. Lies and deception, but in a really good way!!! We have yet to go to the beach -- we've seen the beach many times but have yet to dip a toe in the ocean. 

On that note, I'm out of here. It's time for my walk!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

I'm EXHAUSTED!

 OK -- so today was one of the MOST exciting and crazy days of my life. 

However, there's a down side to that. I'm exhausted and I can't write tonight. 

Stay tuned as I'll share all the details after I've had a sleep!!  I expect the details will be up around 1:00 PM at the latest EST. 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Misdirection

I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the posts about the YOUNG quilt history, and I have more to share. However, I must tell you what's been happening in my life. I'm not home! In fact, while I'm in the US, I'm technically not on the continent!!

So where am I? I was "forced" to get out of the country and not tell a soul, not wanting to trust myself or anyone else. 

What happened was totally spontaneous, and I mean spontaneous. To clarify that a bit further, DH and I haven't been on a vacation together for YEARS—possibly 15 - 20 years. It's an experience! And we NEVER do anything spontaneous - at least not of this caliber. 

M has been bugging us for months that we fly to Vancouver to meet her new guy. I've met him once before and got to know him by following his IG. While we've had opportunities, it's a challenge to coordinate our schedules with their work schedules, and it just didn't happen. 

When they said they would be in Hawaii (I KNOW!!!) for vacation with his family, we thought -- why not!!! We've known for a while they would be here, but very recently one morning, we looked at each other and said WHY NOT? 

And so the lies and deception started. To make it even worse, we are babysitting Bear!! So after finding someone (she's a gem, to be sure) to look at the dogs and the house, we booked tickets and a condo and were off. 

We didn't tell her, and no one knew. The timing was perfect for me, as I was supposed to be at a quilt retreat this week, so my schedule was completely clear. DH was doing business on the West Coast, so it all came together. Although I'm sorry to miss the quilt retreat, this has been a blast!

From their posts, we knew where they were—be careful what you post!!!! So we knew we were close to them, but we were not 100% sure. 

We planned to lay low for the first day and then call and surprise them. 

We went to lunch and found this "Canada" place among the foot trucks. 

Canadian food truck

 The sign says it used to be Tim Horton's. We thought it was pretty funny and had a great lunch. Then we wandered through the market on our way to find something I can't remember now. 

Imagine our shock when we ran into M!!!! No flipping way!!!! I didn't see her, but she spoke to DH—"Dad?" I said. We had an appointment and had to leave, and left the poor child standing there shell-shocked! What could I do? SHE ruined our surprise!!!! 

We wanted them to be together! So DH and I regrouped and then called her later in the afternoon. The poor kid was so confused!!! No kidding—her parents would never vacation together, and what the heck would we be doing in Hawaii? And more importantly, who was looking after Bear? 

We also did NOT want to interfere with their plans, but we hoped to meet up with them several times over the next couple of days. But on OUR terms!!! 

We've since had dinner and got everything straightened away. OH MY GOSH—what are the flipping chances? 

But we're also here to have some vacation time. We're right on the beach (well across the street from the beach), and it's glorious. 

One of the Maui beaches

I haven't been in the water yet. We had booked a couple of excursions, and between those and some walking, I'm exhausted!! I need naps and lots of them. 

Yesterday we went whale-watching in a catamaran, which was a blast. The first hour was great, and I was surprised at how calm the ocean was in the catamaran. Then the wind came up in big gusts, and while there were much larger waves, the catamaran was still a smooth ride. 

Whale watching!

And yes -- we saw whales! Not a ton, but enough to keep us happy. I was just glad to be away from quilting!!!! I didn't even care if I saw a whale. I'm so excited to be on a break!!! The month of March nearly killed me!

There are loads of feral chickens around here. I'm a bit surprised, to say the least. Who knew there were feral chickens in Hawaii? 

Feral fowl prowl everywhere - even the restaurants

This morning, we were up super early (2 AM) to catch a bus that would take us to the top of the Haleakala Crater (at 10,003 feet). We were at 9,763 feet. It was cold and dark. The road was long and twisty, but the bus driver knew where he was going, and everything was good. 

I brought my down sweater and a jacket, and they supplied us with big fleece-lined ponchos. Again, the weather cooperated. The wind from the previous day was gone, and the temperature was decent. It was still cold as we waited for at least 30 minutes before anything started to happen. I look much colder than I was in this picture. 

Waiting for the sunrise in my fleece poncho

This was a photo I took when we first got to the top. My phone did pretty well in night mode when snapping this picture. 

The inside of Haleakala

About one hour before the sun came up, the sky started to change color, and it became pink; then we saw purple clouds, pink clouds, golden colors in the sky, and then yellow. Before we knew it, the sun was "burning" the edge of the clouds like a lit piece of paper. It was a spectacular sunrise. Someone said a Hawaiian chant to honor the sun. Then we were totally blinded by the sun as it was bright. I had brought my sunglasses, but still!!!

Sunrise on Haleakala Crater

There were many clouds below where we were standing, and it was very cool to watch the sky change over the course of that hour. It was well worth the trip. 

Then, we were bused to a restaurant, which used to be a sugar cane plantation, for a wonderful breakfast. The meals are so good and huge that we seem to eat once daily!! 

And it wouldn't be a vacation in a new state unless I get a souvenir from Geocaching! I found two geocaches close to the condo. 

My geocaching virtual souvenir

We have some crazy excursions planned for the next few days, and we hope to see M and Dillon again! They are busy, and so are we! But that's OK- seeing the look on her face was fun, and I felt so bad about leaving her there, but she messed up the plans! Poor M!!!! 

In hindsight, I have to say that that meeting was meant to happen because both of us had no plans to walk that way - it just happened. There is a reason for that - I don't know what, but there was a reason!!! 

So yes, we'll get to spend a bit more time with them before we all leave. But right now? I feel like I need a nap—yet again!! Good grief!!! It's not good to get up at 2 AM, even if that feels right by my time at home (there is a 6-hour time difference). That means I should be going to bed very early here! 

On that note, I'm out of here. I promise no more misdirection!!! 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!!

The young history of Quilting Part Two

YES -- I also learned machine quilting from Harriet. She was a fantastic teacher, and I loved her accent. She didn't wash fabrics—she WORSHED them. Her accent was great!!

I find the modern history of quilting fascinating, and I have a few more pictures to share today. It needs to be documented somewhere, and I feel that posting it here is a start.

Let's look at some quilting styles. Who remembers the sampler quilt? Well, it's still a popular way to learn different techniques, but it was HUGE back in the day. And don't you love those colors? The one with the circles is kind of unique. 

Sampler quilts

If you think English Paper Piecing is new or was invented by certain modern quilters, think again. This technique has been around for a long time. It was "invented" in England in the 1770s. The technique's popularity has come and gone, but it's become increasingly popular today. What was old is new again!!

One of the most popular patterns of the English Paper Piecing method was Grandmother's Flower Garden. The size of the hexagons may have been different, but the pattern was widespread. 

Grandmother's Flower Garden

Here's an Amish Wagon Wheel done with the hexagons. 

Amish Wagon Wheel

There's that Dresden Plate, which has also been around for a long time. And there's another version of English Paper Piecing with basket blocks. 

Another version of English Paper Piecing

Many old patterns in these magazines were in black and white and printed on newsprint. 

Magazine photos in black and white

There's one of my favorite prints—at least when I started to quilt—a border print made very famous by Jinny Beyer. Yep—another very famous and innovative quilter, who is retired now. I don't think this is one of Jinny's prints, but she designed many of them. 

Border prints

OK -- so what about quilted clothing? Yep -- it was huge, and Fairfield hosted a fashion show at the big show in Houston, and The Hobby Horse used to host a fashion show in the Toronto area as well. That was coming to an end about the time I started to quilt, although I remember that M was supposed to be a model for a jacket or a pair of overalls, and she was sick in the car on the way to the show. All was good, but yep -- I'd forgotten about that incident!

Quilted fashion

Pictorial quilts have changed a lot as well. Look at the simplicity of some of the creations. 

Simplistic pictorial quilt

Here's another very simplistic one with dinosaurs. While I truly appreciate all the complexity of the new styles, sometimes simple is good!! Today's pictorial quilts have definitely artistically upped the game. 

Simple pictorial quilts

What about the colors? Remember the color cheddar --- this was a huge color combo. 

The cheddar era

And then, let's remember the country/floral look. 

Country floral look

Of course, scrap quilts were all the rage and still are today. But here's a scrappy bargello that reminds me of the Bonnie Hunter scrappy bargello. Yep—nothing is new!!!

Scrappy bargello

And what about the modern quilts? Modern quilts are NOT new. This one is very modern looking, yet it was published in 1982!!!!! Yes—believe it or not!

MODERN quilt from 1982

In the accompanying article, they even mention the word MODERN. Technically, modern quilting didn't become a thing until 1998, when Martha Stewart had Denyse Schmidt on her show. 

So you see what I mean? Centuries of OLD and 50 years of NEW history have brought the industry to where it is today. 

How does one even document it and ensure that every event is mentioned? 

I had fun reviewing those five magazines, and I have more to share! Perhaps I'll get ambitious and write it out so it can be preserved because I think it's important that people today realize that they didn't invent quilting. They didn't invent the techniques or the tools—they have been around for eons. The way we interpret the images onto cloth has certainly changed, but you can't change the history!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

The young history of quilting

For those people who have started quilting recently, or let's say in the last ten years, there's a whole history of quilting out there! And supplies, machines, tools, and much, much more. The first instances of quilting making date back to the 13th Century in Sicily. Quilting was brought to America in the late 17th century. 

But I'm talking about the young history of quilting, and how we got from templates to rotary cutters and other technological changes. Like everything in the world, the changes we've seen in quilting technology have been massive in the last few decades. 

I'm attempting to clear junk out of the office, and I came across some old quilt magazines I had put aside to write about. Today seemed like a good day to do that.

Here are the six magazines I looked at. The earliest was dated 1982!!! Seriously? Did people quilt in 1982? Of course, they did!!!! 

Old quilt magazines

The others were dated from the late 80's. 

An "old" quilt magazine

In that issue above, I spotted this article about the magazine celebrating TEN years. So the magazine was started in 1978, which was shortly after the revival of quilting in the US with the Bicentennial Celebrations. 

Ten years of quilting in the magazine!

Interestingly, while today's quilters might know about the "old" history of quilting, or perhaps some of the pioneer quilting days, do they know what has happened since the quilting revival in 1976? The last 50 years of quilting has not become history yet!!!! I'm not sure if that's a good way to say it, but many well-known quilters created tools, design concepts, and much more, and they have virtually disappeared from the radar screen. They've been replaced by the NEW, which isn't new. 

Doreen Speekman - of the Peaky and Spike fame. What about Harriet Hargrave, known for her innovative machine quilting (and wrote the BEST book on the market for machine quilting). Both are no longer with us. Eleanor Burns with her Quilt in a Day. And so many others -- it would take hours to list them all. 

Harriet Hargrave

How do we preserve their memories and remember where our current trends in quilting came from? Well, some of our current trends were started years ago—way before the revival of 1976. But I don't have space today for that. 

What did sewing machines look like in those days? OH MY GOD _- they look like toys!!!!!!

The NEW Janome sewing machine!!!

And what about embroidery machines? They also were toys!!!!!

Look at the size of the embroidery designs

It's hilarious to see this stuff, and it gives us an appreciation for what we have today!!!

Hand quilting on large frames was huge, and you'd find all kinds of ads for wooden frames for hand quilting. 

Hand quilting frames

Long-arm quilt machines existed, and while they looked similar, they were also much smaller than they are today. And forget about a robot running it!!!

Long-arm quilting machines

This was also when local guilds advertised their guild quilt shows in magazines. That was huge, even when I joined quilt guilds in the late 90s. If you wanted to promote a show, you had to get those dates in the magazine. 

Here are a couple of pages of advertising shows in Canada. 

Canadian quilt shows

I love it, as the organizer's name and address were there for all to see. We had no issues with privacy at the time!!! I think if you click on each photo, it becomes larger so you can see. 

More Canadian quilt shows

How funny is that? We had no cares in the world. 

We must find a way to preserve these memories of the young history of quilting. If we don't, that young history will be forgotten. We need to remind the emerging quilters that most of what they are creating is NOT new—not even close. The techniques they deem new are just regurgitated, being resurrected, or modified with the latest technology—but they are not new!!! 

Color schemes are very different, and design complexity and techniques have been pushed to the limits. I have more to share tomorrow. 

So, does anyone want to write a book to preserve the last 50 years of quilt history? Someone needs to do that. 

Well, that's it for today. It's been loads of fun to go back and go through all this history. This is stuff that I grew up with in the quilt world, and it's important. It's important to move forward, but it's good to know what foundations this knowledge is based on!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!