In Stitches, From Laughter

O.K. Can I just say how much fun yesterday was?


A huge thank you to AnneMarie for organizing and having all six of us expats into her home for the whole day. Not to mention taking on board my babes and MaryPoppins. A big shout out to AnneMarie's DH, FarmerBoy, for all his hospitality!!

Thank you!!


We met at AnneMarie's house for a day of mingling and sewing.

Mingling: What a good group of gals. We had some serious laughs.

Sewing: Where's the seam ripper? That was heard 27 times every hour. Don't be surprised when we report not a single finished sewing project much to chagrin of Head Mistress Anne Marie despite her many threats and finger waggles.

But we did have fun in the process.

We really did not account for all the chatting that would distract us from sewing. Or the need to redo 112 wonky nine-patches.

Topics of conversation included:


How I met my husband. No variety there. With all having Irish husbands, 'pub' was the top surveyed answer.

How much we love Irish women. Right up there with wonky nine patches.
American foods. Gotta love that Mac'n Cheese at 6 Euros a pop; Betty Crocker for a fiver; to passed by the 7 Euro boxes of Lucky Charms.
US Postal Service. Puh-lease bring back the cheap boat service. The stoppage of economy post has created serious cutbacks on our care packages.

Key notes arising from the occasion include:

Do keep a bowl of Palmolive on hand for AnneMarie's inpromptu manicures.
Do educate Sherry on the merits of accurate seam allowances.
Do tell Alanna (below pic) to stop listening to Sherry as her project was a full half inch shorter than all the rest. She'd learn nothin' good from that one.
Do start Women-Over-Thirty Sorority Club for expats in Ireland.
Do nominate Jessica to initate/rush on all prospective members.

Unfortunately I did not live up the to the image of a stellar quilter as AnneMarie had painted. She could be heard several times shrieking, "I told these girls you knew what you were doing!"
Note the hand gesturing below.
(I've 16 more photos of similar hand wringing, but figure, in one day alone, Anne Marie has suffered enough of my shortcomings that I don't need to plaster blogville with the visuals.)



After botching the cutting instructions and ironing guidelines within two hours of arriving, I appointed myself the "What-Not-To-Do Example Gal'. This did not amuse our hostess.
I think I was even accused of theivery at some point. It's not my fault someone's perfect nine patch fell into my stack of wonky squares.


You know, I would've gotten away with it, had the Head Mistress known where to look for my quarter inch sewing foot earlier. Then I would have definitely had perfect seams.

Thank goodness my olive cheese bread was a hit. I was saved from unthinkable abuse (no doubt well deserved); I'm pretty sure I heard her breathe the words 'stick' 'torture' and 'get it right' shortly before distracting her with a slice of heaven.

There is 99% certainity that AnneMarie will replace our friendship with that of our latest protégé , Kim. Man, that girl was focused on her project. (See above) Teacher's pet, no doubt.

She very nearly gave us other silly quilters a bad name. For a fleeting second I thought twice about giving her her lift home.

Instead I think she might rub off on me. She's coming over to my place on Wednesday and we hope to finish our projects.

I'm serving my olive cheese bread for lunch. Just in case.