If you haven’t heard that “Quilty friends are the absolute best” then I am telling you now that they truly are! The Quilting Community is such a wonderful community of people who are so amazingly open, caring and sharing!
Exactly 2 months ago today, I got a notification in my mail that someone had left me a message through the contact page of the blog and here’s the message:
I am from the United States, but currently live in the Loja Province of Ecuador. I have been quilting for about ten years now. I saw a comment you posted on someone else’s blog and thought that you sounded like an interesting person.
With those words, Francesca made my entire day 🙂 The funny thing is she couldn’t even remember the blog nor the comment but that doesn’t matter…I have a new friend all the way in Ecuador!!! We’ve since written back and forth sharing more about our selves, family, the community where we live in and the challenges of trying to quilt there. She is sort of a lone quilter like me and it’s really cool that she “found me”. I read this blog post about Quilting in Ecuador and it’s interesting to see the similarities between there and here…There is no “Quilting tradition” but at least they have 1 “tiny Quilt Shop” located in Quito the capital city.
While I have never visited Ecuador and will very much love to someday, I feel like I know a bit about life there and I’m sure Francesca can say the same about Nigeria…my part of the country anyway. She is planning to relocate back to Alaska and then I’ll have a Quilty friend in Alaska 😉 but she sent me some beautiful pictures that she has graciously permitted me to share with y’all and I’m so excited to do just that!
This is a famous mountain called “The Sleeping Inca.” The Inca empire ruled before the Spanish came
You can check out her progress as she tries to repair a quilt made by her Great-Grandpa Harry back in 1907 when he was seventeen years old! http://poohoney.com/great_grandpa_harrys_crazy_quilt.htm. She’s on Facebook at: http://facebook.com/acsecnarf on Pinterest at: http://pinterest.com/kalbekleciau and if you are a reader, she has a book on Amazon: The King’s Magic which has great reviews 🙂
In Conclusion, I have made wonderful friends via this blog and Instagram that has made my quilting journey a pleasurable one…there is Synnøve in Norway who is a “vintage machine freak” that was so helpful when I had a decision to make. Paul Hallinger of @evildemondevildog who is ever so patient to reply my messages even if it’s something as silly as block orientation and will happily point me in the right direction if it’s outside his area of expertise. Melanie, Karen, Tierney, the lovely hosts and all the members of the 2016 New Quilt Blogger group (especially my fellow Hive Sewciety Members) whom I’ve learnt so much from these past months and even the friends who leave encouraging comments on this blog…Y’all are amazing and I’m so grateful!
Thanks a lot for stopping by, have a lovely weekend and cheers to wonderful Quilty friends!
Sola 🙂
What a lovely story. I am always awed at how easy the internet makes it to make contact with people half a world away. Thanks for sharing this lovely story with us.
Isn’t it simply amazing? Technology definitely has its perks 😀I was truly touched by her reaching out that I just had to share especially after making more friends through the new quilt bloggers forum. I’m glad you enjoyed the story.
What a wonderful post and story – yes it is so wonderful that quilters all over the world can cannot – yay technology! Thanks for sharing photos of the work of a quilter in Ecuador!
Thank you so much! It is the best thing that we can all find each other and share our love for this wonderful craft 🙂 Her quilts are beautiful aren’t they?
Great post! Those are wonderful pics of Ecuador and Francesca’s quilts! You are not alone. We are all here for you, just a click away.
Thanks a lot Karen, I know you all are and for that I am extremely grateful. I have seen so much improvement in my work and even blog through liaising with fellow Quilters!
Cheers to quilty friends! Thanks for sharing the story of Francesca and her quilts.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading about her and I really like the Quilts too that’s why I asked to share them.
That is so wonderful that you’ve connected through something as random (and no longer remembered) blog comment. Having an online community of quilters is so vital when you don’t have that in-person connection. Quilty people are the most generous people I know.
It really is so wonderful! Having this community to inspire and guide me through has made such huge difference😀. Thanks a lot for stopping by
Thank you, my new friend. 🙂 I am touched to be included in your list.
One thing about quilters (and other artists) in remote places: you are forced to be so resourceful, making do with limited supplies and sometimes things I take for granted, like electricity! And yet that doesn’t damp your creativity or drive to make beautiful things. Cheers to you!
Thanks a lot Melanie. That’s exactly what it is, you have to be resourceful. Seeing the beautiful things created by other Quilters and knowing that there’s always so many ways to achieve the same goal is how I push through. Progress might be slow but I have to keep at it 😀cos I’m having too much fun with this!
Ah, the moral is this: make more blog comments; make more friends. 🙂
You got it! 😀 I should have included this in the conclusion as a summary 😃
Isn’t it great that people from all around the world can meet online.
It’s wonderful! Thanks Lisa
Reaaaally cool as an Ecuadorian I gotta say I loved your pics 🙂
Wow that’s amazing!!! Thanks 😀