Patchwork and Craft in Portugal: Thank you Vicki

Quilt Camp on July 15th and 16th

While having holiday in Portugal, Vicki decided to meet her old quilting buddies to have a quilt camp. For two days the quilt bar was full of busy bees and laughters. Back in the States Vicki learned how to make hexagonal spiral quilts from precut kit by John Flynn. She brought for us ready laser cut kits to do during the camp. It was great that we did not need to stand for ages with cutters and rulers.

The first day of the camp nine of us were spinning a lot because quilt's name is a spiral.

After spinning for couple of hours and just managing the centres of our quilts, it was time for lunch. Before moving back to the States Vicki loved having potluck lunches during camps and we decided to follow the tradition. I think everyone loves having potluck lunches anyway. We had on the table Arabic, English, German and Portuguese food. Everything was delicious.

Lunching, from left Anabela, Ann, Helen, Vicki, Alda, Ursula, Therese, Patricia and Javhlan behind the camera.

Alda's famour arroz doce - rice pudding. Maybe three years ago she brought her pudding to one of the quilt camps and we all loved it. When she comes she is always asked to bring it. We like to be selfish.

Ann made this chocolate cake from maiones

After lunch almost everyone picked up her picker and unpicked some seams. I gues we had too much too good food and lost our brain in our tummies. Personally, I have to pick one row in my seven circles. Alda at one point said that we need "unpicking machine". She wanted to call Mário, our Bernina dealer, to get one for us. I think no one yet made such a machine. Especially, when you pick all stitches from your twenty blocks, like Ursula did once.
If something similar is invented we might be first customers.

Ursula brought her "embroidery project" that she started at Doris Teixeira's workshop in Caldas da Rainha. It is nearly finished, only the binding is missing.

The second day we started to learn a new method of paper piercing. I did not do it but it was easier than the old method. It was strip paper piecing of a star, following a pattern of Peggy Martin.

Second day lunch, from left Anabela, Ann, Alda, Vicki, Ursula, Therese, Patricia, Cinzia. Javhlan is taking the photo.

Theres had been our mummy for two days serving our dishes. And a big thank you to her for washing up afterwards too.

Therese was also working on her spiral quilt.

After lunch Patricia, Ursula, Alda and after many frustrations Anabela finished their first block. All of them looked great and I liked all their fabric choices.