PAQA President's Blog

I recently spent an afternoon with a delightful 92 year-old lady from my church who invited me and two others to her home to see her quilts. It was so incredibly fun to watch as she did an actual bed turning, opened drawers and closets to show us oh-so-much, and had fascinating stories to tell about many of those quilts. She still does a little sewing every day, and she showed us patterns she still plans to get to. Then we sat at her kitchen table and had tea and delicious homemade almond cake served on her lovely wedding dishes. It was truly a marvelous afternoon. My friend did this not to boast or brag, but simply to share her love of quilts with others who have the same passion. I’m often a little hesitant to drag others around my house to see my piles of quilts, but when the guest is also a quilter it’s a little easier. Though we may not love the same style of quilts, or share the same color or fabric preferences, there’s just something about the common bond that quilters have. S...

Can you believe 2019 is half over? All you have to do is take one step outside to know it’s summertime in Phoenix and that means it’s HOT! Not exactly snuggle-under-a-quilt weather, but on the other hand it’s GREAT weather to stay inside and MAKE a quilt. Turn down the AC, turn on the ceiling fan, pour a tall glass of lemonade, turn on some music, and let your mind focus on making something awesome. Sounds perfect to me. And July is the time to celebrate our freedoms. Though one could argue that our country and its leaders seem to be in a bit of turmoil these days, we can still count our blessings here in America. We can happily celebrate the freedom to live where we want, worship where we choose, marry who we love, come and go as we please, take a walk and feel safe, buy just about anything we need (or want), etc. etc. I volunteer at a hospital once a week with a 19-year-old young lady who came here from Iraq a few years ago. She wears a hijab and long sleeves and long pants or sk...