HAPPY AFTERMATH

The last few days of our "dream trip" to San Francisco were hectic to say the least: EVERY woman creating and completing a quilt (with mini-lessons for each step-by-step), finishing the many simple projects that were started throughout the week, last minute shopping, and lots of packing. Bev and I were constantly dropping not-so-subtle hints that everything needed to fit in the suitcase and weigh NOT more than 22 kilos. I kept looking at Vilma's "Barbie Glam Vacation House" that she brought for her daughter Sarah and wondered where it was going to fit.
The amount of learning that took place during these ten days was phenomenal: I saw incredible growth in sewing skills, in quality control, in design, in color use, etc., etc.. Most of these women had not been exposed to modern kitchens, and after a week with a variety of appliances and conveniences at their fingertips, they were navigating with confidence. They were attentive, receptive and full of gratitude with each lesson and experience. Their senses of humor rose to the top; they were delightful to live with.
At the beginning of this trip, I imagined that we'd have a few homesick souls, but that never happened. As time went on, I realized they probably have never had a time like this with trusted girlfriends, a sewing room and fabric at their fingertips, with the ability to sew into the wee hours of the night, laughing and sharing stories. And all of this was happening without family members interrupting their focus with requests for meals and the like.Don't we all love retreats from life!
On one of our final days, Linda allowed them to collect their packing materials - fabric cuts of their choice to fold and pack around their new sewing machines, filling up every nook and cranny with goodies to sew and create with for a very long time to come. Linda's generosity was GI-NORMOUS and she and this amazing opportunity will not be easily forgotten.
Many thanks Linda and all her many volunteers for all you provided for us. Many thanks to my fantastic traveling partners, Bev and Toy...we are such a good team! And to our lovely "sewing ladies" from Mazatlan, thank you for being dedicated to your craft, working so hard at all you do, being my friends, and being the reason for all of the last two weeks to happen.
Now, for a bit of breathing...