sitges 2012 part 2

View my visit to Sitges part 1 
Some additional quilts from the show, some are from Carol Taylor´s collection. Again, amazing craftmanship on every quilt. 

sitges quilt fair 2012 part 1

Sitges is a beautiful coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea less than 3 hours away. . Marian and I met up with Susi and her daughter Eli from Barcelona to visit the Patchwork festival that is hosted there every year. We had a lovely, sunny, warm day strolling along the boardwalk, catching up on our news, speaking a little English and picnicking in the park. There were 5  different locations to view the quilts, but we only found 3. If any of you have ever tried to find your way around any Spanish small town or any European town,  you know that it is easy to get lost. You also do it all on foot so,eventually, you give up and have an espresso at one of the nice outdoor cafes, grateful you had found anything you were looking for. It is something we have learned here....start with your plan for the day, cut it in half and hope you get 1/3 of it done! It is a great stress reliever! Marian was the photographer for the day as mine ran out of battery as soon as we arrived.( I love my life, I love my life!! Keep saying it til you mean it!)

 

These are from

Ellen Sienkiewicz´s collection of Baltimore Album quilts. Each one was a cooperative effort from places all over the world where  she has held clinics to teach her skills to others. The workmanship was outstanding!!

see sitges quilt fair part 2

creativa craft fair

Marian and I went to a craft fair with a friend from Barcelona. -María Susi- Crafts and recreational sewing is new to Zaragoza/Spain. Ceramics and lace-making are traditionally Spanish past-times. But the American crafting craze is catching on here. The fair consisted of MANY patchwork/quilting stands and a few scrapbook, stenciling and stamping vendors. Though these have been around for years in the U.S. they are the new rage here in Z. And expensive! Crafts supplies here are very highly priced. Quilting fabric is sells for $15 and up. Needless to say, I stock up on my NY visits. There was one stand for cake decorating...Marian and I are in the background. Susi is the photographer, we forgot to take more pix so you could meet her as well. Next time! This coming weekend their is a quilt exhibition in Sitges, on the Mediterranean Sea. We are working on how to get there....more hopes and dreams!

Eleanor Roosevelt said....DO SOMETHING TODAY THAT SCARES YOU!

Paul the Apostle  said....GOD HATH NOT GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER, OF LOVE AND OF A SOUND MIND. 

What are you afraid of? Take the plunge and do it!! If it isn´t bad for you, it will make you stronger!

benicarló, spain

 The village of Benicarló, Spain.

 Benicarlo is a nice, quiet village on the Mediterranean Sea. A port town with only a small, pebble beach. The locals are very friendly and hospitable. We enjoyed three days of relaxation, taking quiet walks and having much needed family time.The photos were taken from our rooftop. Friends lent us their apartment for the weekend. I made Pili and Javier a thank you basket with small items I found on our trip and the items I made for my last post.

Cabezudos are Spain´s version of the parade balloons. They are over-sized puppet mannequin-like dolls. Someone hides underneath the clothing and guides them down the street. We arrived for our weekend at the end of Carnaval. (Mardi Gras). We saw many villagers dressed in traditional costumes, and dodged various trails of firecrackers.

This last photo is of Morella, Spain. It was a quick stop on our way back to Zaragoza.  I wish I had a picture of inside the village. It is a  must see. The entire town is surrounded with a stone wall. It is set high on a hill. Entering the town you feel like you have gone back in time to Medieval days. The aqueduct in the photo is from 13th or 14th century.