Julie at My Quilt Diary

I know many of my blog friends already visit Julie over at My Quilt Diary but if you don't usually, you ought to stop in. 

First off... On this post, Julie wrote about her quilt that won first prize on the online quilt show at Michele at Quilting Gallery.  I didn't take the picture off her post so you will have to go see it yourself on her blog...  It is absolutely fantastic.  How I'd like to applique a quilt like that!!!  Julie is a hand-piecer and hand appliquer...  I think she said she doesn't even have a sewing machine!  Looking at her quilts makes me want to go back to basics.  Please go see her beautiful, beautiful quilt!

Julie and I have been blog friends for a couple of years now though we've not yet met in person.  Julie, like me, has married this country of Japan and we can sympathize about the pluses and minuses of being a foreigner in our adopted country. 

Last month Julie went out to the northern part of Japan to help organize a couple patchwork and quilting sessions for some of the women living in temporary housing since the earthquake and tsunami.  She said that there are sixty such community groups and she was able to lead two sewing sessions using scraps and materials from her own stash.  Someone made a wonderful video featuring Julie and her thoughts about making quilts and about life in general.  It was the first time for me to "hear" Julie speak her thoughts (as opposed to reading them).  Maybe you can follow this link to the video here... or of course you can see it through Julie's blog too.

I am reminded of my friendship with Julie daily because she sent me a cheery table runner a couple of years ago and it brightens my dining room table everyday!