Friday around noon Keti will be here! Her room is ready and supplied with magazines and books, her own mat, rulers and rotary cutter, fabrics (got to start her own stash, and new hangers in her freshly painted closet. I’ve cleaned my office including painting the closet. Yes, even my husband is making fun of [...]
Valeri’s mother died at 54 in 1985. The portrait of her that I saw I would never have guessed that she was this young. So when Valeri says that his mother died from a “hard and ruthless life” but that she loved life, I can see it. He is now working on a large painting [...]
You may not know it but I’m the co-chair of Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories, an Alliance project. We collect the stories of quiltmakers and their quilts. If you haven’t visited, please do. Anyway, I’ve always been fascinated by people’s stories so I’m trying to find out more about the story behind Valeri’s quilts [...]
The Georgian Textile Group, of which my quilt group, is a part has finally after months and months of working on it launched their website! It’s www.geotexart.org. I spent many an evening while I was in Georgia and upon my return from my home editing the text. Nino Tchatchkhiani did the work from Switzerland where [...]
President Bush is visiting Georgia. It’s been interesting to hear what has been happening in preparation for his visit. I’ve been told there are parts of Tbilisi I am not going to recognize when I return because streets have been paved and everything has been painted. I’ve heard lots of complaints that the colors chosen [...]
Working on my new lecture which I am calling “We’re All Connected: Making a Difference One Quilt at a Time.” Going through my slides and journal enteries makes me realize how difficult it is to explain what I am doing and why so I just keep working at it. It’s so hard for me to [...]
There is an interesting article in the New York Times International by Craig Smith. It is about the common abduction of women known as “ala kachuu” which translates roughly as “grab and run” for marriage in Kyrgyzstan. I remember my interrupter telling me that she would protect me against abduction while I was in Almaty. [...]
Keti needs to postpone coming because her exams are scheduled until May 27. I’m always amazed at how things work out. When I enthusiastically agreed to her coming on the 18th, I had totally forgotten that this is the date of the Alliance’s raffle quilt, “The Voice of You and Me 2004,” in Louisville, Kentucky [...]
I still don’t know how the Russian quiltmakers ended up in Georgia. I do know that the woman, Ludmila from St. Petersburg, giving the lecture yesterday expressed many things that I have been saying which is that Georgian quiltmakers need to make Georgian quilts not American ones. I think they may be listening more now. [...]
My trip still remains very much on my mind. I always find it interesting what surfaces in my mind just before I fall asleep. Last night I remembered the Georgian man who brought his grandmother’s shawl to me. It is difficult to tell the age of people in Georgia. Living a hard life ages people [...]
I have finally heard from the Armenian male quiltmaker! He still has hopes for an exhibition of the 100 pieces (both paintings and quilts) he has created to honor his mother. I would like to help if at all possible. I don’t know who is translating for him or how often he checks his e-mail. [...]
There are Russian quiltmakers visiting and exhibiting in Georgia! I wish I could tell you more but this is all I know. I’ve been waiting for details for 4 days. I don’t even know who sponsored the exhibition or how it all came to happen. I am use to this. The promises made are always [...]
It was my understanding that the next symposium in Tbilisi, Georgia was going to center solely on felt and include an international felt exhibition from Britain. I’ll admit to having mixed emotions. I know I don’t need the symposium to teach or to be my reason for going to Georgia. However, to not having quiltmaking [...]
Keti got a visa! 50 people had appointments and only 6 people got visas. I’ve been holding my breath all day worrying since I hadn’t heard. She said that they only had a couple questions. Unfortunately she didn’t tell me what they were but I did ask. So she’ll be here the end of May [...]
I finally heard from Keti tonight. Her interview for her visa is the 13th. She’s nervous. She feels her future is riding on this. Add to this, her finals for her degree begin on the 14 and go until the 16th of May. She has to pass on everything she has studied for the last [...]
This trip was both physically and emotionally hard so I thought I would skip the feeling of loss. Silly me. I don’t think I could accomplish all that I wish I could in a lifetime. I wish I could save the world through quiltmaking so I’ll just do my small part. I know that I [...]