Yesterday was a milestone day for me.. I participated in an event, known as Meet the Teachers, which is usually held annually at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell Ma, which is about 30 minutes away from me. It was the first time I had the chance to speak with a Live group of any size in the 20 months since the Covid related lockdown began. It was wonderful - and for the first time in a long time, I said ‘people’ in a good way.

Let’s just say that I began the day with a hard crash back into reality. I’m really really not used to commuting in morning traffic - but like riding a bike, it all came back to me. This program is designed to allow the most amount of member guilds through the program with multiple sets of teachers in as short amount of time as possible. It’s like ‘speed dating’ except without cocktails. The Museum did a great job of adapting the format to a Covid format, with fewer presenters and more space amongst the chairs. But it was familiar, and the loudest applause of the day came with the announcement that it was good to be back.

Each of the presenters in each of the sessions shared a table with one other teacher, and it was up to you to share space. My table mate is Lynn Kane, a designer and a teacher who actually came to the event from Upstate New York. I hadn’t realized it, but Lynn took the binding class that I taught for the Q U I L T S of Schenectady group in September…but she flew under the radar. Lynn is the type of person who believes that you can learn from everyone, and she was curious as to whether there was anything she didn’t know. Having someone who had a positive experience with one of your classes is the best possible recommendation a teacher could want. Her company is Puppy Girl Designs - Stitching for the Modern Soul, and her work centers around hand embroidery (can you see the squirrel in her Block of the Month on the table?)

I’m really excited about the possibilities of getting back to live presentations, but I’m also aware that the world is uncertain, and I’m not entirely sure we’ve left virtual meetings behind - that’s why ALL my presentations have been converted or developed for both an in-person experience, or a virtual one.

If you weren’t at the Museum, but would like to learn more about having me speak with your guild, please contact me.

Hi, I’m Linda Pearl - quilter, teacher, designer and blogger, and I’m happy to have you here. I’d like to tell you a little bit more About Me…