Last week I travelled to the Bitterroot Valley in Montana to visit the Bitterroot Quilters Guild. I presented a lecture on Wednesday evening and students joined me for Give & Take Applique Design Discoveries on Thursday.
The Bitteroot Valley is a very wide valley that was once a glacial lake. The valley is bordered by mountain ranges on both sides and there was a new dusting of snow on the closest ones.
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The pond behind the hotel where I stayed.
Spring is just around the corner. I saw nesting ducks and Canada geese and a huge heron just waiting for breakfast. |
My host, Jamie, told me about the history of the area and we visited the Daly Mansion, Riverside. A large amount of valley land was originally purchased by copper magnate Marcus Daly and the mansion was the summer residence of his widow. The Georgian Revival style mansion is surrounded by a large arboretum featuring deciduous trees, some of which are over 100 years old. The Guild's quilt show will be held at the mansion later this year.
My students designed their own Give & Take Applique blocks after trying several designs with paper. I am always amazed at the creativity of my students! There are plans for some exciting quilts from this group.
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