"I'm on a tea run!" I sung out to Ellen, the little lady who owns it. Ellen is not going to get rich from my patronage of her store. I pay my respects regularly to the ring I love, but realistically, I'm probably never going to buy it. Still, she can depend on me to be in, once a month, for a box of Barry's tea. And with a little luck, I might be tempted by some other little trinket from The Ould Sod!
"I have something to show you," Ellen said, taking my arm and steering me to the front corner of the store, where she keeps her books, CDs, calenders and such. Like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, she brandished a large, shiny magazine under my astonished nose, beaming up at me from every inch of her five foot height. She knew she'd scored a coup!
I was delighted! I'd been looking for a copy, any copy, since I'd been home last spring. The first issue had sold out the week before I arrived. Back in the States, I continued to search. Every time I was in a bookstore, I checked. No luck. Every time I was in a quilt shop, I checked. No luck. I asked Ellen if there was any chance she'd be getting it in. She sounded doubtful. But now her suppliers had sent her a few copies. Of course I bought it, though I gagged at the price! Ellen was happy. I was happy.
That evening I curled up on the couch for a read. So, how is it, you want to know? My impression is that it is geared very much towards the beginning quilter. Nothing too strenuous. But all presented and packaged beautifully. The patterns all seemed easy and basic. Me, I like to be challenged! But they did look very appealing in the photos, made up in beautiful fabrics and photographed in my favourite country in the world. I fell in love with this sweet little red work pattern, by an Australian designer.
I'm sure I'll be stitching it soon.
Towards the back of the magazine was an article about quilting blogs. That got my attention. Especially when one of the blogs mentioned was Micki's.....
Micki comes by here once in a while! Small world.
And lastly, I have to send Rise on a mission. Your mission, Rise, should you decide to accept it, is to find the Limerick Quilting Center and report back to me! I'll be here, waiting, sipping away at my cup of Barry's. From my favourite mug, of course!
5 comments:
Reading eagerly, Molly. Keep at it. It is good to discover a new magazine about one's precious interests.
I have tried to source that magazine for you, several times! I have been assured that its not an Irish publication ... more likely to be American ... And as the Irish don't have a tradition of quilting or patching you probably would be better off using your own ingenuity and creativity to create an "Irish Quilt" ... Oh God ... I can see shamrocks and shillelaghs .. leprechauns and pots of gold at the end of rainbows ... I don't feel well Molly ... I must go lie down ...
You and Rise crack me up! Did she misunderstand her mission? And what exactly is a shillelagh? I know how to pronounce it -- just not exactly sure what it is? An instrument???
And WHEN precisely, Miss Molly, do you think I'm going to find the time to go traipsing around the country to find the Long Lost Quilters of Hibernia?? But for you ... if you're a VERY good girl, I will try ...
Thimbleanna ... a shillelagh is of course an instrument! An instrument of destruction, sported by wicked leprechauns hell bent on beating the bejaysus out of would be pot-of gold thieves .. tis a shtout shtick to be shure to be shure ... I definitely MUST go and get horizontal ...
Maybe you should take another trip back to your homeland to get more issues of that magazine?
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