Blast From the Past

I have a friend her name is Sam. I almost wrote "had a friend" but that would imply that we are not any longer or something worse, which is not the case. Once a friend always a friend. It's only that I knew her for a very short time and I have not been in contact with her since 2007 when Sam and her family moved to their next posting in Hong King. I met her in 2006 when we moved to Sri Lanka and felt a bit short changed to find she would be leaving soon as I liked her immensely and instantly. Sam and a few other women had started a Stitch 'n Bitch which I joined. These women were good! The things they made were jaw droppingly gorgeous and they were exceptional quilters - hand-stitched always. I learned alot from them and I wish I could still go to our Tuesday night sessions as now I would really love to pick their brains. So why this walk down memory lane? I was surprised to see her name pop up on Facebook this morning saying that I had been tagged in a photo. I immediately went to the link and saw something I had completely forgotten about and which really moved me. Over many years, (I'm not sure how many but it started well before I met her), Sam has had all the women in the various stitch groups she has belonged to in the various countries she has lived in, hand-stitch (of course!) a square for a friendship quilt. She just finished. It's beautiful and I can't possibly think of a more meaningful and beautiful way to remember so many women that she has met in her life - some I'm sure have become lifelong friends and others just a name in a place and others, every degree in between. But all these women came together for their common bond- a love of needlecraft (and wine truth be told). Isn't that awesome? I am totally envious, and in awe of this amazing quilt and it is a testament to an amazingly wonderful person. Here's some pics that I ripped from FB (hope you don't mind Sam!). Love.

The square in the bottom row, second from the left is the one I made.