Friends!

I have had a very busy day sewing trying to finish the bags I'm making as presents. I'm nearly there! But while I was working on them I started thinking about friends and how we find our friends. I have a very good friend in Sue and I see her often. Also I have other friends that I see from time to time and we always have a good time. These are often students from classes or that I have met at various workshops. But also I have made so many friends since I started using the net about ten years ago and joined some of the Yahoo lists. Some of these friends I've met in my travels and others are still unknown to me in person but still very dear friends, some of whom I'm been corresponding with for nearly ten years. What is wonderful is that we all have the same basic interest in textiles which means we never run out of things to talk about. The kindness of these internet friends surpasses all. On my first teaching trip to the States two of these friends at opposite sides of America put me up and made my stay so memorable. They had no idea as to what I'd be like. I could have been the guest from hell! Perhaps I was and they haven't liked to tell me! Grin! They have become my dearest friends since then and I'm waiting for them to come to the UK so I can return the favours. And each time I have been in the States I have met so many people who until then had only been names with no faces. And now they too have become friends; even though we may not email or correspond that often it is always delightful to be in contact with them. Through the web I have got to know people from as far away as Australia and Japan and also all over Europe. Plus the nicest thing is actually meeting new people from England. The piece of crazy patchwork that I am going to post above is a block that I made and then two of my friends in Canada - one I've met several times, one I've never met - embroidered it for me in a mini round robin. The theme was Winter and I have made it into a cushion which I bring out each December. Actually it is an ideal size for having in the car to put behind my neck. Really comfortable. I took it with me to Scotland in the summer. The fact that two people would put so much effort into a piece of work for someone they didn't really know that well really touched me. And since I've started writing this blog I find that I am 'meeting' more people. A whole new world of friends is opening up. It is like ripples in a pond just spreading wider and wider. So I am going to cherish my friends as they are very important to me and one of my resolutions for 2006 will be to keep in touch and not let friendships wither and die for lack of effort. So thank you for being my friends! I'll try to be worthy of your friendship!