I was fortunate enough to be invited back to teach at the Applique Academy in Williamsburg, Virginia. Colonial Williamsburg is one of my most favorite places. I walked through the streets each morning and it has a calming effect on me. I love the architecture, feelings of times gone by and the memories. Joe and I have visited this area together on many occasions. One year we surprised my mother and took her to Colonial Williamsburg a week before Christmas. This area is incredibly beautiful all the time but more so during the holiday season.
Here are some photographs of what I saw on my morning walk.
As I wrote earlier, my reason for being in Williamsburg was to teach for the Applique Academy. You can find more about the academy at http://www.ellysienkiewicz.com . It is organized by Elly Sienkiewicz and her trusty assistant, Bette. The academy is structured for the students to spend three full days with one instructor. I had a wonderful group of 20 students and it was a pleasure to walk in to the room and be with them.
One day they learned how to paint on their fabric to get the veins in some leaves and to get the shading in the flower petals.
Each afternoon the seminar holds some kind of fun function for the participants. One day they have an afternoon tea and hat day. Some ladies wore their mothers’ fabulous hats. There were some great hats.
Barb found hats for us to wear. For the record…Barb made me do it.
Elly in her wonderful hat.
And the afternoon events also included a show and tell of quilts that students brought from home. Jan took my “Heard It Through the Grapevine” workshop with her guild in Harrisonburg, VA this fall and had her block to share. Jan is behind the podium and her block is being held up on the left side of the photo. Jan is an excellent appliquer and her block really showed her great workmanship.
This event is so very well organized and the staff goes the extra, extra mile. Each day they brought something special to me and my students. On the day of the tea they brought a beautiful invitation for the event with a tea bag inside. One day they brought a little gift bag with some chocolate treats and a dragonfly pin. Each teacher received a beautiful coaster with a block from the quilt we were teaching on the coaster. Elly and Bette go well beyond the norm making this one very special event. If you love to applique you must check into attending this academy.