One VERY Special Group of Quilters

Brenda S (L) and Valerie L (R) 2018

Of all the good things that have come from

the publication of BUILD A BARN,

the friendships that grew up amongst 

the charter members of the

Secret Society of Barn Builders

is the one that warms my heart the most.

We are an international group

with quilt makers in Germany,

Canada, and all across the US.

None of us live anywhere near each other

which makes what I'm about to share

even more special and amazing.

* * *

This past month, Brenda Suderman 

and her husband traveled/camped

nearly half-way across Canada

to visit Valerie in Nova Scotia.

I absolutely love the photo above showing Brenda and Valerie

 together with two of their SSOBB Gallery Quilts.

Valerie (L) and Glen P. (R) 2017

Last year Glen traveled from Louisiana

 to visit Valerie in Nova Scotia.

(They live roughly 1,800 miles away from each other)

Lynne's Liberated Bird Class in St. Louis 2013
Julie S. and Cherie M. back row / Lynne front row right with Millie

Lynne Tyler has met up with several of us 

including yours truly, Cherie Moore, and Chris Ballard.

Debbie (R) with her mom (L) during Lynne's class at Quilted Threads

Lynne has also met Debbie Voigt,

who drove from NC to NH 

to take a liberated birds class with Lynne.

Lynne with Kathy French - November 2016

Lynne traveled about 200 miles each way

to spend a weekend with Kathy French

not long before Kathy learned she had lung cancer.

Salem Stitcher (L) with Nancy (R) and Debbie (front) - Asheville, 2011

Debbie Voigt and Nancy Stevens 

have met up with each other

even though they live several states apart.

Julie Post with The Seasonal Sampler at AQS Des Moines

And Julie Post (Iowa) and Brenda Suderman (Canada)

had planned to meet at AQS Des Moines 

to see the Special Exhibit of SSOBB Gallery Quilts,

but ended up missing each other by a day.

L to R:  Lynn Harris, Heidi B, Cherie M, Julie S.
Chattanooga 2016

Cherie Moore (Illinois), Heidi from Germany 

and I met up with each other

during a liberated quilt making class

during AQS Chattanooga 2016

where our instructor was Lynn Harris 

who took some of the photos used in the book.

Julie S (L) and Brenda S (R)

I met up with Brenda S.

during AQS Grand Rapids 2013.

Julie (L) and Debbie (R) - 2017

I met up with Debbie V.

at the Folk School last year

after being online friends for many years.

Julie and Chris shown here with Lynne's newly-quilted
Letters From Home that was published in Word Play Quilts.

I've spent hours and hours with Chris B.

since she quilted almost all of my quilts

for the first many years of my quilty-life.

And there are plans afoot for me to meet up with 

Nancy Stevens in Nashville next year 

during Quilt Con 2019.

Collaborative quilt made by the SSOBB for Glen 2016

Best of all, the correspondence that flew amongst us

during the creation of BUILD A BARN continues

as we have supported each other through

the death of Hilda's husband, 

the flooding of Glen's house,

 Hilda's breast cancer and Kathy's terminal lung cancer,

serious illness of various family members,

retirements, the deaths of parents,

 the births of several grandchildren,

and for so many other reasons.

I don't know about the gallery quilt makers 

who have been part of other books,

but I am thrilled to be a part of THIS group!