Patchwork BG!

My quilting history starts in 2007. I accidentally stuck upon a patchwork magazine and very soon after that I received an ugly, but warm batted blanket from my mother. I was in my home town then with my newborn first daughter. By the time I came to Sofia I had decided how I shall improve the ugly blanket and... I did it. It took me this little to get hooked to quilting:) Here is my first patchwork and some of my other creations. When I showed it to two of my colleagues for my great surprise they appreciated it. They were so supportive and explained me that what I did was worth. I'm a social animal - I always look for second, third and more opinions, so what they did to me than I shall never forget... Thanx Tea and Petya!
That was a brief history of my start with quilting - how did I get here:)
We started early today:)
But the story actually starts this June. As I have probably mentioned I was on an incredible workshop then. I met a great friend there - my fellow quilter - the girl that supports me and I try to support her in our quilting efforts. I also had the chance to see real quilting in action, in exhibition and... had the chance to meet a lovely, lovely quilter from Hungary - Anna Dolany. I'll never forget her words on the second day when the workshop was over and we were preparing to leave... "You really need to register an organization if you want to connect with other quilds"... The other thing I will never forget was Tea (my quilting fellow's look) and the words "I'm starting the documentation gathering are you with me?". Now, half an year after that we made it to the courthouse - our patchwork guild - Patchwork BG - the first and only one in our country is registered on 11.11.10. The feeling is awesome... For the three years that we run a theme in a Bulgarian forum we have inspired and "infected" so many people with the patch virus and we have created so many beautiful things, but I have never felt like this before. Like...being a part of something huge that accepts no boundaries, that is pure beauty and certifies the achievements of human skills. We have a Patchwork BG group in facebook as well where the ideas are written and discussed, we found three Bulgarian ladies that actually make quilts for 20 or more years and will be able to benefit from their experience. And all that we did together... We started 4 or 5 people and our group is over 20 now:) This guild will allow us to enter the quilter's world, which (from what I've seen so far) is not an ordinary one. I really do believe that quilters are a "tribe" that is a lot better:)
Well, I told you where it started - with Anna Dolany and today - at the end of the process we had another great quilter with us - an American one - to support us and to document everything. She came from nowhere to show us the unlimited possibilities... she came to guide us further, as we had reached the maximum that can be learned only by watching quilting videos on youtube or reading the online information. Thanx, Kathryn, thank you so much that you found me... and that you are such a lovely person... You know what, I think they're gonna remember us in the courthouse - we were the only people there laughing and having great conversations instead of letting the bureaucracy ruin our mood. And...thanx for the time you spent for telling us how a real guild works... and not only that... thank you for your existence...

I'm sorry if I may sound profound to you but this really is a huge step for us. Bulgaria is undiscovered quilting market - every single tool or a book that I have I have ordered on ebay. Now, few years after I started quilting the situation is changing slowly. I hope fabric dealers will soon realize the need for at least a few decent patchwork prints and we'll be able to import some magazines... My dream is to have enough budget to invite guest lecturers and make a library...And above all I dream that one day people will understand me when I answer the question "what do you do" with "I'm a quilter:)"


So please, have a bite from my celebration fruit salad:)