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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Triangles has some exciting news to share. 

All information regarding the exchange has been moved to Chapter 2 - Sisterhood of the Traveling Triangles Exchange on the Forum. This is where regular updates on how many packages and HSTs have been received will be provided.

Remember, if you have any questions, ask them in the Forum.

As of February 3, 22 packages containing 6,520 HSTs have been received. So far, all are from the U.S., but one is on its way from Suffolk, England.

And, if that is not enough...Alex and Ricky have joined the SoTTT exchange.  They will be signing their HSTs on the fabric instead of on the paper.  You could receive an autographed HST!  Don't forget that Edyta is also in the mix. Can't wait to see what happens.

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While in Kenya, Alex, Ricky and their touring friends visited the Kazuri Bead Factory.  Kazuri means small and beautiful in Swahili.  It is hand-painted ceramic jewelry shaped by hand by one of the 300 local women employed by the factory.  The beads are kiln fired once, glazed, and fired again before they are used.

The factory was founded by Lady Susan Wood in 1975 as a means to create employment for struggling single mothers.  It is located in Karen, named after Karen Blixen of 'Out of Africa' fame, on part of her original farm. The area is just a few miles outside of Nairobi and lies under the Ngong Hills.

Unlike mass-produced goods, Kazuri jewelry is unique and one-of-a kind.  The little quirks and trademarks represent the individual people who make the beads, paint them, and give them a soul as well as beauty.

Many Kazuri styles are named after areas, tribes and other features of the Kenyan landscape; evocative names that resonate with the organic nature of the clay that comes from its earth. Each little piece is like a piece of Kenya.

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Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so we thought we'd revisit TQS Member Margo's quilt, "From the Heart." She took the basic layout from the 2010 Star Crazy BOM, but replaced the sampler stars with hand-embroidered redwork. She also simplified the piecing in the borders.

The redwork designs were created by Alex. The one exception was the daisy design, which Margo created herself. To see Margo and Alex in front of the award-winning quilt, click here.

To learn more about Margo, click here, and enjoy her fabulous quilts.

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Here to offer you even more inspiration, is a quilter from Texas who lost her sight years ago and decided she didn't want to just sit around the house and sulk.  After watching this, you'll find it tough to come up an excuse for not finishing that quilt.

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TQS Member Ritzy has asked that we send out this update:

The final sign up for the BATIKS ONLY half-square triangle exchange is Monday, Feb. 7, 2011.  For more information, please go to the Forum thread "specific fabric exchange."

You'll be signing up through the Forum, please do not leave a comment here.

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As we made our way through Africa from one destination to another we saw vendors of all kinds lining the highway, from potatoes to charcoal it was all there  - imagine our surprise when we rapidly zipped by a kindred spirit!

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Rumor has it that Ricky actually got kissed by his fine new friend........

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The Alliance of American Quilts Quilters' S.O.S.--Save our Stories programs records the history of quilters and their quilts through interviews.  It is a great place of find inspiration and to learn about the quilting tradition. (You might remember they interviewed Ricky's Dad.)

Once in a while a story just strikes you and you have to share it.  This is one of those stories.  It is about Louise Carter of Abbot, Maine.  Louise is 100 years old and continues to quilt, although she has yet to try a rotary cutter.  Here is just a tidbit of her story from the AAQ website, click here to read more and to find out more about the program.

This is Jeanne Wright (JW). Today's date is August 22, 2010. It's 10:10 in the morning and I'm interviewing Mrs. Louise Carter (LC) at her home in Abbot, Maine for the Alliance for American Quilts, 'Quilters' S.O.S. - Save Our Stories' project. Mrs. Carter has let us come into her home and talk with her this morning about quilting. [Mrs. Carter is joined by a friend of hers Pat Huckins (PH). Mrs. Carter is quite hard of hearing and Pat will help us from time to time. For questions which Mrs. Carter did not hear and had to be repeated to her, I will not note the repetition. Mrs. Carter turned 100 years old this year and is somewhat, and I'll emphasize, only somewhat, disabled in that she has only one arm! You will see that having only one arm is not much of an impediment to her life.] 

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At the 2009 Houston International Quilt Festival an exhibition was held by the Russian Quilters Association. Here now is the final video featuring an amazing array of talent from all over Russia.