The Sappy QuiltCon Post. (You might want to skip this one) (Seriously, Kathleen says a lot of embarrassing things)

I'm home from QuiltCon. I haven't quite processed yet. I walked in my front door just over an hour ago, and feel... restless. So I'm writing my blog post while I'm all sappy and emotional. So feel free to not continue reading. Things are going to get messy and far to personal.

Two years ago (!!) I went to QuiltCon for the first time, and took 2 classes from Angela Walters (or A-Dubs as Rocky calls her) which basically completely changed my life. At least my quilty life. I had never really long armed before that, and after that I went right home, set up the P3 at work, and haven't stopped since.

This time I took two Angela Walter's classes and three Krista Withers classes. And I learned so much in all of them. I'm so excited to get on my long arm and try out some new things. Plus, some great shopping (maybe to much great shopping) so I'm excited for some time in my sewing room too. Plus, 4 meals at the Iron Cactus, which is an awesome restaurant I had been dreaming about since the last QuiltCon.

For me though, the most magical, was meeting so many great people. And actually talking to them, and connecting with them. Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I'm pretty quiet around new people. I don't talk to anyone, ever. No jokes. So actually meeting and talking to people, was just so amazing.

One of my favourite parts from last QuiltCon was meeting Nikki (www.thegirlwhoquilts.com). We had a class together (a circle piecing class which neither of us have used the techniques from since) and then had lunch at Quilt Market last spring (which got a bit out of hand, and I ended up being nearly 2 hours late for my after-lunch appointment). It was so crazy awesome to talk to her again, at random times on the show floor, as well as a lovely dinner (dinner this time to avoid missing any appointments this time... and I didn't miss anything that night, talking to her on Sunday during lunch I did have to RUN to not be obnoxiously late for my class) Plus, she quilted the Viewers Choice quilt, so I'm feeling pretty awesome to know her :D

I also met @halldarla and @flourishingpalms which was also just so lovely. I didn't have a lot of time to talk to either one of them, but it was so nice to meet some instagram people in real life.

Plus, Claire (www.sewingoverpins.com) who  made the crazy awesome Rose Star Quilt, it was so cool to meet her in person. She is an awesome spunky, crazy person who I loved. It was so nice to meet the person who was crazy enough to make that quilt, and fun to hang out with her for a bit and feel like a bit of a celebrity as she introduced me to people who had seen her quilt.

Gemma (www.prettybobbins.com) wrote about me last year in a blog post for her quilt guild which was really the first time I gained any followers, and is still one of my best feel-good-about-myself moments. I met her in class on Thursday, then we had a chance to chat during lunch on Friday, and then had a crazy epic dinner on Sunday night. It was just so... lovely... to meet her and talk to her.

So epic dinner... Sunday night Gemma and I made plans to get a bit to eat... which soon grew to include Krista (Withers... @lolablueocean... seriously, one of my favourite quilters) which I was super excited about, then also was joined by Jess (www.elvengardenquilts.blogspot.com) as well as the girls from Patchwork Threads (who were both lovely, but who's names I have forgotten..) So suddenly my little dinner with just one person was dinner with 6... and then 8 when the guys from the patchwork threads booth joined us too... and anyone who knows me at all knows I don't really do well in large groups... especially large groups of people I don't know. So on the walk to the restaurant I was freaking out a bit. But for real, it ended up being such an epic night, and definitely one of the highlights of my trip. We had such a good talk about quilting and life and so much... we were in the restaurant for 4 hours, and I couldn't believe how fast time went, or how sad I was when it was time head back to my hotel.

I joked about how when Rocky found out there would be tattoo's at QuiltCon he said he would divorce me if I didn't get one and so Krista offered to tattoo me... with a permanent marker. Mine is the one on the right.

I had just the most wonderful time. I can't believe that it's over. When I was 9, I went to an event with people from all around Canada, and at the end of the 10 days, I remember thinking how dumb it was to have made all these friends, because they all had to go back to their homes where I would probably never see them again, and so I was just sad. Which is just how I feel today. I made these great friends, but they don't even live all over Canada but all over the world. And so what am I supposed to do now? A part of me is a bit broken today, which going into QuiltCon was not the feeling I expected to come out with. While I am inspired and... fulfilled... today I feel a bit broken.

When I was 16-18 I kept a journal of pretty much every thought that I had. And I found the part from after General Council when I was broken, even more than I am now.

And so now it's time to go home and my heart is being ripped into a million pieces. The knowledge that I'm never going to see any of these people ever again, kills. and its 3 in the morning, and I don't want to go to bed because when I wake up half these great people will be gone. Everyone lives forever away, and I'm dying inside basically. the fact that Daniel was almost crying as I said good-bye, and how Greg was so worried about having to leave while I was bawling, and Mya following when i had to leave, and I don't want tomorrow (today really i guess) to ever come, because I don't want to go home and i don't want to leave, and so now I'm going to go cry myself to sleep, because there is nothing I can do anymore.

And while I'm not nearly that dramatic anymore, a part of me is 17 and broken all over again. Apparently making friends breaks me.

I really just don't even have the words to describe what this week meant to me. It was so much more than I was expecting. And while I feel broken, it's a nice kind of broken. It's nice to have a connection strong enough to break. And it's been a long time since it's happened to me.  So I'm going to be Ok. I'm going to quilt and keep in touch, and... be awesome. I'm so glad I went to QuiltCon, and now can't wait until the next time.

... things got a bit crazy there. I'm probably going to regret hitting the publish button, but I'm feeling so much better for having gotten it all out. So now back to my regular life.

Love & later days, Kathleen.