Happy e-mail box

Two neat things happened came through my e-mail box this week.

There was an e-mail from Karen Eckmeier who wrote the Happy Villages book! She was so nice to write that she had done a Happy Villages workshop and one of the participants mentioned my blog and the Happy Villages that I have done with my Japanese kids. My link was even given and Karen visited and got to see some of the results of her book here in Japan. I wonder which of you nice bloggers introduced Karen to my blog.

I have used the Happy Villages technique quite a lot now and I love the collaging and then the simple quilting over tulle. I'm going to try to make Happy Villages a regular "English class" with my older kids because it is so creative. And I'm making plans to try another of Karen's books on accidental landscaping...

The other very nice e-mail that I got was from Jan. A few months ago Jan asked me for the little bear pattern that I have also made with my students and as much as possible I sent the information. I don't think I was able to send a PDF file but Jan figured it out anyway and made a couple bears. And this week she sent a picture and let me know that she taught a group of women to make the bears and they are going to use them in a fund raiser. And look at this adorable picture! All those bears together look like candy in a bowl!

This is what makes blogging so much fun, the reaching out and connecting with others and knowing that the minimal stitching one does in their own armchair goes out to influence others and maybe help. I know the quilts I have seen on Anne's blog, and Colleen's have influenced me to make similar works and those quilts have helped raise funds for the kindergarten where I teach.

My e-mail box has been smiling!