DWM: Monday, and a delightfully convention-al weekend

These three blocks are on my design wall. Lately I've been using 1.5" postage stamps as leaders-and-enders. I had made several 16-patch units without any idea of how I'd use them.  I found a pattern in McCall's America Loves Scrap Quilts (Winter 13/14 issue). It's called Midnight Sky and it uses 61 of these 8" blocks. Ordinarily I use the cutaway corner method for flying geese units but each block generates 8 little triangles. I decided that I will use the four-at-a-time method [cut background 5-1/4", cut four contrast squares 2-7/8"].  The background is dark blue.

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This weekend was the 113th convention of the Illinois State Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield.  I served in two capacities: as the delegate from my chapter and as a member of the Lulu Corkhill Williams Friendship Fund, an Illinois project that provides funds for emergency assistance. Recipients must be Illinois residents and must be referred by local P.E.O. chapters. [From 7/1/14 to 6/10/15 there were 64 Lulu awards totalling $104,600.  All the funds are raised by gifts from P.E.O. chapters. (No outside grants.)]

In recent years the state board and convention committee have worked hard to condense the convention without discarding too much tradition. There were 355 voting members and 474 visitors. I knew quite a few people -- about 10 are both AAUWs and P.E.O.s -- and I met many more.  A library colleague came as delegate for her chapter. Neither of us knew the other is a P.E.O.  An Alpha Gam sister and I reconnected, too.   My roommate was my long-time friend Fran. She lives in Carbondale, at the opposite end of the state from me. She was the convention registrar and was so busy that we did not have much opportunity to catch up.

The theme this year was "A New Day-Z: the Renaissance of P.E.O." The Lulu display got lots of attention!

 Pat is coming onto the committee and Ann is leaving. Laura continues and I will be chairman.

My quilting program made the list of "Program Ideas."










Ann liked the totebag (with books, a mug, tea, and chocolate) that Laura and I gave her.

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There won't be much quilting progress for the next two weeks. I leave for California on Wednesday:  June 17-21 in San Diego for the AAUW National Convention and June 25-30 in San Francisco for the ALA Annual Conference. In between I will rent a car and drive up the coast. Pictures to come!

I'm linking up with Judy's Patchwork Times   and Beth's Love Laugh Quilt