Day 3, 4, and 5: International Quilt Convention - Africa

Please note: the photos in this post are a bit fuzzy because of the program I used to upload my blog post from my iPad. You can click on each photo for a clearer view. 
Here are a few photos from the last two wonderful days at International Quilt Convention - Africa:


The vendor hall has been packed!





Kim Brunner (center) helps a participant use a Handi-Quilter long arm machine:


Jodi Barrows of Square in a Square had a crowd in her booth all day. Her husband and son worked the booth while she taught.


At the Clothworks booth, I was excited to see a group admiring my friend Julie' flower pattern. She markets the pattern under her company's name, LaTodera.



























One student, Yvette Muller, brought her version of my "Pink Petal Party" quilt to show me. she's completed the blocks, and now has to stitch the sashings and borders. Isn't it wonderful?


Agnes Brook, who runs a quilting business in Botswana, came to see the convention and take classes, including my "Start With a Photo" class:


For dinner one night, we ate at a South African steakhouse. This is their version of beef jerky drying:


The restaurant had beautiful art:


Here's my dinner of grilled impala, a type of African antelope:


Cynthia England's husband, Warren, wasn't entirely sure how to attack his dish of African game:


Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobsen of Me and My Sister hamming it up with the dinner napkins:


What's up next year? Ricky Tims is coming!



A group of drummers welcomed us into the dinner held by the convention organizers:


Check out the African porcupine quills in the floral arrangement:


This is the lobby of our hotel:


One of the entrances to the resort:






I'm off to Kruger National Park on safari tomorrow!

Location:Johannesburg, South Africa

Day 2: Soweto and Johannesburg

Today I took a wonderful tour of Soweto and Johannesburg. From the resort, we passed a huge "dry harbor" with miles of containers like these (above).


This is the stadium built for the soccer World Cup:


And then we were in Soweto, a historic township that is home to many black South Africans:


Nelson Mandela and his family lived in this Soweto home:


Bullet holes in the Mandela family's home:


Under this tree in Mandela's yard are buried the umbilical cords of his children (the guide told us that this is an African tradition):


Lots of artistic touches everywhere:





Behind this wall, Archbishop Desmond Tuto lived in a house, not open to the public, and not far from Mandela's house:








This is a memorial to all those who died in the June 1976 Soweto uprising. About 600 people died, and thousands were detained after protesting the mandate that Africaans be the only language used in schools.


The uprising was pivotal in the fight against apartheid. Hector Peterson (the boy being carried in this photo) was one of the many children killed that day:


Mario, our guide, was fabulous. He speaks 15 languages!








Another soccer stadium!


Don't the cement roofs on these homes look like they are mimicking thatch?


Johannesburg town hall:


Next, we visited Constitution Hill and it's old fort and prison.


A few cells remain, including one where Mandela was held for a time:





Door to the Constitutional Court:


Beautiful art inside the Constitutional Court:








Yellow wood tree:


Courtyard in part of the old fort and prison on Constitution Hill:





Leaving downtown Johannesburg:


Tomorrow is the start of International Quilt Convention - Africa!

Please note: the photos in this post are a bit fuzzy because of the program I used to upload my blog post from my iPad. You can click on each photo for a clearer view. 
On Tuesday, I left home, and today, Thursday morning, I am waking up in South Africa. That should give you some idea of how long my flight was (about 18 hours from Washington, D.C.). In the Johannesburg airport, we were greeted by this amazing beaded elephant:





Then escorted by the organizers of International Quilt Convention - Africa to the Emperor's Palace, a huge resort complex and casino. Here are some photos of the area that contains many restaurants and the casino:











Yes, believe it or not, there is a Hooters here.





It was decorated with snow and ice because it is winter here in the Southern Hemisphere. The temperatures are expected to range from the high 30s to the low 70s (F), which I am loving after the very high temps in North Carolina lately.














This shot, taken from my room, shows just how close we are to the airport. But I slept great; didn't hear a thing!


Today we are recovering from jet lag and setting up for classes and the start of IQC - Africa tomorrow.

Location:Into Africa: Day 1

A great opportunity on TheQuiltShow.com

Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims have something really exciting cooking on The Quilt Show! Today, quilt teacher Laura Nownes is releasing a six-part Contemporary Quilt Sampler class at TheQuiltShow.com, a fully-produced online television show. 

Laura Nownes

If you are a beginning quilter, Laura’s attention to detail will ensure that you have a good foundation, which will lead you to be more successful as you progress. In the series, she walks you through the process of creating your own contemporary sampler quilt. Learn the basics or brush up on your skills.

And if you are not a beginning quilter, I hope you’ll share this opportunity with someone who is… a daughter, granddaughter or friend! Let’s bring a new generation of quilters into the fold.

Here's the best part: Laura’s classes are free to anyone. So come play along! Just click here. Register for free, and go directly to Laura’s class.

As an added bonus, you can see my show, which originally aired in July 2011, for free! Just click here. I had a blast taping my show; to see more photos and find out more, check out this post. 

One of the projects I did on TheQuiltShow.com

Me (center) with Alex and Ricky