AQS Grand Rapids – Teaching and enjoying the town

I posted my quilt photos on another post here. I loved exploring the city of Grand Rapids! It is a river town and I hail from a river town, so I felt a kinship from the start. I stayed at the Amway Grand and had a lovely room with a great corner view.

I watched the sun set each evening, a lovely end to the day.

I could walk downtown Grand Rapids alone and feel safe. I ALWAYS am heads up no matter where I am, but I felt comfortable walking a downtown park by the hotel and the surrounding district each evening. Fun times at the park just catty corner from my hotel. How could I resist this:

She asked for “random prompts” and this is what I got:

Fun!

And on Tues night, there were hundreds of swing dancers having fun! Terrible photo from my video:

I wandered over there every night.

I was bad about getting photos, but I had delightful dinners with a variety of friends, which made the evenings so enjoyable. I took NO photos of my classes; I just don’t think about that. I did have a few self-inflicted issues with class set up which may have thrown me off my photo game. I had the BEST students. Every single class was wonderful. Attendance was a bit down, but it did not affect my enjoyment of teaching! I did take one photo before class started:

It’s hard to convey from a photo, but there is this moment before class begins and students arrive. I get there super early to set up. The machines (hopefully) are all set up, waiting for students. All the machine lights are on and there is this anticipation and excitement for the day ahead that I just love. It’s that moment of quiet before the fun begins.

I worked on this machine in the BERNINA classroom:

I wasn’t yet familiar with it and ohhhhhhh did I LOVE it! It has a laser pointer (be still my heart!) and the slickest auto threader. Lots of other cool stuff. Now I want one….. It’s dangerous to teach sometimes!

I had a visitor in my Feathers class – Shae Vaugh, a rising star in the quilting world. Shae has been chosen by SAQA to be a YEA! (Young Emerging Artist) and they will be recognized at a special ceremony during the Houston Quilt Show. It is quite an honor to be accepted. Shae also quilted a quilt in the show as you’ll see in my other post. And, Shae is a quilt historian! It was fun to meet up in person.

Grand Rapids is so pretty and the landscaping is so lush:

 

And there is some interesting architecture also. It reminds me of some of what I see in Chicago. I am not a student of architectural history, but I see that Grand Rapids was established in 1806 and Chicago in 1803, so perhaps my observation is correct.

Grand Rapids charmed me! I hope to return again.