so we just finished the first stop of our october quilt exhibition tour in larisa, greece on october 12 and 13. nancy tsitsoni, one of our new beginner quilters from the thessaloniki conference worked with a local craft shop owner named panos. his shop is located at: Βύρωνος 22, in larisa and his phone at the shop is 2410 538539. panos arranged for us to find a great hotel location for both a beginner's workshop with 12 women in attendance that was held over two days as well as the quilt exhibition. it was a great experience. pano treated us to a great greek meal after we arrived and got all of the exhibition set up. what a great host!! we also got to meet his wife and son who joined us for dinner.  
  we are very excited because pano is going to be offering all of the quilting supplies you will need from his shop in larisa!! he will soon begin to carry the special cutting mats, rotary cutters, and rulers as well as the special 100% cotton threads needed for hand quilting and hopefully fabrics to come!! nancy will be teaching beginner quilt lessons so please contact her if you are interested. here are a few photos of our first stop in larisa:) you can find information about the location of pano's shop and phone number from our greek quilt shop tab on this site. here is a schedule of our tour. maybe we will see you there!! on to athens!!

ATHENS  
  
Christian Artist's Association -- October 27
151 Mesogeion St.
151 26 Paradeisos Amarousiou
for directions go to this link: http://sports.daiscenter.gr/gr/directions-dais


Cost: 15 euros per person at the door/ for a family the cost will be 15 euros at the door for the first person and 10 euros for the other family members. 
 
-- Our quilt exhibition can be viewed from 10:00 am until 11:30 pm. At 6:00 pm Kristine Pappas will give a presentation on the history of quilting and afterwards Mary Bora and Kristine will teach a short workshop on the technique of art quilting for those in attendance. A concert will also be given from 8:30-11:30. The exhibit can be viewed during the concert. 


SPARTH --  October 29-31
ΔΗΜΟΣΙΑ ΚΕΝΤΡΙΚΗ ΒΙΒΛΙΟΘΗΚΗ ΣΠΑΡΤΗΣ
Λυκούργου 135
Σπάρτη
contact the library for questions and further information: 2731 0 26853 & 21180
 
Monday events:
-- Exhibition 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
-- Demonstration on the Cathedral Window technique for quilting begins at 6 pm.
  We will have a short demonstration of the technique and also have photos for you to see how the block looks in a finished quilt.
Tuesday events:
-- Exhibition 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
-- Demonstration on the Stain Glass Window technique for quilting begins at 6 pm.
  We will have a demonstration of the technique and have photos of how this kind of quilt can be used and displayed
Wednesday events:
-- Exhibition 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
-- Quilt demonstration on working with curves begins at 6 pm.

   so here we are in larisa for our second day of quilt exhibitions and workshops. i'm having a great time but i don't think thomas is feeling the same:) hahahaha. the workshops were a lot of fun and i think the girls i worked with today are definitely hooked. we got  everything packed up in record time at about 6 pm. headed out of town and didn't even get to the city limit and the car started to smoke and chug. thomas stopped and looked under the hood and it wasn't a pretty site. things dripping and bolts missing???? called the mechanic who just did the 300 euro repair job on the blown gasket the day before who was taking his saturday night shower according to the wife . . . 
  they looked under the hood for a long time muttering in greek -- never a good sign:((( i feel kinda bad for the mechanic who had a nice clean shirt on and looked like he was ready for his saturday night off . . . . towed us to the auto shop . . . . on a cable attached to the front end of the car (mechanic's helper is driving and thomas is in the car with the mechanic) and flying down the freeway with me in the back seat with a packed car full of quilts and sticks!! hahahaha. what a trip!! i just tried not to look out the window. so here i am at 8:30 pm now having a greek coffee at papagalino's:) free  internet -- that keeps me occupied. would someone please tell me what the heck God is doing???? hmmmmm . . . . times like these i just have to take a deep breath and look for the appointed moments.
  seriously . . . . if we have to spend any more money we aren't going to have enough to get out of larisa not to mention eating, katerini, athens and sparti!!! so here are some photos of our second day of workshops:) enjoy.

  well, we just never know what the Lord will do and when we think things just can't get worse the Lord has a way of stretching our faith beyond what we can imagine and all for His appointed purposes:) hahahaha. having said that, here is how our trip to larisa unfolded . . . . 
  we left thessaloniki about 1:30 after very carefully packing the car with the frames, quilts, tools, clothes for the trip, all the "stuff" for the exhibition etc. just about 1/2 hour before we reached larisa the car began to heat up. thomas finally pulled over and checked under the hood to find steam rising form the engine and after checking the water in the radiator found that the water was very low even after filling the tank just before we left. we have a bad water pump so we need to always check the water but nothing like this has ever happened. thomas had water so filled it tank and we got back on the road. but within another 15 minutes the same thing happened. so we just barely limped into town sure that the water pump would probably have to be replaced before returning to thessaloniki. 
  got to the hotel which was very nice. they even had an elevator for the car which took us down to the parking garage below the hotel???? i have NEVER heard of that before!!! a large flyer taped to the front window of the hotel announced the quilting exhibition and workshop to be given by kristine pappas:) hahahaha. i don't think i have ever seen my name posted anywhere before!! i was feeling rather important and thomas and i got a good laugh:) panos, a craft store owner and the man responsible for arranging this exhibition greeted us with nancy tsitsioni, in tow. nancy was one of the beginner quilters at our conference in september. so panos and nancy helped thomas and i to prepare the exhibition/workshop area which was located in a large conference room in our hotel!! wowsie!! how convenient. it was a great space and we had room to both set up the exhibition and a workshop area in the same room. 
  after we finished with getting the exhibition and workshop area finished, panos and nancy took us to see his very large 3 story craft shop and we talked at length about the quilting supplies he would need to buy if he were to have everything a quilt group in larisa would need. panos took us all out for dinner at a very nice restaurant where his wife and college aged son soon joined us. we had a really lovely evening and came home full and exhausted:) 
  our breakfast was on the hotel so we had a nice breakfast and walked over to the workshop area. this was so great to not even have to leave the hotel. once my workshop got going, thomas took our car a couple of miles outside of town to see about the repair. our workshop had 7 women and we taught a beginner 9-patch with one boarder for a pillow project. the women were all so enthusiastic and it was a great group to work with. we stopped for lunch at noon and that is when thomas called with the bad news. he didn't even ask me if i wanted the good news first or the bad news first. that's because there was no good news:) hahahaha. it turned out that the car did not have a bad water pump but instead had blown a gasket on the road. hmmmmm . . . . 300 euro repair. well, we only have about 450 euros in our account for the october tour which just an hour ago seemed like more than enough. interesting how money can just slip through your fingers so quickly:) 
  thomas considered trying to limp back to thessaloniki with about 10 gallons of water in tow and get his cheap mechanic who lives in our neighborhood to do the repair for only 200 euros but then there would be the bus to get back and bring the car home which would make the cost just about the same. so i guess we are getting a new gasket -- i guess you have to take the entire engine out to do this job:((( so i finished my workshop about 5 pm and was exhausted and thomas was still with the mechanic. i came back to the room for a nap and it is now 8:00 pm and i have not heard a word from thomas since. the mechanic asked him to stay during the repair and since there is no way back to town i guess he is a captive audience:) hahahaha. 
  so we will just have to trust God for how the rest of this month will go. i am pretty sure that we are supposed to go to athens and sparti. there was word from ada, the quilter there who is arranging that exhibition, that possibly the american ambassador's office would pay for our gas to sparti and back and that would be a great help on our expenses but we don't know for sure. so we will be praying to see how the Lord provides. it is always a surprise when things like this happen and i am getting used to anticipating with wonder what He will do. so pray with us and stay posted. we will close our exhibition tomorrow evening, pack up and head next to katerini. we have a meeting there with the girls to get them ready for the lessons they will be teaching in november and also we will meet with the factory owner who is going to employ their work for the quilt shop she will be opening in thessaloniki early next year. i am really excited about that meeting!! pray with us. i have enclosed some photos of our exhibition below:
  thomas called 

  so where can i begin to tell you what a fun adventure this first ever greek national quilting conference has been??? i should have made a big photo album . . . . i should have kept some momentos . . . i should have taken more pictures . . . i should have done a lot of things but it was like a giant wave crashing over my head and i was swimming as fast as i could just to keep my head above the water!! :) hahahaha. a great time was had by all. everyone seemed pleased by the workshops and learned a lot about many different techniques of quilting. we had two women who did not come but everyone else that signed up was there. the 6 women from america were awesome!! their workshops were creative and informative and we all went away with a new energy and excitement about our projects at home. and now our heads are full of new possibilities:) how will we ever sleep at night???
  on saturday morning of the 15th we had a special open session and during that session we talked about the history of quilting and about what quilting could mean for greek women in the future. it was an exciting discussion with may suggestions being made. we formed the first ever greek national quilting association and will try in the future as a group to join the european quilting association. we will keep you all posted on our progress.  if you would like for your name to be added to the roster just drop me a note with your e-mail and name to: ladypappas@yahoo.com. that way we can keep everyone posted on what is going on around the towns with quilting events. 
  but there was another exciting development that i believe will mean a lot to greece in the future. we learned from some of the women who came that there are some greek cotton factory owners who are interested in learning more about the quilting cotton that is required to make quilts and that they may be interested in getting involved in an effort to make our own 100% cotton quilting collections of fabric here in greece. the fabric would be sold here in greece to quilt shops for quilters who are looking to buy fabric for their projects and the fabrics could also be exported to other countries where there are already large populations of quilters. so we embark now on a new adventure to see where this goes. 
  i have already met with two factory owners who are going to get involved. both of them seem receptive to the idea of purchasing new lazer equipment for their factories which may be required if greece is to have a fair chance to compete with other quilt fabric companies. it looks like a new quilt shop will be opening in the thessaloniki area with quilt lessons being offered and fabrics available for purchase. this new shop will also be selling quilts for the public. and of course ΧΑΝΘ in thessaloniki will be offering lessons and creating a quilt studio on site for the purpose of teaching quilting and making quilts for poor families. they will also sponsor a program for unemployed women who can use their quilted creations as a means to financially support their families. a new quilt shop will also be opening up in marousi, a suburb of athens. this shop will have a large frame and quilt machine like the one in my studio and will offer quilting lessons to those interested. 
  Benjamin Orphan Society in katerini will also be offering lessons taught by the women i have been working with for two years. the donations from these instructions will be used to help with the financial needs of the single mothers there. and if anyone is greece is interested in placing an order from them through the Benjamin Orphan Society for a quilt, you can check out their new greek website at: quiltingkaterini.weebly.com.
  there are also some ideas being discussed that perhaps will include ΧΕΝ -- ywca in athens. they are considering the idea of both teaching quilting lessons at their facility and sponsoring a program to help women in need of financial resources which might be accessible through the avenue of quilting. so quilting has come to greece:) hahahaha. as we all knew it would. praise to God because He has shown His favor and His grace to our country in a great time of need. it is very possible that this is the time and the moment for quilting to even stimulate the economy of our country as more and more women learn to quilt and begin to purchase all of the materials and fabrics needed to engage this art. i think we are going to see big things in the future as the quilters of greece become united!! be sure to check out all of the photos from the home page both for the conference and for the quilt project for the boy's orphanage at papafio. so much going on. 
  now we will be going on tour during the month of october with our quilt exhibition and we will be giving some lessons and quilting demonstrations along the way:) so check out our travel schedule on the conference tab from the home page so you will know when we are coming to your area!! hope to see you on the road:) i will try to post photos and blogs as we go along the way so check back often during the next month!!
  

  ok. so for those of you who have been following my often inconsistent blog notes i am glad to report we are heading into the home stretch!! i am sooo excited about how well things have come together for this quilting conference. if you are new to my site you can check out some of my earlier blog notes to catch up.

  i guess you all know that the quilters of greece united (you can find our page on facebook) is partnering with ΧΑΝΘ, the thessaloniki YMCA to host a greek-wide quilting seminar september 13, 14, and 1/2 day on september 15th of. our seminar will be a combination of quilting workshops and a quilt exhibition that will be open to the public. the seminar will be free to all except for the lunch and coffee served each day to the participants. 
  i am still getting estimates for the lunch and coffee. and i am close to nailing down the rest of our instructors (have 3 committed; need 6) so please continue to pray for our progress. lisa new-freeland from eastern illinois university will be designing and printing quilt history plaques on museum quality paper for display throughout the exhibition. her faculty will translate the pieces into greek for us and pay to ship them over here. God did that:)
  we will have as part of our quilt exhibition a category for general quilts, a greek challenge which will include pieces with a greek theme/patterns which will be judged and awarded. our third theme will be centered on the social issue of trafficking. we have several sketches designed by women who have been rescued from a life of trafficking. these sketches are being transformed onto fabric and will be quilted and displayed in an effort to give these women a voice of opposition. 
  we are sooo excited to see how things continue to progress. we will take the quilt exhibition on tour during the month of october to athens, patra, and katerini where we will also be conducting a mini conference for our girls down there.
  here is a sneek peek of one of our quilts just appliqued by karen campbell from the trafficking category. i will need to get it hand quilted now. it is powerful and needs no further words:

  this past saturday was a mile marker for a year-long and then some vision for 5 quilters who live in katerini, greece. these women are at the ground level of establishing a first ever quilting business which we hope will open sometime later this year.
  katerini quilts started initially with 2 single moms and a young widow who needed help to provide basic needs for their families including food. in greece many women in this situation simply put their children in an orphanage. but several people knowledgeable about the orphan society, benjamin house, (initially tracy and mary marks who now help with support from the US and ignatios meimaris and his wife nena who have stepped in to continue our efforts further) learned about my desire to use quilting to help poor women provide for their family's needs through quilting and gave me the opportunity to meet with these women and put my ideas to work. this group has now grown into 5 women who are currently making quilts and selling them through an online store at: kateriniquilts.weebly.com. we will continue to work with these women on business skills and computer usage with a computer that was donated for this purpose.  
  benjamin house is an orphan society that works to help families like these with food supplements, summer camps for their kids and other programs; and they are currently working with the greek authorities to establish a first ever greek-wide program for the adoption of children who are without parents to take care of them. when individuals or groups donate money to benjamin house, benjamin house can then use those donations to support the work of the women who are quilting. our ultimate goal is to teach the business/computer skills necessary for them to succeed and to tap into grant monies that will equip these women to open a first ever quilt shop in katerini, greece later this year. on saturday we moved these women into a quilting studio that could potentially become that shop.
  we are all soooo excited at this milestone and yet there is so much more we need to work through in the power of the Lord to successfully accomplish this vision we all believe He has laid on our hearts. these women are learning so much more than quilting or business skills as they work together with us on team building, personal character development, and other important principles that will equip them for life and success in the business world. we have been using the book of proverbs each month when we meet as a spring board for discussion that we hope will enable the women to apply these important principles appropriately to their individual circumstances. we are trying hard to listen to their personal needs and help them find the resources that might be available to meet those needs within the community where they live.  
  so below i have added a slide show for you to see the events of our day:) we all went to a local restaurant after our move and were treated for lunch!! yay. we just had a great time of fellowship together and talked about our strategies. i have also included some photos from louisa's garden plot where she grows vegetables that she later sells at the local framer's market. some of us went over with her and her son theodoros to see what she was growing.