Quilting is something I've long had an interest in. I consider myself just a bit above novice, a strong beginner, maybe. Haven't done much quilting, per se; mostly piecing. I have made several small wall quilts and collected more than a couple of quilting books. Checked out a local quilt guild a couple of years ago; they didn't seem to have much interest in adding a beginner to the group. Most of them had been quilting for years.
1Stepatatime, you mention bringing Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson to your neck of the woods next year. Bravo!
I love, LOVE fabric!!! I do sew; clothing, home decor and the like. I'm an advanced intermediate in that, I guess. Recently bought a serger and looking forward to learning more about using it.
Other needle arts: I needle tat a bit. Always wanted to learn to tat, tried several times with a traditional shuttle, abysmal failures, all! Needle tatting is more intuitive to me and seems a little like crochet. Now, there's something I do well. Taught myself as an adult and never looked back. Have gifted more people than I remember with afghans, scarves, sweaters, vests mittens, baby clothes, you name it. I participated in a "caps for kids" program for several years, as well as a"preemie garment" program at several hospitals. I crochet both with yarn and with various threads.
Embroidery, needlepoint and Japanese stumpwork. I think ribbon work is beautiful but have done none of it. I'd like to learn kumihimo, Japanese braiding. Good looms are a bit pricey. I don't like the idea of buying a cheap one, only to want/need to replace it later with a good one. And don't forget macrame: I've done rope and cord for jewelry.
I wonder: are there enough quilters here to do any sort of block exchange? So far, I see only three: 1Stepatatime, Karenina, and me. Did I miss anybody?