Special Note from Rhonda
Ukraine is celebrating a Day of Unity today, February 16th. With the Russian/Ukraine crisis that is going on, this newsletter is timely.
In September 2019 I visited Ukraine and spent a couple of weeks there, visiting new friends I had made over the internet, making new friends and teaching. I consider myself very lucky to make the trip and see their beautiful country. I had the chance to visit several historic buildings, sites and monuments while I was there.
These are a very proud and independent people and I am so very glad I was able to spend the time I did there. Although this newsletter is about my teaching there, I wanted to highlight the wonderful friendships I made there and wish them all the very best in these trying times.
All Ukraine wants is to be independent and run their own country, much like the rest of the world. I am proud to know them!
I am excited to be able to say that I have taught my techniques internationally. My first teaching experience was in Kenya, East Africa, in 2012. In 2019 I traveled to Europe and taught in both Poland and Ukraine. The difference was that my workshop attendees spoke very little, if any, English. My success with the workshops was due to the excellent translators that worked with me.
It really drove home the point that quilting and related skills are truly universal!
To make a long story short, I was already planning on visiting Ukraine to meet my new friend Natalya Lashko. We met through an international quilting project. The details will be a story for a future newsletter. At the same time I offered to teach some workshops of my techniques while there. In addition, I scheduled a guided tour in Poland. Again I offered to teach since I would already be there.
Voila! It was planned! A translator for each country was necessary. It was important that they also be quilters. Or knowledgeable about quilting and its related terminology. As a result, I made several more new friends!
I was able to arrive two days before my guided tour in Poland. That gave me time to teach my workshop before meeting my tour group. I worked with Magdalena, President of the Polish Quilting Guild, to coordinate the workshop details. Her English is excellent. She met me at the train station in Krakow and got me to my hotel. I was teaching right next door which made it convenient.
Magdalena coordinated everything. She translated the Supply List so everyone knew what to bring to class. All I had to do was show up, hand out the patterns and teach. Magdalena translated and took care of everything else. Some of the students spoke English, but the majority were very shy about doing so. I would be the same if the circumstances were reversed!
Everyone seemed to enjoy their experience with the workshop. As you can see from the group photo, each had a successful project at the end of the day. Some were not finished because of the length of the workshop. However, I felt certain that they would be able to continue and finish on their own.
I even had the chance to meet Magdalena again before I left Poland. On the last day of my guided tour she met me at a town square in Warsaw and showed me some of the local sights. I really appreciated all of Magdalena’s TLC (Tender Loving Care). I know our friendship will continue. One of these days, I hope to travel back and visit again!
I then traveled by train from Poland to Ukraine. This was my first face-to-face meeting with Natalya. Her English is very limited so her son Ilya provided translation support.
I spent 7 days with Natalya and her family visiting around the area and her home town of Kamianets-Podilskyi. I will cover all of our adventures in a future newsletter. It was wonderful spending time with her and getting to know her family and friends. A wonderful friendship that continues to live on!
At the end of our time together in Kamianets-Podilskyi, we met our ride to Kiev, Ukraine. Maria Nelga, head of the Ukrainian Quilters Association, met us in Kamianets-Podilskyi. This was my first face-to-face meeting with Maria as well. Her English is excellent! Maria would be my translator for this portion of my trip. She drove us to Kiev where I would be teaching.
I got to experience the roads in Ukraine – let’s just say it was memorable!
The next day we visited Maria’s Quilt Shop in Kiev and got everything setup for the workshops. I taught a total of four workshops. Two were my 1-day Pigment Patchwork workshop. The other two were my 1-day Confetti Landscape workshop.
The workshops went flawlessly, thanks to Maria’s coordination and translation efforts! Everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously. Many nights we all went out to dinner together and had such fun. I didn’t want to leave!
I also had a few days to sightsee with Maria. Her husband even joined us one day. The trip was such a memory-maker!
September 2019. Kiev, Ukraine. Attendees at my two 1-day Pigment Patchwork workshops. Lots of smiling faces!
September 2019. Kiev, Ukraine. Attendees at one of my 1-day Confetti Landscapes workshops. The other workshop was very similar.
So, yes indeed! You can learn my Pigment Patchwork techniques even if you don’t know English.
However it does take excellent translators to help make that happen!
Thank you again to Magdalene and Maria!! I look forward to the day when I can see you again!
Take care everyone. Until next week…
I am offering my next 8-week Get Pigment Confident (GPC) Challenge starting later this month. The official start date (when Week 1 content is available) will be Saturday, February 26th.
If you are interested in joining this Challenge, please go to my website for more details. You can also fill out an application and schedule a Zoom call with me so we can discuss your goals.
Here is some feedback on the 8-wk GPC Challenge from Deane H, a graduate of the Challenge. Thank you for the wonderful feedback Deane!