SAQA meeting in Israel

For the first time ever, a SAQA meeting took place in Israel this afternoon. We talked about issues of the region, involvement with SAQA, exhibition opportunities and enjoyed spending time together - including SAQA members from Saba (Carribbean) and New York State.

SAQA get-together in Beaujolais

As there were so many SAQA members on site, we decided on a completely spontaneous and totally informal get-together over dinner in a Chinese restaurant. Wonderful food, great company - perfect evening!

SAQA get-together at Karlsruhe (Germany), May 16

After the first lively and interesting SAQA Europe/Middle East this year in Prague almost two weeks ago

we are already planning the next possibility. Because getting to know other members of SAQA 'for real' is a special experience, and helps to build our identity as a region within the organization, we would like to call for another informal meeting of any and all SAQA members who are attending the Nadelwelt in Karlsruhe (Germany) in May.

The meeting will take place on Saturday, May 16, at 19.30 o’clock (that is 7:30 p.m. for Americans) in the “Altes Brauhaus” close to Kongresszentrum and downtown of Karlsruhe. You can find more information on the location and how to get there here: http://www.alterbrauhof.de/

Should you be planning to join us, please send a mail to co-rep Uta so she knows whether to make a reservation, or for how many people. 
Looking forward to seeing some of you there!

Look out for further announcements about Festival of Quilts in Birmingham and European Patchwork Meeting in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines here on the blog, and in the newsletters!

SAQA get-together in Prague

Jana Sterbovy, SAQA member and organizer of the Prague Patchwork Meeting, has again invited SAQA members for an informal get-together during the 9th Prague Patchwork Meeting, April 10 to 12, this year.
The meeting will take place on Saturday, April 11th,  at 1 p.m. in the restaurant of the hotel.

Any SAQA member who will be present in Prague is welcome to come and meet other members.

If you are plannning to attend, please send a mail to blog moderator Uta Lenk (link on the side bar of this blog).

SAQA get-together at OEQC in Veldhoven, Netherlands

Last Friday a few SAQA members gathered at the OEQC in Veldhoven and had dinner together.

from left to right:
newly signed up member Ruth, Ita, Shoshi, Grace, guest Elsy, guest Michelle, Heidi, Grietje, and Uta

Photo taken by supporting quilter Hans (Grace's husband of 50 years the night before - congratulations to the happy couple!)

After the show is before the show....

The SAQA table at Birmingham was well-staffed and a success, the FoQ is over - and EPM at Ste. Marie-aux-Mines is just around the corner. We still need volunteers to staff the table at Wide Horizons IV in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines. If you could spare 1 1/2 hours of your time while you are there, and want to meet lots of interesting people from all over the world, we would very much appreciate if you sent an e-mail to Elisabeth Nacenta de la Croix - or to the blog address, from where it will be forwarded.

Also there are still a few spaces left for the SAQA luncheon Friday, 19th of September at lunchetime, for which you need to register, again with Elisabeth.

Looking forward to seeing many of you at Ste. Marie-aux-Mines.

"Fragile Networks" connect SAQA members

An unexpected and un-planned meeting happened when several SAQA members attended the "Fragile Networks" workshop by Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn in the picturesque town of Staufen, Germany from June 11 to June 15, organized by quiltstar Freiburg. Also a way of building textile (artists) networks!

Kirsten, Steffi, Isabelle, Jan & Jean, Heidi, Hildegard (back row from left),
and Uta and Geneviève (front row from left)

Change of venue for SAQA meet and greet at FoQ Birmingham!

The organizers have let us know that the venue for this year's SAQA meet and greet at Birmingham has changed from our usual room. The new location is the following. Time remains the same.

Organisers Office Hall 9 on Friday 8^th August between 3pm and 5pm.

SAQA Biergarten get-together in Karlsruhe

A small, but select group of SAQA members assembled at the Biergarten "Alter Brauhof" in Karlsruhe this past Friday evening for an informal get-together. Four members from three countries - international indeed!

Despite earlier rain during the day it was warm enough to sit outside, enjoy local specialties from the menu, and talk away a couple of hours on common interest themes.

Adelheid from Switzerland, Brigitte from Germany and Paula from the US -
Uta is behind the camera, taking the picture

The next possibility for such a meeting is in the end of June in Berlin - please let co-rep and blog-moderator Uta know if you are interested in attending!

Informal get-together for all SAQA members attending Nadelwelt, Karlsruhe (Germany)

Getting to know other members of SAQA 'for real' is a special experience, and therefore we would like to call for another informal meeting of any and all SAQA members who are attending the Nadelwelt in Karlsruhe (Germany) in May.

The meeting will take place on Saturday, May 24, at 19.30 o’clock (that is 7:30 p.m. for Americans) in the “Altes Brauhaus” close to Kongresszentrum and downtown of Karlsruhe. You can find more information on the location and how to get there here: http://www.alterbrauhof.de/

Should you be planning to join us, please send a mail to co-rep Uta so she knows whether to make a reservation, or for how many people. 
Looking forward to seeing some of you there!

There is more to see in Karlsruhe than just the main station,
but my camera's battery went dead when I got off the tram last week,
so this is all I can show right now... You just have to come and
see for yourself.

SAQA Meet and Greet in Prague

Sponsored by the PPM organizers, a number of SAQA members (including newly signed-up member Martina from Germany on the far left in the picture) gathered for a lunch-time Meet and Greet at the 8th Prague Patchwork Meeting on Saturday.

The SAQA Meet and Greet  at Prague in front of the SAQA exhibition Deux 

Getting to know each other, announcements of a few business items for the region Europe/Middle East and enjoying a sandwich and a cup of coffee or tea were the items on the agenda.
The next possibility for a personal meeting in the context of a major quilting event is coming up in May, at the Nadelwelt Karlsruhe. Look out for announcements here on the blog and in the newsletter.

The SAQA meet and greet in London

A select group of SAQA members from the UK met with Judith Trager at the V&A in London, discussing various issues of SAQA in Europe, and the UK's position in it. Unfortunately, nobody took a picture of Judith, so all we have is a few pictures of the Brits.

Annette Morgan and Sandy Snowden

Linda Seward

A little out of focus, but all the sharper in real: Lynn Seaman

Margaret Ramsay

Would you like to organize a meet and greet for SAQA members in your area or country, either in conjunction with a larger quilting event or exhibition, or independently from that? The co-reps will happily help you get in touch with people. Just send us a note.

SAQA meet and greet in Prague

April 4 - 6, 2014 is the date for the 8th International Prague Patchwork Meeting.

Jana Sterbova has agreed that SAQA will also get a meet and greet reception as has been established in Birmingham and Ste. Marie-aux-Mines. Exact date and time need to be set, but will be published on this blog, and in the newsletter for the region. Any SAQA member from all over the world who happens to be in Prague at that date is welcome to sign up, just send an e-mail to Uta or Elisabeth.
SAQA President Sandra Snyder has also agreed to come to Prague for a visit, and she will be attending the meet and greet as well. Come and meet the President, and the Europe/Middle East reps.  
Check back here for announcement of exact details.

Meet and Greet at European Patchwork Meeting in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines

On Thursday, Sept. 12, approx. 35 SAQA members gathered at the meet and greet, which has become a traditional at the EPM by now. This time the meeting took place in the Espace presse and was a casual and friendly affair in which everybody could talk to everybody else.

waiting for the storm - delicious snacks...

Gul LaPorte in action,
translating director Philippe Gasperment's welcome address

Susan Chapman, Monique Gilbert, Christina Lauchenauer
and Elisabeth Nacenta de la Croix at the reception

Thank you very much to the organizers of the festival for their continued support of SAQA and their repeated hospitality!

SAQA board member Judith Trager calling for meet and greet in London

We have received the following message from board member Judith Trager who is eager to meet as many European SAQA members as possible at this meet and greet in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Please let her know directly if you are coming. Uta and Elisabeth

Dear U.K. SAQA Members,

I will be in London for three days in a few weeks and hope to be able to meet up with many of you to talk about SAQA generally and get your feedback and ideas. I've talked with a couple of U.K. members trying to figure out where to meet and times, and have settled on meeting at the Victoria and Albert Museum's Cafe at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 1. I know many of you from my teaching time in England, and hope to reconnect with you. And, there are some wonderful things happening with Studio Art Quilt Associates--new Board members, new programs and exhibitions, our twenty-fifth anniversary, and a brand new website to talk about. I hope you can come.

The "meeting" will be very informal--we can grab tables and put them together if we are able, but at least we'll have a little time to talk to one another. And, the V & A has a very nice Cafe--and they even have beer and wine! 

Please let me know if you are coming before September 18. I will be on the road from September 18 and my internet connection will be "iffy" during the journey. I don't want to miss any of you. 

Here are the details again:

Studio Art Quilt Associates Meet and Greet
The Cafe, Victoria and Albert Museum
Exhibition Road (the easiest entry to find the Cafe), London
2 p.m. 
October 1, 2013

PLEASE RSVP  to me at judithtrager@icloud.com. Thanks!

With best wishes,

Judith Trager


Board Member, SAQA
Art Quilts & Textiles
345 Erie Drive
Boulder, Colorado 80303
www.judithtrager.com

SAQA MEET AND GREET at the FESTIVAL OF QUILTS, Birmingham, UK

Come and join us for a cup of tea at the SAQA MEET and GREET at the Festival of Quilts, NEC Birmingham.

We’ll love to meet up with all SAQA members attending the Festival.  Bring your business cards to exchange with fellow members.

SAQA MEET and GREET is on FRIDAY 9^th August, from 3 pm, in the Mezzanine floor restaurant, opposite the Lecture Theatre, and accessible from the stairs or lifts just outside the Halls.

Please note that the SAQA Gallery Metaphors of Aging may be unmanned for a period during the gathering.

Alicia Merrett

Pizza Parlor Meeting in Berlin

The first-ever SAQA Europe/Middle East Pizza Parlor Meeting took place in Berlin, Germany, yesterday evening, with 7 members (and three prospective members) from 3 different countries in attendance. We enjoyed a sunny and pleasant evening in a pizza place on the corner of Fontanepromenade/Blücherstr. in Berlin-Kreuzberg, chatted about quilting, SAQA, Berlin, and many other things, and had a wonderful time together.

Pizza parlor meeting in Berlin

Hope to see you at the next one - or perhaps you want to take the initiative and organize one yourself!

Uta Lenk