Slightly "Mad"

About a year ago my friend Nerida decided to organize a little informal club with a handful of people she knows and "BAKWACS" was born (Belgrave and Kallista Wine And Cheese Appreciation Society). A small group (9 people - Nerida, Harold, Joan, Nigel, Hanifa, Franz, Sue, Stephen, me) - we meet every couple of months in each other's homes, bring a bottle of wine and some cheese and.. well... appreciate them. There's always a theme, such as "Wines and Cheese of the Yarra Valley" or "Tasmania." Or sometimes an activity, such as touring the wine growing area near where we live and indulging in "tasting."

Last week the group drove to River Stone Estate and had a lovely, relaxing lunch there. Nerida had arranged with the winery for us to have a light lunch (an antipasto tray with bread and biscuits). After a bit of "tasting" at the cellar door we selected a white and a red to enjoy with the food. We sat at an outside table and as we waited for the food to arrive, we took in the stunning view of the vineyards and surrounding hills.

This was the first BAKWACS meeting I'd attended since I'd started quilting. I had just finished piecing my first "Ohio Star" block and was eager to show it off - so I took it along to "show and tell".

To my utter delight I found that Joan and Sue are both quilt enthusiasts! WHO KNEW!?!?

Well... we chattered away about quilts for several minutes about quilts we own, have made, or have seen, and then suddenly someone (I can't now remember if it was Nerida, Joan, or Sue) observed that quilters are a bit mad because (paraphrasing):

"A quilter takes a perfectly good piece of fabric, cuts it up, and then sews it back together."