|
|
 |
|||||||||||
|
January 2006
Happy New Year Everybody!! Dear friends, this will be a travelling year for the Friendship Tapestry. In March we will display the tapestry for the first time outside of Iceland. We will be in Fargo, North Dakota in the USA in March from 6th - 11th. The Friendship Tapestry will be on exhibition in a showroom in our favorite needlework store: Nordic Needle! March 9 - 12 is
Nordic Needle´s Stitching Retreat and we will
display the tapestry in connection with that event.
In Fargo, Nancy Claiborne from Tenessee, Susan Mikesell from California and I Ragnhildur from Iceland will finally meet face-to-face for the very first time! (see: About us) I have to tell you I can hardly wait! We will also meet for the first time with Roz and Sue from Nordic Needle. It is because of the Nordic Needle newsletter that we three met online, and our friendship evolved into this tapestry of friendship. Circumstances have prevented us from making the trip to Minneapolis. We hope to be able to come back to the States again though and visit more places. February 6th 2006
The biggest news today is that we received sponsorship from an Icelandic memorial fund called Minningarsjóður Margrétar Björgólfsdóttur. The money we received will make it possible for us to buy a good bag for the tapestry to travel the world safely and help with the cost of travelling. We are most grateful to the Minningarsjóður Margrétar Björgólfsdóttur - memorial fund. Preparations for the trip is going well. We have got attention from some newsletters here and there. One of course is Nordic Needle newsletter, they also have a link to our page on their website. There was also an update of our progress in the Australian, Country Bumpkins subscribers newsletter, they publish the magazines Inspirations and Smocking. Some chapters of EGA, Embroidery Guild of America, have published articles about the Friendship Tapestry in their newsletters. All this coverage results in more pieces and more friends around the world! We received a beautiful piece from Arizona a few days ago.(see pieces 221- ) And I know of some more from different countries that are on their way in the mail. Some are being made and will hopefully reach us before we leave for Fargo. But if they come after we are gone, they will be a part of the Friendship Tapestry in the next display. Of course all pieces are displayed on our website, see pieces If you have not sent a piece yet, there is still time! All information is on the page "checklist" and feel free to contact me through e-mail on friendshiptapestry@internet.is with any questions or comments, I answer every mail. February 25th 2006
It´s only a week away now! Monday the 6th we will be in Fargo, displaying the Friendship Tapestry until March 11. We know of some tapestry friends that will come from surrounding States and meet us there. How exciting!! I hope that all of you that have the change, will come and see the tapestry in the Nordic Needle store in Fargo, ND. I look forward to see you!! :-) We are getting ready for the trip. We found a suitable bag for the tapestry and are making and printing exhibition materials. Harold, Roz´s husband has been building a tapestry frame for the tapestry to hang on. So many things to think about, but everything needs to be the best way possible! right?! This is all so exciting! I will be writing a diary here on this page, while in Fargo, if I possibly can. So keep watching the website!
February 28th
The US display is not far away now! We are almost there! Lot´s of people are working on getting the tapestry and things around it ready for the exhibition. In Fargo, Roz´s husband Harold has been busy bulding a hangup system for the tapestry at Nordic Needle.  And here in Iceland we have been busy too, here is my daughter Sirrý Margrét holding up some of the latest pieces. We added all the new pieces to each side of the tapestry.  I will be writing a diary on this page, while in Fargo. I know of a few tapestry friends which I will meet there and I can hardly wait to see you! Those that can, it would be great fun to see you in Fargo. We are there between March 6th and 11th, at the Nordic Needle store. See ya! March 3rd
We leave tomorrow for a 24 hours travelling to Fargo. On Monday the 6th, the Friendship Tapestry will be ready to be watched and studied in Nordic Needle. What an exciting time ahead of us! One more piece arrived and I added it to the website. We now have 226 pieces! And each piece is filled with friendship thoughts and love and talent. It will be so amazing to show the Friendship Tapestry to the visitors and friends at Nordic Needle in Fargo. Well, better keep on going! Still some things to pack! I´ve heard there is freezing cold in North Dakota with wonderful snow all over. But I am afraid that even us Icelanders will have to prepare and dress warm! Wool all over! haha but we know our friends are warm hearted and that will help :-) Keep watching this page, I will be writing a diary while the display is on. March 7th
FARGO - North Dakota We left Iceland for Fargo on Saturday and after a sleepover in Boston we were on a plane to Minneapolis. At the airport we got a minor heart attack when the bag with the precious Friendship Tapestry did not show up with our other bags but fortunately it showed up in perfect condition. And then after a four hour drive we arrived in Moorhead were Roz from Nordic Needle and her husband Harold live. It was so wonderful to finally meet these dear friends and feel their hospitality and friendship. But we wasted no time and headed out to Nordic Needle in Fargo to set up the Tapestry.  Roz and Rags outside Nordic Needle  Everybody busy hanging up the Friendship Tapestry, Roz, Harold and Larus  And the friendship knots at the back needed fixing too  Everything is ready Sue, Rags and Roz in front of the display Fargo March 9th  It is still early winter or very early spring here in Fargo, North Dakota. But the cold does not affect us too much, the people are so warm, I have decided I want to come back one day.... These last few days have passed so fast and it´s really like an adventure! We have met these dear friends I´ve been talking with through emails for two years now. And to meet them in person is amazing. Roz and Sue are such wonderful people! and all their family and all their staff at Nordic Needle. I´ve also met Susan Mikesell from California. And oh was that fun! We have been writing and laughing through the internet for two years and now we could finally laugh and talk out loud! hahaha  Susan is a great hardanger stitcher! Susan is on of us three that started this project of the Friendship Tapestry. Nancy, the third one is coming today! Other dear friends have been here too: Susan Batross came from South Dakota and her daughther in law, Evelyn from Venezuela came with her. Susan came to visit me in Iceland last year before we assembled the pieces, now she saw the tapestry for the first time. Susan made the beautiful hardanger piece of two swans reflecting in water.  And here we are Evelyn, Susan Batross, Rags and Roz in front of the Friendship Tapestry in Nordic Needle.  Anne May Nelson from Minnesota came for a visit too. It was so nice to see her. She made the wonderful piece of the Minnesota state flower Lady Slipper. We have had quite a media attention here in Fargo. I don´t think I have ever in my life had so many photos taken of me hahaha  We have been really busy with media interviews: three tv stations and a few newspapers (I am loosing count of them..) and because of them, we have met lots of new friends! It has been really busy at Nordic Needle and so much fun meeting new friends and seeing the tapestry friends for the first time. Some I have been communicating with online for quite awhile and it is good to see them finally. I will tell you more of those soon. Today Thursday, the Paradise Retreat starts here at Holiday Inn. Oh what fun that will be! I will tell you more later, keep watching our website! Fargo March 10th Finally!! after two years of friendship through emails we all met face to face, and where else but in Fargo. Oh, what fun!!  This is us three who started the project of the Friendship Tapestry: Rags, Susan and Nancy. On the photo we are in a Brazilian Embroidery class at Nordic Needle´s Paradise Stitching Retreat. We have been really busy this week! Hundreds of people have been at Nordic Needle to see the tapestry. Many of our friends that have pieces in the tapestry already came here for a visit and to look at the tapestry and oh what fun to meet them! Three women brought a piece to Fargo, so now we have have 229 pieces! I will be scanning these and adding to our website as soon as I can. Those of you dear friends that have been writing to me, thank you so much for your letters, I love hearing from you. I am having problem with using my email connection on my computer here in Fargo, I can not use my email contact to send mails, just read the letters. I will answer all your letters when I get back home.  Moorhead Fargo Hardanger group, visited us at Nordic Needle. They have been stitching friends for over 30 years! Now that´s friendship!  Susan Sigurðardóttir and Rags by the tapestry. Susan is one of the many people around here of Icelandic origin. This has been a really warm experience, meeting all these people here.  The beautiful landscape of Fargo- Moorhead. Someone said: "The sky is soooo big in this area" and that is right. It is a heavenly place and the weather has been wonderful the last two days.  A tree I fell in love with, in the garden at Roz´s and Harold´s place. There are many more stories I want to tell you but that will have to wait. We are having the times of our lives here!! Boston March 14th  Here we are unloading the Friendship Tapestry when we arrived at Nordic Needle. Thank you Roz for three photos in todays journal! We are still on our way home, Lárus and I. We decided to rest for a few days in Boston before going home. The story of that "rest" is nothing about resting.... First the plane was late to leave Minneapolis because of weather, but at least we made it out, many of the Retreat women had to stay longer because of bad weather. Then after a rather bumpy flight to Boston we landed after midnight and found out one of our bags was missing. Not the tapestry this time but the bag with all the information about the tapestry; our binders and papers and things, plus clean clothes! But we got the bag back the day after in good shape. At the hotel, we have had the Fire Alarm go off twice in the same day! The first time, we woke up at eight in the morning after little sleep, and all the sirens were shreaking and lights flashing and a womans voice on loud speakers, telling everybody to go downstairs because this was an emergency! We put some clothes on and just ran down ten floors with only my cell phone to call the kids. But the second time we were smart enough to carry the tapestry with us in the big black golfbag, down the ten floors. When downstairs, and the lobby full of people and firemen in full uniform. But it was a false alarm again, thank God. So we waited again, for the elevators to take us up the ten floors. While waiting I noticed many people looking at Lárus and his bag and then looking at me with pity in their eyes..... they were obviously thinking: "this man must really love his golfclubs"...... The trip to Fargo has been a wonderful one. The tapestry got good response, to say the least and we met soooooo many friends and made many new ones! What a great time we had. I will tell more stories in the days to come. Many people trawelled a long way to come and see it.  One of those and they probably travelled furthest, was Dennise Reimer and her husband, they drove all the way from Iowa to come and see the tapestry and oh how good it was to see them, such wonderful and warm people! Dennise, who has a wonderful piece in the tapestry of a shining beaded heart of friendship, and I have been writing each other for two years now and finally met in person! More wonderful people came to Fargo this week: Terri Blomquist and her husband came from Minneapolis, she has the piece about the silenced stitchers, those that taught us the needlework and now we have to pass that knowledge on to the next generation.  Judy Duelo and Linda Franz drove a difficult drive from Minneapolis and it was so good to see those wonderful women!  Judy Duelo and her work in beetween us: "Friendship starts with kindness." Judy and I have exchanged e-mails through the two years and what a kind and loving person she is, it was really great meeting her face to face. And her dear friend Linda, truly with her heart in the right place!  Linda Franz and her work: "To share with a friend, is to see twice the beauty" and how true that is! Most of the trip was just fun and amazingly good friendship feeling, all the way through the week. But our dear friend Susan Mikesell from California (one of us three) was ill on and off through the week and ended up in a hospital in Fargo and is there now. We were lucky enough to have one of the Retreat ladies Bev Ricker, being a doctor and could make the arrangements needed. And Roz and Sue are watching over Susan as they possibly can. Please pray for her good recovery. Here is Susan in her good element, working on a beautiful hardanger project!  Susan is always ready to smile and quick with funny remarks. And oh all the laughs we have had through our e-mails and Instant Messages through the two years! Our prayers are with you Susan! There are more photos and more stories to come in the next few days, so keep watching! Iceland March 16th What an adventure!! We have had a wonderful 10 days in the USA! When I came home, one piece for the tapestry was waiting for me. So we have received 230 pieces! And I know of many still in the making in many countries. Next step for us is to take a little rest and then prepare for the next adventure, perhaps next winter if all goes well. But first I have more stories to tell about this exhibition!  Fargo-Moorhead is a wonderful place to visit. The people are so nice and warm. And I love the trees! I just have to go there again one day in summertime to see the area "in green".  Roz, Rags, Carol and Sue Carol, Roz´s mother came to see the tapestry and what a wonderful woman she is. Both of Roz´s parents have pieces in the tapestry! When Carol was there, a reporter from one of the tv stations came and he interviewed her too. She looked so great on tv!  Here we are in front of the Friendship Tapestry with tv reporter Kevin Wallevand from an ABC affiliate, the WDAY tv station and his camera man.  Renee Thorsson drove a long way from SA Minnesota to visit us. It was so nice to see her finally after many e-mails. And I even saw her cute dog Frodo!  We also had men coming for visits! They were very interested in the thought behind the project and showed much interest in the talent they saw in the pieces. This exhibition in Fargo was a very good one. We are very happy with the response we got and have learned much and met so many new friends and many of the people I knew through e-mails, I have finally met and that means made our friendship even closer. What a priviledge to meet so many good people.  Lárus, my husband and I are very thankful for all the work and all the help from the wonderful people at Nordic Needle. Especially our dear friends Roz and Harold and Sue.  Thank you all!! March 19th So many good memories from the time in Fargo-Moorhead. It was an unforgettable time. So many good people. The Paradise Stitching Retreat with all the wonderful women was a great one! What a reTreat! Friendships to last a lifetime were made this wonderful week.  Lárus and I have been working on the website, it keeps throwing the photos out! I hope it is working well now. I added the new pieces to our "Piece-page". Beautiful pieces that arrived while we were in Fargo. I also added a letter to our "letter-page", with a photo which I received this morning. I just had to share it with you. Have a look! I know you will like it. I told you earlier of our dear friend Susan´s illness. She is out of the hospital and Roz has been taking good care of her, and she is getting better. Susan is on her way home to California when I a write this. Another dear friend Nancy Claiborne from Tennessee, was also in a hospital for surgery this last week. She is home and getting better too. These good friends of ours, the other two of our projects Trio, still need our prayers though.  This photo shows friendly stitchers, stitching late into the night at Nordic Needle´s Paradise Stitching Retreat! I send you all my warmest thoughts; those of you I met this week and those of you that watched the diary online from distant corners of our planet. Thank you for a great week in Fargo/Moorhead! It was unforgettable! |
©
ragjo 2004