Holland Expatchers / Eemnes, Netherlands
Freedom Quilters: Mirtha Valk, Dorothy Wilson, Sabine Kohrs, Cathy Vincent, Gill de Vries, Joanne Pomerantz, Jackie van Ommen, Vivienne Bourke, Deborah Gibson-Smith, Barbara Wittenberg, Mary Beth Holland and Ruth Grimes
We are a group of women living in The Netherlands in the area around Amsterdam. Most of us are expats and many of us have spent time living in other locations around the world. The love of quilting brought us together, but we have also found much support and friendship within the group and it has come to mean much more than simply a craft group. At the moment we number 13, but that changes occasionally as a member moves or a new person arrives. We try to limit the group to 14 to preserve intimacy and most importantly so that we can fit into one another’s homes. We are of mixed ability, some of us are very accomplished quilters and others just learning. The experienced are very generous about teaching and helping the less so. There is a core group of long timers who have been in the group since its formation in 1992. We take turns hosting the meetings in our homes and usually we are welcomed by the smell of something delicious baking in the oven. Our quilts are created to the tune of much chatter and laughter.