My participation in the IMQE has been a wonderful and amazing experience, because I live in a country like Argentina, in which there we have no culture and less history about patchwork and quilting, to be able to participate and have the possibility that a work done by an Argentinian, and may be hanging at the Houston festival, it is touching the sky with her hands. Nothing has been easy, without materials or tools and difficult situations in our country to import them, but thanks to teachers as Eleanor Burns (Quilt in a day), my first teacher at the distance (I remember the first book that I brought by mail, what a thrill!), also to The Quilt Show, thanks to all who have been through their show, what I've learned and to work, selfless and patient of my spouse, that everything what you could not bring me, he tried to replace any tool and rules that he used to make for me. That added to the huge computer’s world, which I had to learn but was very useful. Thanks to all of them today I am who I am and I know what I know. I am also grateful to have met Cheryl, with whom through our exchange a beautiful friendship is born, and I feel somehow united to the wonderful world of patchwork and quilting art, and I feel totally identified. (SILVIA HERMAN)