I mentioned the Belknap Mill Quilters Guild in the previous post, they have provided a quilt on every bed in the rehab facility where my Dad is currently residing. It just so happened that the guild was holding their annual quilt show this past weekend. After telling dad "good-bye" I was able to stop and visit the show on our way out of town. The show was held at a local Community College, this clothesline of colorful quilt blocks led visitors from the parking lot to the entrance door. I was impressed with the attention to every detail behind this show. The publicity and promotion team is to be highly commended, there were posters and lawn signs advertising the show everywhere, also many businesses in town showcased quilts in their front windows along with show information. If one didn't attend, it was because they chose not to, certainly not because they didn't know about it!
I snapped a few photos of quilts to remember, there was so much to see! I loved the scrappies, of course, and am always looking for ways to use up my pre-cut bins full of scraps! The applique quilt shown here was so interesting: it is composed of all batik fabrics and each block is individually finished and bound; somehow these were joined together in some fashion to hang as a whole, it was just beautiful. I loved the fact that there were "viewer's choice" awards for each quilt category. I voted a LOT! I also bought a book of raffle tickets but, apparently, someone else won; I never did get "the" call. 😉
Since returning home, energized and inspired completely by the show, I have dug into my bins and begun constructing 8" Churn Dash blocks. And, as usually happens... bonus triangles result... and SEW it goes!
I'm back from MidAtlantic Quilt Festival and have been going out straight all week. I've lots to report but, in the meantime, please come along with me and enjoy a stroll through the phenomenal quilt show from last week; there were so many amazing quilts, these are just a few that caught my eye!
I am back, from Savannah GA and QUILTCON 2017, it was a new adventure filled with sights, experiences and learning. Oh, yeah, and then there was the food-- that too, but the food in Savannah is another story for another day, it will always be there even when QUILTCON isn't; if you haven't ever visited Savannah you need to do that! So, QUILTCON: lots and lots of people. Here I am with two of my best buddies waiting for the big rolling doors (in the background) to open up on Friday morning, admitting the masses. This was fun, standing and waiting, meeting new friends in line from all over the world, learning about them through their stories, thousands brought together in one place at the same time through the love of quilts; there was an excitement, an enthusiastic vibe all around. The quilts at the show were great, click on the link below for a quick slideshow of my favorites. These are all fresh, fun and modern; I learned something about myself while viewing the show: the modern quilts that appeal the most to me are those based in traditional piecing, that combined with over-the-top quilting stops me in my tracks every time! I believe I view the quilts with a "transitional" eye, if that makes sense; the quilt category that I found myself drawn to was that entitled "modern traditionalism". Okay, I can own that!
The venue for this event, the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center, was beautiful; spacious, light and bright inside. The quilts were all displayed in the space to the front with lots of room in between the aisles to comfortably stroll and take photos. The sponsor booths and the vendors were around the outer perimeter and to the rear of this room.
Just outside the venue were sprawling green spaces and the Savannah River.
The weather was perfectly cooperative for stretching out for an impromptu nap on the grass. Yes, that is an amazingly large container ship working its way up the river!
On Friday evening we met up with some friends at the Westin Hotel next door for a mini-reunion and a meal; this was the view just outside the door at that location. Those are snapdragons in bloom!
Old friends on a new adventure; QUILTCON East 2017!
All in all, my impressions of Quiltcon were very good. The sponsor booths, while not selling goods, were showcasing lines and products as well as providing opportunities to give back through making quilt blocks for charity quilts or volunteering. These sponsor booths were generous with "swag" as well, getting to a booth when they were handing out freebies was a frequent occurrence. The Cotton and Steel bag pictured above was just such an item. I have to admit though, that my own feet weren't fleet enough to score that strawberry bag, it was just out of my grasp. However, my good friend Nane was quick enough to capture it ahead of the thundering herd and presented it to me! I remain extremely grateful. A greater power smiled upon her generosity, only moments later she won a half-yard bundle of gorgeous fabrics in a different booth. Call it karma or divine intervention, no good turn goes unnoticed. The retail vendor booths that were selling had products new to me, I was eager to try out a few and some of those items followed me home! The one thing that I did notice was not many vendors had fabric yardage for sale, there were lots of booths with precuts of entire collections and the like, but my own personal hunt for yardage to complete a few projects was fruitless. On Friday afternoon my buddies and I took a lecture from Elizabeth Hartman on choosing color for quilts, that was one of the highlights of the entire weekend!
I was hope-hope-hoping to come home with the copy of her newest pattern: "Dogs in Sweaters", but it wasn't quite available yet. I received an email that it was for sale today and ordered my copy immediately; you knew I just HAD TO have this one the minute it hit the market!
Just in case you thought I might have come home relatively empty handed, don't be fooled. This is the "loot" before organizing and stashing it in its rightful place. Not only all of this, but tons of inspiration too!
QUILTCON East 2017 is now history. Next year it will be on the west coast, in Pasadena. I will most likely consider driving north once again in February 2018 and returning to MidAtlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, VA. One thing I know for sure: there won't be snapdragons blooming up there at that time!
Best of Show quilt: "Chiluly's Gondola" by Melissa Sobotka of Richardson TX
... in Charlotte, North Carolina and it's the very best kind; a QUILT party. thrown by AQS! It's an A+++ party too:
Amazing quilts...
Abundant vendors... Awesome classes and instructors!
I had the privilege of attending the festivities on opening day yesterday and will include here some of the highlights; first, some of my personal favorites, the quilts that spoke to me:
"Rainbow Star" by Carol McDowell of Elkin, NC ; machine quilted by Kim Buterbaugh
"Circles of Joy" by Barbara Wynn of McLean, VA
"Crown Jewels" by Lisa Calle of Pottstown, PA
"Dresden's Dilemma" by Deborah Poole and Sharon Del Pino of Shelley, ID
"Fiesta Fireworks" by Julia Graber of Brooksville, MS
"Rhapsody In Blue" by Edith Stein of Fort Mill, SC
In the afternoon I was a student sponge in a longarm quilting class, "Fantabulous Feathers and Fills" taught by Gina Parris-Perkes. I tried to soak up everything she said and did, took copious notes and attempted to mimic her movements at quilting time, she was a great instructor.
Gina doing what Gina does best.
Class samples of Gina's amazing longarm artistry.
Before leaving the Queen City for the day there was time for one more look at the quilts.
"See Rock City" by Julie Sefton of Bartlett, TN. Quilted by Chris Ballard. Julie is a blogger friend of mine, spending time with her quilt wasalmost as good as an in person visit. Check out more of Julie's beautiful quilts by clicking on her name.
The above two detail shots are from Julie's amazing pictorial homage to rural barns, I found myself lost in all the details... this quilt begs the viewer to step in and search out all the charming additions, it isn't a quilt that you can appreciate from a afar or even quickly; this one requires time to savor and appreciate.
"A Letter Bit of BAA-ltimore" by Janet Stone of Overland Park, KS
Detail from the quilt above; this quilt contained precious sheep appliques as well as alphabet letters scattered thoughout. Each of the 26 intricately appliqued Baltimore-style blocks represented a letter of the alphabet. This was another masterpiece to study and enjoy ever-so-slowly.
If you're in the mood to celebrate, and can get yourself to Charlotte anytime between now and Saturday
evening you couldn't find a better party to attend than this one... guaranteed!
My husband and I had the opportunity to attend a quilt show just outside of Asheville a week ago last Friday. I am including here a photo-log and inviting you to ride along with me on a visual excursion of the highlights. I don't have the quilter's names or quilt titles (except for one); if you know these works and can supply me with any information that would be wonderful. This is a random sampling of quilts that appealed to me. There are some whole quilt shots, some details and a few photos with both, as indicated. Enjoy!
This quilt (Country Sunshine) was made by a friend if mine, Sandra Garrison; it was quilted by Theresa DeWalt. This is a detail shot, it is a nine block masterpiece.
All batiks, this was put together by the quilt-as-you-go method, I loved it!
This quilt (l) was the Best of Show... detail (r) shows ruching and hand quilting.
Stunning Baltimore Album (l) and incredible quilting details (r); two different shots, top and bottom
I love the bold, graphic visual impact of this organized scrap quilt, with detail shot(r).
How to top off a perfect morning? Lunch! Homemade. Italian. Oh, yeah... Wasn't that fun? Life is Good!
Our Guild's "Art Of Comfort" quilt show is history today, but I thought I would share some of the sights, and the quilts, from this past weekend as seen through the lens of my own camera. It was a terrific gathering of friends, fabric (vendors) and fun (quilts, of course!). I have posted below photos of quilts that caught my attention, these are just a mere drop in the bucket of all that was on exhibit. I am inspired, as always, and proud of the Guild to which I belong; such a richly talented group of quilters and friends!
Enjoy the show~
I was so happy to finally meet fellow blogger, Cathi, from Shakerwood Quilts.
She made me feel like we were longtime friends!
I look forward to seeing her again in August,
she will be presenting a program for our Guild then, I can't wait!
This beauty was a stunner... it won 1st in category, Best Hand Applique, Best Longarm Quilting and Viewer's Choice! Can't you see why?
One of the quilt show chairs, with her lovely Floral Tiles quilt... well done, on bothcounts! Bravo!!
And then... as fast as it had gone up, it all come down. One by one, the quilts were returned to their respective pillowcases and claimed by their owners. The process went like clockwork, a smooth Swiss clock.
...and a good time was had by all...
We'll be back; with another phenomenal show; in 2014!
A chronicle of random musings celebrating daily life, faith, family, sewing and making quilts from my semi-rural North Carolina studio:
"Strawberry Patch Quiltworks"
