Quilt shows are organized on some sort of local, regional or national level. There are various categories (pieced, appliqued, hand quilted, etc). Ribbons or prizes are given for the best in each category.
They might occur at the county or state fair. Quilt shows may be at churches or community centers. Maybe outside, or in some unusual setting. No matter, they are a wonderful inspiration for any quilter.
Quilt shows are a great way for quilters to show off their own quilts, look at other quilts, network, and shop for fabric or quilty items.
Sometimes in my travels, I find quilts in unexpected places. Such is the occurrence of rest stop quilts in Iowa. There was no expectation of quilts in the rest stop on I-80 near Davenport, Iowa. All of these photos were taken inside this rest stop. Many years ago, a woman in the quilt guild was raving about a book discussing how quilts were used as signals for the Underground Railroad. My first thought was why has this never been discussed…
Quilters love to show off quilts to anyone who will stop long enough to look – we are just like that. Yep, we are show-offs, at least when it comes to our quilts. I thought that starting off this week by showing off quilts would be a great way to deal with Monday. All these photos were taken in June 1995 in Montana. A co-worker allowed me to “borrow” the old barn and wooden fence on her family farm for…
I love red, white, and blue quilts. Not only are they patriotic, but they are also happy and bright. I thought I would share some red, white, and blue quilts I have made over the years. Use these ideas as a starting place to make one (or more) for yourself. Celebrate July 4th quilts! Using cheater blocks – Cheater blocks make for fun projects. They can be hand or machine quilted. The below small quilt finished at 22″ square. I…
Between the rising prices of gas, food, and everything in general – many of us are opting to do staycations this summer. So, for your enjoyment, here are more photos of the quilt show in Paducah, KY 2006 (Part 2). I found the various applique quilts fascinating. The many themes were amazing. We quilters are so creative. I have long since lost my handbook for the show so I can’t tell you anything about these quilts. However, you can enjoy…
So many of us are in “stay in place” right now that I thought sharing some photos from the quilt show in Paducah, KY during 2006 might give you some new ideas. Or at least some different quilts to look at. I really try to make an annual trip of the show in Paducah each spring. There are just so many quilts to see, which means so many more ideas of quilts I would like to make. These quilts caught…
In today’s world, it is entirely possible to visit quilt museums around the globe from the comfort of your own home. Or maybe a road trip would be more fun. Either way, I am suggesting that you enjoy these textile museums. Enjoy These Quilt Museums International Quilt Museum – Lincoln, NE has a wide variety of programs and quilt displays to see and enjoy. I love historical quilts, and they have many that are prior to 1820. The National Quilt…
Last week I wanted to be outside in the beautiful day, but I really needed to be cutting the pieces for the mystery quilt cut. The “squirrel” won. Um….how about a road trip and beautiful quilts thrown in. After all, there will not be many of these nice days for much longer. Six Christmas quilts were chosen to go along and get their photos taken. We ended up in Sullivan County, Indiana. My trusty side-kicks (AKA hubby and grand-daughter) are…
In August 2020 I gathered together all kinds of blue and white scraps. I wanted to make a blue and white “snowball” quilt. I just put the last stitch into the binding. My blueberry days quilt is complete! Prepping The pieces I used this pattern for size and cutting instructions. I put my top together in rows instead of blocks of four snowballs. According to my notes, I cut 224 (6.5″) blue blocks, and 896 (2.5″) white squares for a…
My last post was about the quilting projects I worked on during vacation in Maine. However, I also visited several used books stores. I found some wonderful used quilting books. In my mind, Maine & used quilting books go together. Maybe because of the long snowy winters in Maine, there are many wonderful used books stores to visit. This year I concentrated on finding some used books on quilting. My personal favorites are: Stone Soup Books in Camden, Rockland Library…
People ask me what I do while in Maine each year on vacation. Well truthfully – not a lot. When the kids were home, vacations involved activities and places the kids would enjoy. However, now that vacation is solo, my vacation is about quilting, relaxation, and used books. Before the question comes up “why do you vacation solo?”, let me answer it. Hubby does not like to travel anymore, and I still do. So he enjoys the quiet time at…
