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County Quilt Show

Yesterday I attended our county quilt show, which was moved from February to November by the local guild in hopes of attracting more traffic. I skipped the 2018 show because I was worried about catching the flu after the shots proved ineffective for about half the people who got them. So I was eager to attend this year's show.

The above is my favorite quilt from the whole show. I love the colors and the optical illusion of movement it has. It felt so lovely to be at the show, too. I gave up all my sewing and quilting this month for NaNoWriMo, and I've missed it.

I'll get all of my gripes out of the way first. There were a lot of machine-embroidered quilts this year, probably about a third of the entries, of which I'm not a big fan. They looked perfect, like something you'd buy in a store. The other quilts in the show were mostly simple patterned or kit quilts. I saw one whole cloth quilt, and no crazies at all. Almost everything was machine quilted, too. I think what was shown is a sign of the times for quilters like me who like to do hand work.

This quilt was machine quilted but hand-embroidered, giving me a little hope.

This one also cheered me up a bit.

Here's what I bought at the show, mostly from the guild boutique, as the money they earn goes right back to the guild. I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more finished quilts, as my closets are overflowing with them, but what was for sale was pricey and not to my taste, so it wasn't hard to resist.

I couldn't pass up a pile of McCall's Quilting magazines for $2.00. They're all pretty recent issues, too.

Two scrap fabric stacks for $5.00, also a bargain.

I liked these two quilt tops, both of which were dirty cheap at $18.00, and labeled "Finish Me." How could I resist?

In the end I had fun, which is all that matters.

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Comments

nightsmusic said…
Your favorite pick is wonderful! It really does have the movement and illusion I like as well. I do fear for the traditional hand quilting though. I'm seeing more and more machine quilting as well and it's...sad. Quilting is an art form. Making sure the stitches are just so, same length, same tightness. You don't get that with a machine. Not the human element of it.

I have an all white quilt made of bleached muslin. I've never measured it, but it would probably be considered a double size. It's not patchwork either. But it is hand quilted in close, intricate patterns and it's just lovely. I'll send you a picture of some of the quilting. It must have taken a long time. I think I bought it for a dollar at a garage sale with a couple others.

That quilt piece with the yellow gold border? Stunning! I caught my breath on that one.
November 16, 2019 at 5:36 AM
the author said…
Wholecloth quilts are definitely collectible. They represent the ultimate challenge for a quilter (or did in the old days before all the machined stuff.)

That piece you like will then be yours -- you just have to wait a bit for it. :)
November 21, 2019 at 3:48 PM
nightsmusic said…
Oh, Lynn! You don't have to do that!

I took a couple pictures of the white one I have though. I'll send them to you. I don't know how much you can really see the pattern because all the stitching is white as well, but they're roses. The stitches are tiny and uniform and I bought it in a quilt bin box at one of the antique shows in Saline, Michigan. It's not too far from us and they have them monthly in the summer.
November 21, 2019 at 4:49 PM
the author said…
Oh, you're definitely getting this one. :)

The pics you e-mailed are cool. I'd say it's an older quilt, and definitely worth preserving.
November 22, 2019 at 9:51 AM
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