Quilt Show Rained out

A hot summer and a wet autumn. We can’t seem to get it right. A hurricane and a tropical storm within two weeks left our area water logged. Each year a local historical site - a small plantation- hosts an out door quilt show. Quilts are hung out of doors, speaker’s present lectures, vendors set up tents, and tours are given of the house. The show goes on rain or shine for one Sunday afternoon. It’s a lot of work for one day. The region looks forward to the show has a sign of autumn’s coming.

This year the show has been cancelled. The storms rained several inches over the region and many streets flooded. The park where the show was to be held on is saturated and it would be impossible to set up. The poles for quilt hanging would droop and leave the quilts hanging in the mud. The tent would not hold up and booths would sink. The auto park would be a quad mire of mud with cars becoming stuck. It was the correct decision to make.

The decision was made just a few days before the event. The participates were informed
and the word was placed on the Internet to the local guilds, quilt shops, and etc. The word spread like wild fire among quilters.We will have to wait another year for the next Sully Plantation Quilt Show. Hope the weather is better next year.

Autumn is in the Air

Autumn is in the air. It is here and the quilt season is picking up. Several areas around here are having quilt shows. The frenzy of preparing for the Houston Quilt Market and Festival is beginning. Reservations have been made for weeks if not months. Vendors are packing goods and attendees are checking weather forecasts for clothes packing. The excitment is building.

I too am attending Market and Festival. I am looking forward to what will be new in the way of fabrics and notions. I look forward to seeing the quilt exhibits and ponder how I can merge new techniques into my style. I look forward to the opportunity to expand my horizons with the thoughts of these possibilities.

Mid-Atlantic Quilt show

Last weekend I went to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt show in Hampton, Virginia. I go almost every year. The show is a Mansuco production that has held for many years. I go almost every year. The quilt exhibits were top quality. The quilts were beautiful to look at, to admire the fine stitches, and maybe to learn something from. While I did not take any classes this year there are classes to meet every need.

Dozens of vendors were there. Batik and many types of fabrics were available. Notions of every kind were there to stock up on and more types of rulers than I have ever seen. I bought some lovely specially threads.

One trend I noticed was the number of 'raffle quilts' from regional quilt guilds and groups. There must have been a half dozen or more. I was impressed with the number of course but also with the beauty and quality of these opportunity quilts. I spent has much money on these quilts as I spent on the vendors. Knowing that I not only have a chance, slight as it may be, to win the quilt, it is also knowing that I am helping a charitable group and helping a neighboring quilt group.