Cincinnati Quilt Show-Preview Night

Those of us that go to quilt shows know a little about crowding in to see a quilt.  Shows usually go over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  However, there is a little known day called Preview Night, where you can go and avoid some of those crowds.  You are limited to 4 hours, which, for me is plenty of time to spend at one time at a quilt show.

Our quilt group, Northeast Quilting Friends, started out going with 6 people and room for others.  I guess I got a little nervous about all the people that were going to the Cincinnati show and decided our group needed to go to the show on Preview Night.  The change caused a drop from 6 to 4 people.  I've been to a few Preview Nights, and I'd say on the whole, there were a lot more people at this Preview Night than others I'd gone to.  But, I have no doubt, the emptiness you see in my pictures will be completely filled with people on the regular advertised days of the show.

First we stopped off at Pompillios in Newport, Kentucky which is less than 10 minutes away from the Duke Convention center in downtown Cincinnati.  The quilt show started at 5:00 so we got to the restaurant at 3:00 thinking it would take some time to be served, etc.  We ordered and food came pretty quickly.  It was very good, I highly recommend it.  We got the sampler platter and 2 could split it.  Then you want the tiramisu for dessert, some of the best I've ever tried.

Off to the Preview Night we went.  We parked at the 5th street parking garage with a covered walk bridge from our parking garage.  You want to park on the 3rd level (green) to be able to walk right on to the bridge.

The next bit of information for future reference, get the program and plan your day at the Preview Night.  Since there is only 4 hours you might want to be able to plan to see certain quilts.  The program is laid out very well and of course you have the list of all the vendors to see as well.

It's Almost Quilt Show Festival Time

My husband and I have a notebook on our bedside table. In this notebook we write our list of places to travel. On our list we've included a quilt show that I've always wanted to attend, the Road to California quilt show. It's seems to always be talked about in blogs, etc. After checking the dates today, it's next week and that might be too soon to plan a trip to California. Ah well, there's always next year.

My recommendation for anyone that wants to attend a quilt show is the huge AQS quilt show in Paducah, Kentucky. This show is in the Spring when the dogwoods are blooming. This show is unique in that the whole town appreciates the economic boost the show gives to the local economy and quilts are everywhere in the town. The local rotary club has a show of antique crazy quilts and Elenore Burns puts on an educational and entertaining show in a circus tent. You have to have at least 3 days there and you still won't see it all. You've heard of a whole cloth quilt, well this is a whole town quilt show.

I think a lot of credit must go to Hancocks of Paducah. This is a world famous fabric store, that gives a great award,$20,000. for the winner, or it may have changed, that's what it used to be. I've had one quilt entered in this show but, did not win anything. It's a juried show, so I felt like just getting accepted was pretty good.

Another great little quilt show is the Indiana Heritage quilt show in Bloomington. This is another large prize for the winner show, so it brings in some really great quilts to compete. I've entered quilts in this show, but, have never won. They also have some very interesting displays in the surrounding museums. You can see this quilt show in one day. There's a house nearby that has some original quilts that were beautifully preserved and are only brought out for display on antique beds once a year. I can't remember what it is called. This show also brings in some pretty fantastic teachers. I'm taking a class from Bonnie Mcaffrey for painting faces on fabric. I've always tried other crafts, and I really like painting. My mom is an oil painting artist.

These are just a few suggestions of quilt shows in my area, Louisville, Kentucky. Does anyone know of any others near me or if you have any suggestions, I'd like to hear it.

START PLANNING FOR YOUR QUILT SHOWS NOW AND INVITE A NONQUILTER TO A SHOW IF YOU CAN. Or, then again, if not a quilting friend or by yourself, cause you can find your best friend or your worst enemy in yourself.

Happy Quilting!

Bloomington Quilt Show

So many things are found on display at a quilt show. The quilter's muse can be found at a quilt show. They, those sisters of art, are alive and well abiding in and around the beautiful quilts on display, ready to ignite our passion of this beloved art form. Friendships old and new are also on display, as you walk among the quilts and share admiration of fine workmanship. Stitching by hand that looks so precise a machine could not compare or stitching by machine, with stippling so tight no human hand would dare. Vendors with wares so wonderful the nesting instincts in all us women, take hold and we buy, buy, buy and this makes us happy.

Competition was stiff at this show, past Paducah Quilt show winners won no prizes here. Paducah, Kentucky's quilt show, is arguably one of the premier shows in the country, drawing quilts from all over the wold.

Whole cloth quilts are making a come back, having several entries in this show, including this whole cloth white quilt that later was painted to perfection.

The Indiana Heritage Quilt Show is a fine road trip for quilters.

Happy quilters what/where do you find your muse?