One of my quilting bucket list items can now be check off!

We lived in Kentucky for 20 years.  Out of those 20 years I probably attended the Paducah Quilt show, at least 10 or more of those years.  The first stop was the Bob Cherry Convention Center, where at the back was always on display the Hoffman Challenge.  The Hoffman fabric company makes some very nice quilter's cotton.  For the last 30 years, the company has been choosing a fabric to challenge people to make quilts using it.  This year I entered the competition and was accepted to travel the country.  I didn't win anything, the competition was fierce and those that won definitely should have.   
   

 Even though it was pretty wrinkled I still got a kick seeing it in person.  The lovely ladies from the quilt guild that had the foresight to snag one of the trunks of the Hoffman Challenge thought it kind on cool that I drove 2.5 hours to their quilt show to see my quilt.  Little did they know...smile. 

   One minor thing is I sure would have hated it if my quilt had been draped over a rocking chair.  I guess space was limited, for the mini show within their show in Cassville, Mo.  The quilts were judged and displayed by the Ozark Country Quilters.   
  

Paducah Quilt Show 2009 Part 2

Since these quilts are some of the best in the country, we might as well start off with the Grand Prize winning Best in Show.  From a lady from Australia.  

This is the Hand workmanship award from a Japanese artist. 

There was no shortage of quilts from the far east this year, South Korea and Japanese quilts were all star winners.  Whimsy and traditional ruled the day, it seemed to me.  The high art quilts of a few years ago were passé and relegated to a very few awards.  This is the Gammil machine quilting award winner.

The bed quilt winners were named by an old southern gentleman, or at least the names wanted me to believe that.  1st place A New Look at a Grand Old Lady.  2nd place Savanah.

Even the first quilt entered in the contest were spectacular.  1st place entry Spring with Delight.

All the big quilt stars were there, selling their wares.

The show is a bit smaller this year, quality over quantity was definitely noticeable to me.  Here is the empty pool and all the vendors are gone around it and under the pool was empty as well-a huge improvement from last year when the vendors and we shoppers were miserable from the heat.  

AQS Nashville Quilt Show 2008

Some days you need your quilt fix.  Yesterday was that day for me.  So I set my cruise control, and angled the radio to the left of the dial, because you know that's where all the good public radio stations are and off I went down South 65 the 3 hour drive to the lovely Gaylord Opryland Hotel.  I was alone in the car, but had lots of company along the rode...I felt very safe.  

It is really an easy drive unless you run across some of this.  Yep, highway construction, down to a  single lane, but this did not deter me.  Nope I was on a mission to see the AQS quilt show in Nashville for the last time held at this venue.  Next year it will be in Knoxville, Tennnessee, which I think is a little farther than Nashville from Louisville.  Ah well, I'm sure it all came down to money, but, I really do like the Nashville venue.  There are so many beautiful flowers and rivers and fountains all in a covered dome.  The orchids are beautiful and the restaurants are plenty.  Of course, be prepared to pay for all this beauty, parking is $16.00!! Luckily AQS had parking available for $5.00, about a half mile walk away, but, I'll walk for fabric.  I walked for 3 hours straight and drove to Cracker Barrel for my comfort food-a veggie plate woohoo!  So many lovely things to see along the highway, I think this farmer had a change of mind, I've never seen a criss cross crop like this.  Then at the end of the day I was treated with a beautiful sunset.  Yes, even though we are given our trials, it is all in how we handle them, come what may.

Paducah Quilt Show

The world of quilting has it's great times and not so great times. Things can be outstanding and sometimes underwhelming. Such was the case, in my opinion, concerning my 4 days spent in Paducah, Kentucky for the 24th annual American Quilters Society (AQS) quilt show. The wonderful, outstanding part was the place we stayed, the lovely Fox Briar Farm. We had a great room, delicious food, which was served in 3 courses by very nice local women that seemed to have stepped be right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. The farm has cows called Belted Galloways. I've always called them blanket cows, cause it looks like they have a blanket on their backs. The Galloways are from Scotland and fair better in colder climates, you can see the longer hair that helps keep them warm. Besides being a Bed and Breakfast during the quilt show, it's a working farm and the cows are all the work. There is one horse, cause you know this Kentucky, what would a farm be without one. The picturesque setting included a lake with geese and fish that jumped. There was a porch that wrapped around and a few dogwood trees to complete the setting.

The show was it's usual of hodge podge rambling venues contained in 3 buildings that can be daunting to navigate for first time visitors. The underwhelming part, to me was the quantity of show winning quality quilts. I wonder if their aren't more quilt shows competing for the really great quilts and those quilts can't be in 2 places at once so they are spread around the country. In the years past, it seems to me at least, that there have been many more "show stoppers" in this quilt show. I don't know, it just occurred to me, the plethora of quilt shows can't have all the quilts at once. Maybe I'm wrong, any thoughts? The winning quilts were certainly worthy and deserved the prizes they won. This is the grand prize winner, inspired by her grandmother's handkerchief.

The usual gossip, I heard it was in the paper, so maybe it's not gossip, the $20,000 winner didn't want the money. So, that means the she can keep the quilt and it does not go to the museum. I've heard that before, but, someone told me the person changed her mind and took the money. I don't know for sure, I think even at $20,000 if it took me 2 to 10 years to make a quilt worthy of this prize, it still wouldn't be worth your time...but, I'd take the money.

There were lots of familiar beloved faces, none more so than Elenore Burns. Ricky Tims rode a Harley Davidson onto the stage for his show, complete with fog and lighting like Chuck Norris coming out of the burned out barn to save the day. He was pretty good, but, the woman that sang with him, really blew him and all of us away, Cat Bowser, I think was her name-just a singer/comedian, not a quilter and soooo funny.

Here's my purchases. I'm getting into wool rovings and hand sewing a Grandmother's Flower Garden, which before it was called by that name was known as a mosaic pattern. I got this fabric to put in a scattering around the quilt, more on my progress later. I can never go to a quilt show and not find some very unusual embroidery items, this is silk ribbon embroidery thread. I've got another needle threader that works with bigger eyed needles. I did get it through a big eyed size 12 needle, but, it's not worth the effort. Use the heart shaped Clover needle thread for your size 12 needles. We also didn't have a bad meal, the Whaler has great butterfly fried shrimp and Toucan's had the best tuna fish sandwich I've ever had. Food in Paducah can not be mentioned with Patty's Settlement, home of the mile high meringue and pork chops-this can be split very easily between 2 people. Here we are, my mom and me relaxing after a wonderful bit of R and R. Now it's back to business and time with my daughter, who is still undergoing chemotherapy.

Paducah Bound, I hope, I hope, I hope...smile

All quilter's know Paducah, or have at least heard of it. Our mecca for quilting. At one time it was it-not much in the "really big show" description of a quilt show. Now, there are several Quilt Festivals, put on by Karey Bresenhan. A lovely woman from Houston, that started a revolution, of sorts for us quilters to enjoy our craft even more.

I've been to several Houston Quilt Festival shows, as I lived in Houston for 11 of my growing/wonder years for quilting. I took lots of classes from some of the biggest names in quilting, and cherish those techniques and inspiration I picked up from them. Not to much has changed with quilting, you still stitch and you still combine colors the same as before. Today, it's the notions and the machines that impress and pretend to make our lives easier, but, they don't always.

To contrast the 2 quilt events, Paducah is a town in Kentucky, that puts on a quilt show. When I say a town puts on a quilt show, I mean just that. The whole town trots itself out in the Spring for quilt related activities. Everyone gets in on the act. The Rotary Club has it's quilt show, the AQS puts on the show at the Executive Inn, the Mall has it's own quilt show. There is a veritable plethora of quilt shows around this gorgeous town by the river.

The Quilt Festival shows, Houston, Chicago, and elsewhere, are all self contained in a huge, I mean huge convention center, and it doesn't matter how big the venue, it still feels like you are crowded!. But, the vendors have got to be the winners in these events, cause there appears to be many happy quilters feathering their fabric/notion nests. If you are in the market for a sewing machine, this is where you want to be, because, almost every representative from every company will be here and your walking time is greatly reduced, compared to Paducah.

The Paducah quilt show, will have the same things the Quilt Festival shows have, they are just more spread out and finding your way around the event can be confusing-by the pool, upstairs, downstairs-it's a maze of quilty goodness.

In the end both are not to be missed and if you are going to either, book early for the nearest hotels to the event

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!