Monday has come too fast this week! I was gone most of the weekend and that always means I have to play catch up the following week. No matter how much I try to get ahead the week before, it just never happens! It’s okay and it was totally worth it! I got to go to QuiltCon for a (very) brief visit. It was amazing! I’m going to tell you all about my experience and share some of the amazing quilts I got to see. For all those non-fabricaholics out there reading, please excuse me if I sound like a super fan girl in this post!
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New Experiences
This was definitely a new experience for me! I’ve never been to any kind of quilting convention. The closest I’ve come is visiting local craft fairs. When I first arrived, I was a little overwhelmed. Everyone seemed to know each other and exactly what to do. I was lost! I looked at some quilts and wandered around a bit.
Then we visited some booths. So much to see! I approached a booth and started a conversation that was just A-w-k-w-a-r-d! {totally my fault!} The next booth went a little better and the lady tried to convince my son he could draw on fabrics too. I found that interesting but he was just sort of – meh. Teenagers!
We sat in on a demonstration of the new Bernina sewing machine designed by Cotton + Steel. It was so awesome! Now I need/want one! : ) I already have 4 sewing machines but that’s beside the point!
Finally it was time for lunch – Irish nachos! Just kettle cooked chips with beef, cheese, onions, and tomatoes. Quite tasty! I also got to have a wonderful conversation about fabric with some ladies at the table. I only regret I didn’t get their names! If you’re reading this, it was nice to meet all of you! You’re my people!
After lunch, I went to get me a little souvenir in the form of fabric – of course! Since I couldn’t get the new machine {boo!} I settled for some Cotton + Steel fabric from the Beyond the Reef Quilt Patterns booth. : )
I’ve met so many wonderful crafty people on Instagram, but I was really hoping to meet one person in particular. She was in a class all day and I didn’t think it would happen. As we were headed out to the car, I looked at my phone and saw a message from her. After crossing paths and looking around a bit we finally got to meet!
This is Anna known as @sewgoodsewfar on Instagram. It was so good to meet you for the 5 minutes we got to talk! I hope you don’t mind me posting this picture. Y’all can really see how tired I am in this picture!
Ok, here’s some more pictures, I’m sure y’all are tired of my fan girl ramblings! : )
My Favorite Quilts
270 Colors Quilt by Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill of Whole Circle Studio for Aurifil Thread ~>
See the design process here! Each spool has been quilted to look like the threads on a spool. There’s a pattern for a Sew Many Colors mini quilt & a contest going on at Auribuzz right now!
Ode de Yoshiko by Marilyn Farquhar ~ >
This quilt won 1st place in piecing. The texture was what I liked the most!
Here’s a close up of the quilting details.
Yoshiko II by Marilyn Farquhar ~ >
She’s such an awesome quilter! I didn’t realize two of my favorite quilts were by her. Especially since I had to figure out who the makers were when I got home because I forgot to take pictures of the signs! My son really liked the “pebble” effect on this quilt. I also had to keep reminding him to not touch the quilts!
Beacon by Yvonne Fuchs of Quilting Jetgirl ~>
This was exciting to see because I’ve been following her blog for a little while now. I’m fairly certain I saw her at the ticket booth, but I didn’t realize it was her until later!
Autumn is Wistful by Chawne Kimber of completely cauchy. ~>
I knew when I saw this quilt it had to be made by a southerner! Sure enough she’s from the South and living in the North. Her story behind the quilt is an interesting perspective on going home after you’ve moved away. I feel you Chawne!
Self Portrait Behind the Pixels by Angela Bowman of Angela Bowman Designs ~>
I pointed this quilt out to my son, only really seeing the purple at the top standing out. He said “It’s a face”. Why yes, yes it is! After reading her blog post about the quilt, I’m grateful I was able to “see beyond the pixels”. : )
12 Astrological Constellation by Amber Corcoran of Fancy Tiger Crafts ~>
I love looking at the stars so this quilt was right up my alley! The lighting really glared in this picture, but there’s a close up below.
You can see here the yellow squares are little pieces sewn in the quilt, not applique. She has individual constellation block patterns for sale on her website.
Random Pictures
These are some other things I found interesting at the convention center. This tree looks like a tree out of a Dr. Seuss book to me! I’ve since found out it’s called a “bottle brush” tree. Now I want one for my front yard!
Ok, this one’s going to seem weird. On the trip to Savannah, my son and I kept seeing crows on the side of the road. They don’t fly away, they just sort of hop off to the side. When we left QuiltCon, I saw 3 more crows and a pigeon hanging out with them!
You can see the pigeon better here. That crow looks like he’s not happy to have him hanging around!
I also learned a few things about what I will do differently next time {there will be a next time!}. Here’s my little list of “things I’ll do differently”:
- Go all 4 days! ~> There was so much to see and do I felt like I really didn’t get the full experience!
- Leave the night before ~> Yeah, I stayed up too late finishing up some “stuff” then drove to Savannah Saturday morning. Let’s just say after a 3 hour drive and a few hours walking around I was pooped! I should have know better because I have no thyroid, duh!
- Take a more enthusiastic travel mate ~> My son came along on this trip because he didn’t want to be stuck at home taking the dog out and depending on my husband to feed him. : p When I tried to discuss some of the quilts with him all I got was “Yeah, I guess so”. Sigh.
Alright that’s all for today! See y’all on Wednesday!
