A Quilt Show

1. 9patch, 2. disappearing9patch, 3. panels,
4. oneblockquilt, 5. colorful, 6. bowtie,
7. scraps, 8. houses, 9. colorful1

I spent a delightful day this past Saturday in the company of a dear friend, other quilters, and quilts. What more could a quilter ask for? It was the annual Colorado Quilting Council Quilt-A-Fair. I look forward to this every year and every year it is different. It seemed that last year there were more quilts on display and fewer things of interest in the vendor booths. This year was just the opposite. I have only shown 9 of the quilts and I lost my program so I can't even tell you the maker. There was nothing spectacular but I take pictures to remember a color variation or a setting. I can't even tell you the pattern maker's name because (in the case of the house quilt) I remember seeing the pattern but can't remember who designed it. O the perils of getting old. The plaid bow tie (#6) reminded me of Finn, not that she wears bow ties, do you Finn?

My major purchase of the day was this antique wooden sewing box. I have always looked at these boxes when I've found them at stores or friends but it was never the right one. My Grandma had one and I can remember thinking it was the coolest thing. I don't know what ever happened to it but I've been searching for one just like it and Voila! here it is. It has a place of honor on my coffee table in the living room and holds all the little stuff that collects on the table. I have a different sewing basket that I use. I also bought one pattern, a Laurel Burch 1/2 yard bundle, 2 books (like I need more) and 3 Red, White and Bold charm packs from moda (they were marked down, I couldn't resist).

I fell in love with this pattern by Red Leaf Designs out of Sheridan, Wyoming. I did not buy it because I had spent a lot more than I normally do and was feeling guilty. But isn't it a great design? The quilt is not a rectangle: the upper corners of the quilt really do look like that.

Piece Keepers from Yukon, Oklahoma, had the quilt for this pattern (Massachusetts Cross & Crown) displayed in the back of the booth. Is this not a wonderful setting? If you follow the link you need to click on "Patterns" to get to the photo of the quilt. Sorry, but that is what happens when a website is built in frames. Ugh.

And for all you stitchery people out there, this is the year for you. Everywhere I looked there was stitchery. The predominant designer seemed to be Crab-apple Hill. If you follow the link you will see the majority of stitcheries that I saw at the show. The most popular (4 different booths) seemed to be Hocuspocusville, but I also saw Over The River & Through The Woods and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

The Quilted Frog designs caught my eye, mainly because I draw and design like this. Whatever I draw ends up looking like a cartoon. I just wish the website had been updated.

Jane Spolar's patterns also caught my eye. Aren't they great? I think the Phoenix one is exquisite.

By far my favorite booth of the whole show was Bonnie Blue Quilts from Katy, Texas. I have linked directly to the pattern page to hopefully bypass the wierd box that flys in to advertise the shop's latest block in the BOM. The quilt that I absolutely fell in love with is Lancaster. I think it was a comination of the black-on-black reproduction and the cheddar that did me in. Gorgeous.