Last Words on the Vermont Quilt Festival

It is time to wrap this up, though I could probably go on for several more posts about our trip. Do check out my Flickr pictures for lots of photos. I tried to give everyone credit for their quilts. I hope I got them all right!

Wilson Lake, Maine

Since it is a 2 day drive to get there we spent one night at the Wilson Lake Inn in Wilton, Maine. We just found it on the internet, checked the comments which were good and made our reservation. We weren't disappointed, lovely clean room, great view of the lake and beautiful grounds and gardens. We wished the weather had been more cooperative and not so foggy and rainy. They recommended a great place for dinner,Calzolaio Pasta Company the boiler room of the old Bass Shoe Factory (i have such fond memories of my high school Bass Weejuns!)! The whole building had been converted to offices and this restaurant. The food was fantastic, great wait staff too, we would definitely go back.

The next three days we spent in Essex Junction, Vermont. While there we went twice to a restaurant in Winooski, the Our House Bistro - Twisted Comfort Great food and service!

A busy day! Juiced at the Juice Bar - Patty Gertz, inspired by Judy Niemeyer's Glacier Star.

After three days at the Vermont Quilt Festival, I think I can say that I saw it all! At first it was a bit overwhelming and I found I was a bit scattered, seeing a bit of this, a bit of that, shopping, listening to lectures etc.

The Begat Quilt - Jane Crutchfield, hand pieced, hand applique and hand quilted. Charming!

So the second day I was much better organized and focused. I loved meeting so many people, everyone was very friendly and helpful. Kudos to Richard Cleveland who has been at the helm of the Festival committee for almost every year, it was great to meet him.

Best in Show - Meet Me at Giverny - Margaret Solomon Gunn, inspired by Monet's garden, long arm machine quilted.

Viewer's Choice Award - Conway Album (I'm Not From Baltimore) Lorraine Hofmann, designed by Gail Hatcher, hand quilted.

I think the only disappointing aspect to the festival was the food service, obviously they have the contract with the Champlain Valley Exposition Centre and had nothing to do with the Festival, I think if they did the food would have been wonderful - $3.50 for a small bottle of water! Next time I will know to bring my won food and water and use the "sack sitter" service, where I could have left a bag for as long as needed. I would have liked to bring an old quilt or two to the "Mystery Detectives" event but I didn't want to have to carry them with me all day, now I know there is a place where I could leave them safely I will do that next year.

Lovely sunset, after the rain, backwoods Maine, which reminded me of this appliqued landscape by Jo Diggs.

Light and Shadow - Jo Diggs, hand qppliqued.

So, all in all a wonderful Festival! Would I go again - definitely yes! 

The 2013 Vermont Quilt Festival

I have wanted to go to the Vermont Quilt Festival for ever so long! A real dream of mine. I had heard so much about it for years. This year my very good friend Jo Diggs was the "featured quilter", she was going to have an exhibition of 54 of her wonderful landscapes, quilts and garments. She borrowed our "Stripes and Spots" (fish) for the exhibition, we had delivered it to her in Maine last fall. So we decided we should go, see everything, then be there to help her pack up and then we could bring our fish home. 

Stripes and Spots 2006 - Jo Diggs

It is going to take several posts to really do the festival justice.

Pan American Exposition Quilt - 1901 Collection of Debra Garna

One of the highlights for me was seeing a redwork quilt top in the antique quilt exhibition. When I saw this quilt from a distance, I thought it looked familiar. I had seen it in a book and now there it was, the "Pan-American Exposition, 1901" quilt. I went on the gallery talk given by the curators Debra Grana and Sharon Waddell. The exhibit was called "For Fellowship, Love and Farewell". This quilt top commemorated the exposition where President McKinley was assassinated, it has the block "our martyred President".

My connection to this quilt comes from my maternal Grandparents, Hester Lydia and David McKinley Mitchell, my Grandfather was William McKinley's cousin. They had gone to Buffalo, NY on their honeymoon and were supposed to have tea with President McKinley the day he was assassinated.

The quilt has some interesting blocks - the upside down house and a space trip to the moon...little did they know! More quilts and stories to come soon!

Oh My!

Christy, Marcus, Molly and Andrew

I have a lot of catching up to do! Two weeks in Calgary visiting our son and family combined with visits to three wonderful Calgary quilt stores (I know there are more but that is all we could manage!) plus the amazing quilt show at Heritage Park plus Lynette Anderson's wonderful trunk show at Traditional Pastimes. The list goes on and on. So may pictures to download, process and edit then sort for Flickr!

This lovely display greeted us as we walked into "Out Of Hand" in Calgary

I missed my Mahone Bay Quilt Guild's 14th annual Dessert Party with an "Extraordinary Quilter" and 2 workshops. Our Guild started this event 14 years ago and this was the first one I have missed. From all accounts it met with expectations and those who took the workshops really enjoyed them. Pictures are here and here. 

I got back just in time to attend my Cove Quilters bee and see the grand unveiling of our last challenge "Lotsa' Dots". Everyone really did a wonderful job with this challenge. Mine is still a work-in-progress, the first one (of 8) I have missed the deadline. I hope to get it done for our Guild meeting Monday.

Some of the store samples at Traditional Pastimes of Lynette's patterns.

I was so pleased that we were able to time our visit to be in Calgary when Lynette Anderson would be doing a trunk show at Traditional Pastimes. I booked my ticket even before we had our plane reservations, just in case. Lynette was born in England but lives in Australia now, on the Sunshine Coast where she has a wonderful shop called Little Quilt Store. Lynette had just been in Portland, Oregon at Quilt Market and had brought with her lots of wonderful quilts, both old and new to share with us. About 40 eager quilters sat around the store and we could easily see Lynette's quilts up close. It was wonderful. Her deigns are whimsical and endearing, beautifully stitched by hand and by machine. She was a gifted story teller and we hear great tales of her dog Hugo who is featured in some of her quilts.

I also loved her Christmas quilts. For someone who lives in such a hot climate at Christmas, she certainly captured the feeling of Christmas. It was great to hear that she changes her decor at home for each season and holidays. Her very supportive husband Vince did a great job as her "quilt sherpa".

I came home with the pattern for this sewing kit. Can't wait to get started, the tiny EPP hexagons are going to be a challenge for sure! Be sure and visit my Flickr Photostream for lots more pictures from Lynette's trunk show.

My very patient quilt sherpa Peter, waiting at Out of Hand.

The three quilt stores I went to are all so very different. Out of Hand is still one of the best - Deirdre's use of space is amazing, every nook and cranny is filled with treasures. I had to go twice this time to see and enjoy it all.

I loved this quilt, Pies and Tart - bought the pattern, a Sue Daley Design! Pieced by Nan Tuer and quilted by Arlene Hidahl at Cairnhill Studio.

The pies and tarts are EPP (English Paper Pieced). This could very well be a wonderful project to take to work on at my bee, a hand project to have on the go for quiet times when hand piecing is most enjoyed.