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!

Quilters are the best friends!

Just by chance I mentioned to my friend Heather that I wasn't going to be able to make my annual donation quilt to our local daycare for a fundraiser. I had been putting it off and before I knew it I realized my cataracts had gotten the better of me and that they were "slowing me down"! Surgery will happen soon but I still felt bad that I hadn't gotten a quilt done for the daycare. 

They are a very special daycare, vital to our community as we found out six years ago when our twin grandsons were born. Mary Ellen and her tem just were wonderful in helping to care for our 2 year old grandson, when we all needed to be in the city at the hospital. They are a "not for profit" daycare, they offer subsidized spaces for those who need it and they work hard to give our local kids the best care possible. So for the last 5 years I have donated a quilt to help with their fundraising. 

Mary Ellen, some of the kids and "Backyard Fun" thanks to the Mellow Yellows!

While in Calgary, I went to the Heritage Park Festival of Quilts. If you ever can plan a trip to Calgary try and plan it for around the end of May in time for this Festival. There over 800 quilts dipslayed inside, outside, in tents, over fences, hanging from balconies - everywhere you look there are quilts. A huge undertaking for a 2 day show!

Quilts at the Wainnwright Hotel, they didn't stay up long as they showers persisted!

I loved all the Halloe'en quilts.

I loved this skeleton fabric - anyone know the brand/designer or where I might get some?

This quilt was wonderful, see my Flickr page here for detail pictures of this one and many others! 

A favourite picture for Father's Day (a little late!) Andrew and Molly heading for golf lessons. My Dad and Peter's Dad (two of the best) would be so thrilled to see this!

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.