Our good friend, Kyle Becchetti, posted a lovely photo of one of her mother-in-laws beautiful quilts today in Facebook. It reminded me that, a few weeks ago, I scooted over to my favorite fairgrounds (a spur-of-the-moment decision) to view the annual quilt show hosted by our local Pine Tree Quilt Guild (I think it should be Pine Needle Quilt Guild, but no one asks me about these things).
Anyway, quilting is big-time up here. I learned this fact about a month after we'd moved here and I went looking for some solid (unprinted) fabric for some banners someone wanted me to make--and could find precious little (later I learned about the one store that caters more to the "clothing construction" market).While I have made a few unremarkable quilts in my time, and may, someday, make others, I haven't really embraced that particular craft for myself in a wholehearted manner.
And I must admit that, since I don't really love most printed fabric, most of the quilts I see, though very impressive to me as handiwork, don't grab me artistically. But, to be in the midst of 350 of them is like being lost in a kaleidoscope! It was just lovely to be in the midst of so much careful hand work. I wanted to touch each one (a no-no!) as a tribute to the maker--to say "I love that you did this!". Why I ever even considered not going over there, I can't fathom, now.
So, here are just a few shots of my trip to the quilt show. I don't know why some are fuzzy. Many of them did, in fact, grab me and many more just floored me with their amazing craftsmanship.
I also, in the vendor area, I test-drove a crazy machine that must cost as much as a car (I didn't ask). But if I quilted for a living, I definitely think I'd figure out a way to get one. You can see it in the last photo. The quilt is stretched on rollers and the quilter grabs the two handles and just guides the sewing needle/thread (hidden behind the near handle) freestyle with almost no effort--and all the stitches are equal, no matter how fast or slow the quilter moves it. I made some scribbles there in the foreground.
Sew, anyway, I was inspired and humbled and my eyes were happy I went. Next time I'll try to hold the camera still, for heaven's sake.
