National Quilting Day 2014.

Hello Blogger Friends!

What better way to celebrate National Quilting Day than with a Quilt Show?  I celebrated today by attending the Sewing and Quilting Expo in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  The Expo included a judged Quilt Show, a local Vendor Mall, and a wide variety of workshops presented by some very talented local quilters.  Here are some of the quilts that caught my eye:


I loved this one.  It features lighthouses in Door County, Wis.  One of my favorite subjects and places!

 

This one features airplanes in the centers of the squares.

 

An M.C. Escher-esque piece.

 

A little whimsy to end the day.

 

I attended three lectures given by Chris Kirsch which included techniques for adding curves and arcs to quilts, fiber art possibilities, and binding treatments and techniques.  All three lectures were accompanied by a trunk show of her incredible work.  Here is a picture of Chris and one of her amazing art quilts.

 

 

I learned about foundation paper piecing from Ann Wanke with some very valuable insider tips and how-tos.  She also shared some samples of her small scale beautiful work.  I enjoyed this class, as I really haven't done any paper piecing.  I have actually shied away from patterns requiring paper piecing, thinking it was too difficult and daunting a task.  Ann's demo made it look easy and I think I might try it!  My final lecture of the day was with Wendy Rieves, who shared some ideas about making quilt labels.  She also shared some of her award winning work.

I came away from the day with ideas and inspiration.  Hopefully you will be seeing the fruits of that inspiration in the near future.  For now, however, it is nose to the grindstone to finish the UFOs I told you about in earlier posts.

FYI:  The sewing machine is finally back home in its cabinet after a lengthy stay at the repair shop.  She's glad to be home again and is anxious to get working again.  So am I.  I'll update you with progress on my next post.

Until then...