Paducah Quilt Week -- 5 -- mostly modern

A few more of the pictures I took last week. These are almost exclusively all winners. I tried to get both the title of the quilt and the ribbon(s) but I'm sure there are a few that I missed. Getting decent photos was especially difficult because of space limitations. 

The quilts were quite close together and were cordoned off so that we couldn't get directly in front of most of the quilts. I also try to be patient with other visitors and work around them.

These are all so beautiful! Are you a modern quilter? Do you mix modern and traditional or are you more of an improv quilter? 

Happy weekend!

Paducah Quilt Week -- 3 -- some quilts!

I somehow found the time to work on some of the pictures that I took at Quilt Week in Paducah. What beautiful quilts they are! Which one would you choose as a favorite? 

 Impossible, right? Well, wait till you see the others!

Paducah Quilt Week -- 2 -- plus a giveaway game

Good grief! This stomach virus is a miserable, miserable way to spend three days. I thought the first round was bad, but nothing about that compares to this. I recommend that you do your best to avoid getting it. Especially the second time.

Anyway, I've recovered somewhat. Well, enough to walk out to the studio to prepare my Cotton Robin block for the mail. It should have gone out last week while I was in Paducah. (That didn't happen.) Then the virus, which Richard was fighting when I returned, found my system. Again. 

I don't know today's date, but I'm certain that I'm a week late getting the first block out--not a good way to begin. One indication would be the fact that the block for the next round was already sitting on the worktable. I was a good Robineer and did not open the second until the first was packaged, addressed, and sealed. 

The pictures that I'm posting tonight are from a quaint little moonshine brewery. It's a fun little place that Beth and I happened upon. A small group of quilters were rocking on the front stoop and told us that the bar was giving free taste-testings. We decided to drop in. 

I tried the peach flavor and Beth the chocolate. The peach was delicious, but then I heard about the pecan. Shoot! Oh well. When Beth decided that she wasn't crazy about her cup, I gave it a go. Yum! It was difficult to walk out without a bottle of the good stuff. Other pictures are from antique shops, a hotel, and a flea market. Beth is an antique hound! She stepped into every antiquey place she could find. It's fun to dip into places on a whim. 

The bottom left picture in the collage is of an apple masher. I'd never seen one before, so I had to take pictures to show Richard. A little part of me wanted to bring it home, but that was silly because there was no space for such a large piece.

Front view (the side from which you'd be working)

Edge view (looking at
the machine components)

Instead I had to settle for this little item which attaches to a table using a C-clamp. Rich and I tested it and it works! Do you know what it is? Here's a hint: it's a sewing item but doesn't sew. 

Let's play a game! The first one to answer or guess correctly (post your answer in the comments) will get a couple of fat quarters from the small stash that I purchased in Paducah. I hate doing this but I'll have to limit mailing to USA only. Postage is crazy expensive.  

I haven't shown you the things that I bought yet, so I suppose it's time for a reveal. Come back soon to see the yummy colors! 

Paducah Quilt Week -- 1

Did you miss me?
Sorry that I've been away and derelict of my duties. I've been to a good place, though. Paducah, KY. The one. 

Where the National Quilt Museum is. That one.

Friends waiting on me to finish my shopping at
 Hancock's of Paducah. Look they're still smiling.

I know, I've been before. But this time is a little extra special. Quilt Week and all that. Kinda important. Especially in Paducah.

Becky, Pam, me and Beth at the AQS Quilt Show

This is The Week. When everyone quilty seems to converge on the one small town in Kentucky where the fancy quilts are. Those folks are there for one reason...to make quilters happy. So there's the museum, shopping, eating, nice hotels, sightseeing, the rivers, the murals, the train, the shopping. And more.

I can't cover it all in one post, so I'll tell you about one little bit, the first morning. Hancock's of Paducah opens at 8 a.m. so we were there at, yes, 8 a.m. We shopped until everyone made a decent show of knowing how to shop for fabric. I never really made it out of the Kona solids. Really. (more on that later)

Then we happened by the Rotary building, which houses a neat little collection of antique quilts, several vendors, and a second collection of quilts inspired by the National Parks. 

I could not shop, but the girls picked up my slack. I, meanwhile, saw both exhibits twice. 

One of the bays of antique quilts had three signature quilts. I started out reading the names on the quilts and quickly realized that a few of the names appeared on more than one quilt. I was all proud and sassy, telling others what I'd just figured out. 

Then I read the information on the display. Well, my bubble was burst! Apparently the group of ladies were all friends from the same area. You've probably got it from here, so I won't be quite so sassy or so proud. Dang, for a half-second I thought I'd made a great discovery. 

I was somewhat disappointed to discover that my discovery had been made many years before and reported in the newspaper, no less. Talk about disappointed--I forgot take pictures of the signature quilts! So much for my career as a great quilt detective. 

In the end I was thrilled to get to see these and other antique quilts.  Take a look at this sunflower applique quilt. Isn't it stunning?

I'll leave you with a picture of my favorite of the antique quilts--this cotton boll quilt with four huge blocks. Each block has four cotton boll appliques and a center "flower." I especially like the way the cotton bolls stretch up into the corners. 

Which of these is your favorite?  Come back tomorrow, I owe you a post on the GSQA show in Slidell last Saturday.