Quilt Shows Are Fun!

Hilton Head Island Quit Show 2012

Unfortunately, I didn't get the name or artist of this quilt.  But I love it for the use of the  dark blue fabric in the corners of the 16-patch block.  It makes the larger, diagonal "square" look like it's notched.  I have made a similar quilt but the corner squares contrasted so the diagonal "square" doesn't connect.  I'm trying this next time.  BTW, the diagonal "square" is made of half-square triangle squares (great for leftovers from my Easy Corner Technique).

I find quilt shows fun, especially when you go with friends.  I find I can't do more than 2-3 hours, because I get overwhelmed at all the design and color.  Some friends and I made the 1 hour trek to Hilton Head Island for Palmetto Quilt Guilds biannual quilt show on Friday.  It is the perfect size show - small but a huge variety of quilts.  There are a few vendors to tempt you, also!

Which Quilts Do I Notice?

This show had an amazing amount of beautiful applique quilts.  They're not my first choice, but I admire the workmanship!  The tiny circles of berries and dots hand-appliqued so you can't even see the stitches are amazing.  And the hand-quilted pieces can be stunning.  I don't do a lot of either technique - I know how to do them, I've done them once or twice, and I never have to do them again!!

Slowly But Surely They Followed Us by Kitty Sager
I love the stylized crabs in this quilt combined with the Monkey Wrench block which looks like waves.  Her color choices for the water and the beach are fabulous!

What I noticed the most about this show was the color and fabric choices and piecing patterns.  I just have a love for pieced quilts - to me that's what a quilt means.  And I admire scrap quilts - hearkening to the origin of quilts in history.

New York State of Mind by Peg Weschke
Ricky Tims' Convergence design combined with personal, original NYC motifs on the border.  I got a chance to meet Peg and hear about her inspiration.  The appliques are delightful!

In the past, I've returned from quilt shows with a camera full of photos that I never look at again.  Since then, I've tried to limit what I take a picture of. Inevitably, I regret not getting photos of some!

Peg's little treasures - the Rockettes are a favorite NYC motif of mine, her little embroidered fire escapes on the brownstone buildings, and her story about dating her husband on the Staten Island ferry.  I loved the fabric she chose for the lettering - the multi-colored print is just the right size and the colors stand out well against the black.

It's nice to see the quilt artists and ask them questions, too.   I always vote for a quilt that didn't get an award (I tend to diverge from the judges, I guess).  It also makes me feel good to see imperfections on some quilts - hey, it makes us all feel better, right?

The Best Part About Quilt Shows

But I like to shop for fabric!!  Even though I told myself to hold back - I'm trying to "use up" what I've got (as if THAT's ever going to happen), I couldn't resist.

My haul from 4 hours in Hilton Head (including 1 hour for lunch).

I limited myself to one purchase at the quilt show.

Retro Boho from Studio E Fabrics - purchased from Judy Lea Enterprizes out of North Carolina.

This huge bundle of fat quarters (18" x 22" pieces) will make several purses.  I'll combine some with solids, cut up some into strips, and probably some will live in my stash.  But this fabric was calling me!!


Then we took a short (we could have walked) trip to a newish shop called Island Quilters.  What a find!  They carry lots of bright fabrics in their neat little shop and were so friendly and nice.

Urban Zoologie from Robert Kaufman Fabrics

I could not resist these cute monkeys!  And when I saw an argyle and zig-zag coordinate - I DIED (as Rachel Zoe would say).  I bought 1/2 yard of each (and some dots) which I'll combine in different ways to make at least 2 bags.


AND THEN Clare told me about their way to get rid of scraps and ends of fabric.

Yards and yards I stuffed in my bag!  The owl fat quarter on the lower left was a free fat quarter I got with my quilt show coupon.

They put it all in a basket - there are strips and hunks and fabric they found out they don't like so much.  You stuff as much as you can into a little kraft bag that measures 5" x 8" x 2" and pay $10.00 for it all!  I'm sure I got at least 5 yards worth of fabric.


Look at the coordinating greens I got!  They're amazing and it's so much fun to be able to "match" fabrics from different companies and different design lines.


I also got a whole stack of Kaffe Fasset strips (2.5") ready to simply sew together and make something.  I think they were leftovers cut for kits.

Blank Quilting Fabric

That's almost 2 yards of black and white (with touches of red) fabric that I'm sure is leftover because it's one of those fabrics you're not quite sure what to do with!  I'm thinking some of it I'll cut into smaller pieces and use with other black and white prints.

What have you bought or done lately that inspires you?