Quilt Fest Part 2

After a quick lunch at home, I returned to the show with friend Dot in tow.  It is always interesting to view quilts with a non quilter beside you.  Not that Dot is a complete novice, she had very competently made her first quilt some years ago, with a bit of helpful advice and rotary cutting from me.  I made a bee-line to Wright Fabrics stall, had been there earlier in the morning but wanted to return with a colour swatch in my hot little hand.  Trying to remember in my mind what particular tone of green I was after was too difficult – I wanted some sage greens for my daughter’s proposed quilt.  Shopping done, it was back to viewing the quilts.

Fay stitched together 10,000 one and a half inch squares over several years to make “The Grand Old Duke of York”.  What a huge undertaking!  Personally, I just couldn’t work with such tiny pieces, so I really admire her skill and perseverance.

The Grand Old Duke of York, stitched by Fay

“Matilda’s Waltz” is a beautiful Block of the Month quilt combining pieced blocks and stitcheries, in pretty soft colours, taking Paula three years to complete.  Then expertly quilted on her Long Arm quilting machine. 

Matilda’s Waltz, by Paula

There was an admiring crowd gathered around Griet’s “Winter Garden”.  Each individual block is a delight of lace, embroidery and selvedge strips.  This is one of those quilts which really need to be studied closely to appreciate all the handwork which has gone into each block.

Winter Garden, by Griet

Robin and I spent a very happy couple of weeks travelling around Ireland some years ago,  so I was very interested in this lovely quilt.  Frances stitched her quilt “Ireland”, using different tones of greens to represent the 32 counties.  Each block shows an aspect of the Irish culture.

Ireland, stitched by Frances

I’ve never made a colour-wash quilt myself, and have always admired them.  Mary stitched this beauty, “Dragonflies and Lily Pads”  from a pattern by Whims.  It is so pretty, and I loved the 3D iridescent dragonflies.  How did she do them, I wonder?

Dragonflies and Lily Pads, by Mary

And to finish, this bright and cheery Golly quilt caught my eye.  With pieced background blocks, and happy little gollies, or maybe piccaninnies, having a fun time, it is a really delightful quilt.  Sadly, I’m not sure who made it. 

Golly quilt

It was great to bump into some of the ladies at the show from my former club, Pinestream Quilters.  A bus .load of them had come up from the Hutt Valley to visit Quilt Fest, and it was lovely to catch up with them again.  And a special hello to my former quilting buddy Jenni F, we used to attend Pinestream club nights together, and now both of us have moved away to different areas.  My friend Dot also met up with people she hadn’t seen for some time, so it a very interesting afternoon.

I had a great day, with a couple of stops at the Quiltstop Cafe to rest and refresh.  Plenty to see and admire, lots of great merchant stalls, the Sales Table, and the popular $5 stand full of bags crammed full of all sorts of goodies, all going out at $5.  Indeed, there was something for everyone.  I came back for the third time later in the day to help with cleaning up, and was amazed that most of the work was already done.  So I demounted some  tables, ready for the nice young man to cart them away, helped load quilt poles onto the back of the ute, gathered up my Santas and went off home.  Congratulations to the organisers and club members of Town and Country Quilters for a wonderful day.

And once home there was a nice surprise waiting.  Robin prepared and cooked our evening meal while I rested my weary feet.  Isn’t he great!