Off to the Quilt Show

Its been such a long time since I’d been to a quilt show.  My (non quilting) friend Dot and I went up to Palmerston North to “Celebration of Quilts” put on by Rose City Quilters.  Entry was a very reasonable $5 and we took a ticket in this striking star  raffle quilt hanging on the wall.  There were also more raffles featuring gift baskets, one for quilting supplies, one for gardeners, and a gourmet basket packed with interesting goodies, so of course I needed tickets in those as well.

Entry to the show and the raffle quilt

Of course, there were all sorts of quilts on display, large, small, pieced, appliqued, and several made with panels.  As I mentioned to Dot, all these quilts would have been made for a purpose, to suit the maker’s own home, as a bed quilt ort to hang on the wall, or maybe a gift for a family member or a special friend.  Colour choice is  very personal,  and everyone sees colour and design differently.

Best in Show was this poignant small quilt by Erilyn McMillan and was taken from a photo showing a child amongst the crosses in a field of remembrance.  The different shades of grey and black have been achieved by countless little embroidered  seed stitches.  This little quilt has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Best in Show by Erilyn McMillan

Another neutral coloured quilt which caught my eye.  By Dianne Southey who used a hand embroidered table cloth laid over grey fabric and extensively quilted.  It was made double sided by adding beautiful lace on the back.

Made with a table cloth

Of course, there were plenty of colour in the hall as well.  Such as this trio, giraffes and a zebra.  And three attentive cats checking out the birds on the tree branch.  Sorry, didn't check the labels for the makers names.

Safari animals and cats

We bumped into our caravan friend Thelma and her daughter Sally Anne who had a quilt on display.  So of course we wanted to know which one it was.

 

Mary Anne with her quilt

These two really appealed.  Our beautiful native bird, the Huia, was much prized for its feathers and is sadly now extinct.  This seemed to be  created from a panel, I think.  And the motor bike quilt was a birthday gift to a grandson.  Once again, I didn't take note of the makers names.

Two more beauties

After being on our feet for a while, I really needed to sit down at the small café run by the quilt club.  A sandwich, muffin and cup of coffee revived us, and it was great to sit down for a while.

Then there was the Challenge to check out, the entries were based on the makers interpretation of a flag, and were to be 12 inches square.  Ooops, no photos of these challenge quilts.  Then I checked out the quilt vendors and was very restrained, only buying one fat quarter!  Dot was amazed to see the variety of fabrics, quilt kits and patterns on offer.  She has actually made one quilt some years ago, and has another on the go, but quilting is not really her thing.  Instead she is a very talented card maker.    It was nice to have her company as we walked around the exhibition, and enjoy a girls day out.