Learning New Things and Making New Friends

Last week there was just too much to share about our trip to Paducah for one post, so I hope you’ll indulge me a bit longer. I did mention that you’d be able to see all the winners online and, if you haven’t yet, simply click here.

Bonnie Browning recently posted this drone photograph of the shoreline of Paducah. I was so pleased to see my “stomping grounds” in one photo. I’ve added points of interest so you can see that the show and other points of interest are truly walking distance from each other (if one is so inclined 😊).

Everything is quite close together and we can enjoy the beauty of the river too. What a wonderful photograph – thanks Bonnie!

After viewing the quilts and doing some vendor shopping (and purchasing some things I really need 😁), I also attended a few classes and lectures.

I mentioned that Karen Stone sat at our table at the Awards Presentation and went up on stage to receive two awards. Cathy and I were thrilled to be taking her all day class the next day. It was all about curved appliqué with men’s necktie fabric (or similar slippery stuff).

Years ago I stayed with a sweet quilter who shared with me a bag full of silk fabrics she’d bought at a local necktie factory. I’d previously used some of them in my Oak Leaf and Swirl quilt (click here for that post), but I had plenty leftover.

I was anxious to play with these gorgeous fabrics once again. Plus, I was looking forward to learning new tips for working with them. Cathy and I had a wonderful time in class and learned a lot. Karen is a fun, knowledgeable and excellent teacher!

The other workshop I took was with Sally Manke. I love teachers who are having fun and excited about their techniques. Both Karen and Sally fit this description. This class was on Confetti landscapes.

Her samples were great and making confetti was a playful, messy rotary cutting experience.

We began by choosing a photo for inspiration. Sally told me this one was taken on a walk near her home.

We chose fabrics, “wizzy-whacked” them into teeny-tiny pieces, and sprinkled them onto layered backing and batting.

I’d never done anything like this before and I was amazed at how much fun it was (especially with all of Sally’s helpful instruction). Once the base landscape was done, trees were added:

And then the foreground flora:

As class came to an end we covered our pieces with black tulle, pinned through all the layers, and took them home to quilt. I was very pleased and I look forward to getting it quilted.

Cathy and I both attended Susan Carlson’s lecture about her amazing animal quilts which were on display at the show. It was such fun to learn how she made all her pieces. Especially her 20 foot long Crocodile!

All 3 of us attended Heidi Profetty‘s lecture, and found her technique for mosaic quilts fascinating.

As we enjoyed her quilts and the process she uses to make them, we had no idea that we would become fast friends. Here’s the story: at the end of the show on Saturday Cathy and I helped to take down and roll all the wall quilts that needed to be mailed in tubes. Heidi’s flight home to Massachusetts had been canceled, so she volunteered to help with the rolling. She accepted our invitation to join us for dinner and then we had a wonderful “gab-fest” in our kitchen studio afterwards. We found all three of us had so much in common and I’m very grateful for this new friendship!

I feel so blessed to have been able to attend the last 31 AQS Spring Quilt Shows and hope to continue for a long time to come. The quilts and activities were all wonderful, but being with quilters was the best part.