Wow!!!

Last week was "quilt week" in Paducah, Quilt City USA. When we lived in Kentucky for about 30 years I would say that I could not understand why some people cut up perfectly good fabric to then sew it together again. Well, I do understand now! 


I love making quilts as much as I love making lace. This day I saw a lot of pieces of art ... textile art ... a level I unfortunately will never reach ... but that is o.k. I am happy with what I am doing.

This is the BEST OF SHOW 2012.

he designer/maker of this quilt. A very nice lady. We had a lovely talk. $20,000 richer - - if she gives her quilt up to the museum. I am sure happy that I don't have to make that decision. Could I part with it if I had worked so hard to make it? It's like giving birth. Can you give up a child? 

Here is a very nice interview with the winner Sue McCarty

The design is full of symbolism. The goat is her husband, ha-ha.

This is the  back-side of it.

The second place winner: $12,000

I noticed that many of the quilts where done in a new technique. This quilt was ONE cloth = black. The colors and the design are all from the very dense quilting with color thread.

You can see it better in this close-up. The Best Of Show Quilt was done in the same technique. One big red cloth with a big round black insert in the middle and a black edge all around. The rest is quilting thread.

Another new way: machine embroidery with a machine made lace edging.

I am not sure about it though. I really think there is nothing like handmade lace.

Following are just a few of the MANY photos I took of quilts which teach me something. Things I want to try or learn.  I could have taken MANY MANY more but I only had three little snippets of time for the quilts. My main reason for coming to Paducah were my lace friends and the lace exhibition.

This was short before closing on Thursday so it was already remarkable empty because usually it is shoulder-to-shoulder everywhere.

I did manage though to spent money. Helen and I really like batiks. This vendor offered 'kits' to dye 30 fat quarter (and some) in a grading shown on the back-wall.

My choice was the second from the right "Flower Garden". Of course the thing is that you can also include dying of enough thread for a lace scarf. Aahh, the possibilities.

Oh, yes, when I had arrived in town on Wednesday I had a brief stop downtown to check out the fabrics here. I did find something but I didn't really see any bargains.