The AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, Kentucky, very nearly didn't take place this year due to the tremendous rains and the high water levels in the days leading up to the show...but the show DID go on. Without the convention center as a venue, last minute plans had to be made for vendors and quilt displays. All in all, everyone worked together to make for a successful show.
I have a few pictures. I just want to say right up front that it is difficult to take good pictures of the quilts because of the way they are hung. For that reason, some of the pictures are not taken "square on." I apologize.
This was my favorite quilt. I tend to really like quilts that draw me in. There was SO much going on in this quilt that I just couldn't get enough of it.
This is the full picture--you can see here what I mean about getting a "square-on" picture. It is really awkward having to take the pictures from the side. As you can see, this quilt won 2nd place in its category. It is called "In Love with Dots and Dolls" by Megumi Mizuno from Shiki, Saitama, Japan.
This close up (again from the side) shows tiny stuffed appliqued circles, beading, yoyos, embroidery, etc. (Remember, you can click on any picture to get a larger version. If you click twice, you get a really detailed picture. Please do that on this picture. You won't believe the detail work.)
"Psychedelic Big Bang" by Susan K. Cleveland placed 2nd in its category. I liked the bright colors and playfulness of this quilt.
This next quilt caught my eye because of its use of color and the quilting. Sashiko quilting is what makes this quilt really unique. The white feathery look in the background is made with Sashiko stitching. I like the glow of the color from the center of the quilt too. "Pandora's Box" by Barbara Swinea from Fairview, NC, earned an honorable mention. (You can really see the beautiful Sashiko stitching if you double click on this picture.)
I must have been attracted to "fire," because the next three quilts all have fire in their titles. I didn't realize that until I was home and typing up this blog entry. This first quilt is called "Fire and Ice." It was made by Claudia Pfeil from Germany. I loved the contrast of the cool blues and the hot reds.
Sue Krause from Princeville, IL, gives a contemporary spin to a traditional design. "Firestorm" uses the contrasting colors of blue and orange to give this quilt real spark.
"Fireworks in the Midnight Sky" was made by Joan C. Wilson from Plano, TX. She used curved piecing to make this beauty.
I had the opportunity, at the quilt show, to work in the Quilting Books Unlimited booth run by Cathy Neri. I had such a good time working in the booth. Cathy is a great "boss" and her customers are the best. One lady was funny when she told me at checkout that her husband had gotten a call from their credit card company informing him that someone was spending a lot of money in Paducah, KY. Thankfully, he said he wasn't worried; he knew who was spending all that money. I'm all for diligence on the part of the credit card company, but "tattling" on quilters at quilt shows may be going too far!
