Paducah - revisited

I went to Paducah for the second year in a row and once again, have to say... BEAUTIFUL WORK!

I oohed and ahhed, then I looked at detail. Marvelled at the workmanship and lamented at my own limitations. Mostly, I just said one of the following.

"That's gorgeous." "That's beautiful." "I'd take that home in a heartbeat."

And the most uttered phrase, "Insane, these women must have ended insane if they didn't start that way." (Referring to the hand pieced & quilted as well as those teeny tiny miniatures. -and yes, in a good way.)

You can see the winners off the AQS website here. Just beautiful work.
http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/paducah/2009/contests/quilt_winners.php

I had a mishap in the am which delayed my morning departure so didn't get a chance to go to the Nat'l Quilt Museum and see the best in show winners of years past, but I still enjoyed myself.

Oh, and my tote worked like a charm. I purchased what I needed and wanted but managed not to overspend. I'm very proud of myself for that.

Now, back to my regularly scheduled quilting...

My secret... the tote is complete

I completed the tote yesterday. I didn't use a pattern and don't normally make purses/totes/bags so regardless of the errors in this (and there were a few the pics won't show- lol) I'm pleased.

I put some thin cardboard in the bottom to hold it open wider and help distribute weight once I put things in it. Also, instead of a strap long enough to go across the shoulder, I ended up making shorter to hang more like a purse. This is what I get for not measuring and deciding it was more important to go out to dinner with DH rather than keep cutting! Hey, a gal's got to have priorities and steak and potatoes won! -wink-

So, without further ado, here it is!

Can you keep a secret?

I promised myself and family I'd finish the kids' bed quilts before starting a new project but, I want a bag to take with me to Paducah. I learned last year a tote was a good idea but I hadn't really found any fabrics I was happy with.

Well, at Wal-mart last night, I found a roll of 8 FQs which were the colors and styles I'd been envisioning for a bag for a while.

Well, $10 later and with this afternoon sitting in front of me, I'm about to start another project. Nothing fancy, just a tote with a long handle so I can sling it over my shoulder, diagonally across my body.

So please don't tell my secret but check back here tomorrow to see how it turned out. :) I love being on vacation!

I'm off on vacation! Paducah here I come...

I'm going to be offline this week. Off to see hubby in Clarkesville, TN and then to Paducah on Fri. and Sat.

The kids are parceled out to others, I'm off work and I get alone time with hubby. I cannot wait for it to be official tom. am!

I plan to sew, browse more blogs and stories about those favorite quilts and go to a live quilt show...

"Heaven... I'm in heaven,
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.
And I seem to find the happiness I seek,
When I'm browsing quilting blogs from week to week.

Heaven... I'm in heaven,
And the cares that hung around me through the week,
Seem to vanish like a gambler's lucky streak,
When I'm viewing quilts piece by piece.

Oh, I love to climb a mountain,
And to reach the highest peak.
But it doesn't thrill me half as much
As when foundation piecing points always meet.

Oh, I love to go out fishing
In a river or a creek.
But I don't enjoy it half as much
As when finishing a frogging leap.

Quilt with me!
I want to hear your presser foot click.
The charms of all our fabrics
Will carry us through every stitch .

Heaven... I'm in heaven,
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.
And I seem to find the happiness I seek,
When quilting pushes me through the hours of the week."

Hope you get a chance to enjoy your week this week, too!

B

My favorite quilt - Virtual Quilt Festival

I'm joining the Virtual Quilt Festival hosted by Amy over at Park City Girl. A fabulous idea and I've spent hours so far this weekend browsing favorite quilts and the stories behind them. I had a difficult time choosing but this is mine.

"J's Quilt"

The full story can be read here (http://sarcasticquilter.blogspot.com/2008/06/has-it-really-been-11-days-since-my.html)

The short version is, this was a spur of the moment, complete in one afternoon, quilt and was born of the vision of a 9 yr-old child and his mother. J sewed and I cut and ironed, we both crawled around the floor (my design wall) laying strip blocks this way and that.

Because it was worked on together, hand-in-hand and becuase J must have it on his bed every night before sleeping or tucked around his legs if watching some movie, I know it's loved. Creating the quilt created a memory together and for that (and because it's so loved), this is my favorite quilt.