HOT Summer Quilt Shows

I love to quilt but sometimes it's just too darn HOT to sew!  But it's never too hot to enjoy a quilt show. 

I was really looking forward to vacation this year to get away from the heat of the city and relax by the ocean in Maine.  Before leaving to go on vacation I checked on-line to see if there were any quilting events going on in the area.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the Augusta Quilt show was scheduled for the tail end of my vacation week. 

So I invited my sister to join me for a day at the beach followed by a day at the quilt show.  It was a two hour ride straight up the Maine turnpike.  The auditorium is so close off the exit we drove right by it.  A quick U-turn and we were back on track.

Here are a few of my favorites from the show.



Beautiful colors and something I'd like to try some day.

I really enjoyed the quilts made from old wedding dresses.  They are part of the Quilters Against Breast Cancer program which provides quilters the opportunity to transform damaged wedding gowns into beautiful works of art.  The quilts are then sold to raise funds for the program.   



Fan Block

Crazy Quilt Block

Log Cabin Block



This was my favorite of all of the bridal quilts. 
I love the use of the wedding photo and all the embellishments!

And my favorite 3-D quilt was this wall hanging of beautiful flowers.

Last but not least was this fun coneflower with the great caterpillar accent made of yoyos!  The black and white background fabric reminded me of lady bugs.

My sister and I enjoyed the show but I have to say I'm always disappointed when the advertisement says "600 Quilts!" but many of them are wall hangings.  I realize this is going to happen and I do enjoy them but I love to see the full size quilts.  I'm usually inspired no matter what the size of the finished produces and really, isn't that the point - inspiration, which leads to shopping! 

As with our last outing, when we went to Keepsake Quilting in Meredith NH, our purchases were unexpected small.  We are both contemplating the size of our stashes and challenging ourselves to use what we have.  Never the less, I couldn't get out without a few items!

I tend to buy novelty prints at shows because ordering them on line can be a bit tricky.  The color and scale can be deceiving.  Even if it's clearly spelled out in the description I'm often influenced by the photos.

Tune in tomorrow for my review of the next show  "Images" in Lowell MA.