MID-ATLANTIC QUILT SHOW TRIP REPORT

The pause in my posts was due to a short get-away to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, VA with girlfriends.  Our 2010 & 2011 PTA (our small fiber group = Professional Textile Artists) Challenges were exhibited at the show.

 7 members of our group attended....4 of us made the 7+ hr. drive together.  Connie Brown our 'driver' did an excellent job of getting us there and back safely.  


Whenever Connie is around.....expect the unexpected.  She's been involved in several 'yarn bombs'....where knitted or crocheted pieces are attached to objects such as light poles, railings, trees, etc. in public places for others to enjoy.


So.....Connie decided we would 'quilt bomb' along the way.  She prepared some orphan blocks and other small patchwork pieces with elastic ends which we stitched to the other end of the fabric as they were attached for 'display'.  We all knew this was going to be fun and a good activity to break up the long drive!


We stopped at an interstate rest stop.....and what do we see?  A reporter and camera man talking with a woman and her child.  If you knew Connie....you wouldn't be surprised to hear that she slowed the car down as we pasted them, remarking that maybe they'd talk to us.  Of course we had NO idea what they were interviewing the lady about...for all we knew there might have been a crime committed and they were reporting about that.


Because we are quilters.....anytime is time to eat....so we pulled out our snacks and lunch and headed for a picnic table.  Sure enough....the hunky reporter (Mitch Carr) headed our way.  He was doing a story about the diverse weather that region had experienced in the last several days.  One thing led to the next and ta-da....we ended up on the nightly news......introducing the world to 'quilt bombing'.  


It's a short clip....and we are nearly at the end of this clip....so if you are inclined....click here to view it.....I'm in the brown leather jacket.

 Barbara was not only our navigator, but the window washer....Kate and I held down the back seat where we were close to the cooler and snacks to be passed around.

 Linda Cantrell, a PTA member, was teaching at the show....and of course we had to pester her.  She showed her class a really good tip she developed when using Fray Block.  This product which is supposed to be warmed before using, helps to keep the edges of fabric from fraying.  Linda decided it's too time consuming to run to the kitchen constantly to run the tube under water....instead, she keeps it in her pants!

 Connie had a quilt in the competition....it a big one!  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the entire piece in my photo, hopefully you can see how cleverly and effectively she changed the colors in the drunkard's path border.

Detail

......more tomorrow.....