It has been a busy couple of weeks with both Quilt Canada and the Vermont Quilt Festival presenting their annual events online. They are two of my favourite shows to attend. While Quilt Canada happens in a different location in Canada each year, the Vermont Quilt Festival is held now in Essex Junction near Burlington, Vt. Quilt Canada just had their 40th anniversary and for VQF it was their 45th! I have been to about a few QC’s and once to VQF. I hope to go to both again in person when QC comes back to Halifax in 2023 for the 4th time and to next years VQF.

While both events were very well organized I did miss the usual chatter and excitement that you just can’t find online at a virtual event. I did enjoy the excellent quilt shows and being able to see the quilts over and over again. There are some talented people out there! I was very disappointed that Nova Scotia quilters were not represented at all at QC! Why not? We have amazing quilters here, did they just not enter? We need to work harder at promoting the National Juried Show and encouraging our quilters to enter. My philosophy is that if I am happy with the quilt, enter it, if it gets in that is a bonus, if not it that’s ok! I was delighted that several Canadian quilters had work accepted in the VQF. Special shout out to Mary Elizabeth Kinch who won several ribbons!

I am really going to be better organized for next year and chose a quilt or two to enter our NJS and maybe even the VQF.

Quilt Canada’s event was primarily lectures and demos, no workshops. VQF has had workshops, lectures and demos by their vendors. I have taken two workshops and one lecture. I decided to take a chance and try something new for me. I have been quilting almost 48 years and there is still so much to learn, techniques to try and new quilters to meet. I took a workshop on Improv Piecing from Cindy Grisdela and later today I am taking a workshop with Sujata Shah on Kawandi Siddi quilts. I will post pictures of the results soon, both are small projects. the improv class was all by machine and the Kawandi is all by hand. you can see images of Kawandi quilts here Wish me luck!

in between everything else I did get some sewing done on other projects. I enjoyed the New England Motel Quilt Along hosted by Brimfield Awakening so much I started another one called the “Amish Motel” for now! I now have all the blocks and 3 rows sewn together, the completed top will come soon!

“Street Party” top done! Pattern is by Teresa Jantzi. I will repost these once they are quilted.

It is time to wrap this up, though I could probably go on for several more posts about our trip. Do check out my Flickr pictures for lots of photos. I tried to give everyone credit for their quilts. I hope I got them all right!

Wilson Lake, Maine

Since it is a 2 day drive to get there we spent one night at the Wilson Lake Inn in Wilton, Maine. We just found it on the internet, checked the comments which were good and made our reservation. We weren't disappointed, lovely clean room, great view of the lake and beautiful grounds and gardens. We wished the weather had been more cooperative and not so foggy and rainy. They recommended a great place for dinner,Calzolaio Pasta Company the boiler room of the old Bass Shoe Factory (i have such fond memories of my high school Bass Weejuns!)! The whole building had been converted to offices and this restaurant. The food was fantastic, great wait staff too, we would definitely go back.

The next three days we spent in Essex Junction, Vermont. While there we went twice to a restaurant in Winooski, the Our House Bistro - Twisted Comfort Great food and service!

A busy day! Juiced at the Juice Bar - Patty Gertz, inspired by Judy Niemeyer's Glacier Star.

After three days at the Vermont Quilt Festival, I think I can say that I saw it all! At first it was a bit overwhelming and I found I was a bit scattered, seeing a bit of this, a bit of that, shopping, listening to lectures etc.

The Begat Quilt - Jane Crutchfield, hand pieced, hand applique and hand quilted. Charming!

So the second day I was much better organized and focused. I loved meeting so many people, everyone was very friendly and helpful. Kudos to Richard Cleveland who has been at the helm of the Festival committee for almost every year, it was great to meet him.

Best in Show - Meet Me at Giverny - Margaret Solomon Gunn, inspired by Monet's garden, long arm machine quilted.

Viewer's Choice Award - Conway Album (I'm Not From Baltimore) Lorraine Hofmann, designed by Gail Hatcher, hand quilted.

I think the only disappointing aspect to the festival was the food service, obviously they have the contract with the Champlain Valley Exposition Centre and had nothing to do with the Festival, I think if they did the food would have been wonderful - $3.50 for a small bottle of water! Next time I will know to bring my won food and water and use the "sack sitter" service, where I could have left a bag for as long as needed. I would have liked to bring an old quilt or two to the "Mystery Detectives" event but I didn't want to have to carry them with me all day, now I know there is a place where I could leave them safely I will do that next year.

Lovely sunset, after the rain, backwoods Maine, which reminded me of this appliqued landscape by Jo Diggs.