I haven’t done any quilting for ages, now. Been having a break, just being a mum for a while and keeping in tune with textiles by dressmaking and quilt shows. My local club just recently had it’s bi-ennial quilt show, and being on the committee, was well immersed in the whole organising thing. Local shows can be so wonderful and full of atmosphere, ours is in a very old hall in a quiet rural town, we serve home cooked food, the hall is crammed with quilts, and the visitors just love coming along. Good ol’ fashioned country hospitality.
I went along to another local group’s annual show and tell morning. A different style to a quilt show, but lots of fun. Everyone gets a turn to show off some work, not just the host club. This is great for smaller clubs who don’t produce enough work for a show, and don’t have the volunteers to spend time hanging quilts etc. It’s a great way to network with other quilters in the area.
Finally, I did a plane trip to the Big Smoke – flew to Sydney for 3 days and went along to the Sydney Quilt Show. That’s big stuff in the Australian Quilt circuit. There was enough traders and quilts to keep me occupied for a full 2 days. The quality of the work was superb, the variety plentiful, the show was well hung and very well organised. There was also a display of Japanese quilts, wearable art and a small exhibition with more creative art quilts. Despite the size, the quilters were just as friendly and just as keen to share a chat over a quilt as any where else. What more could you ask for?