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Close to Nowhere
By Linda Jones From Paducah to Houston Some might say there’s such a thing as “quilt overload.” Don’t believe them! Jane
and I dragged in Sunday afternoon from our annual trip to the quilt
capitol of the world, Paducah, Ken. We were broke, exhausted,
bedraggled and already planning our next few quilt trips. The
quilts hanging this year were spectacular, as always. I cannot imagine
how the judges pick one as best of show. Best of show this year was a
machine quilted salute to J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings.
Stunning, drop-dead beautiful. The award for best hand-done quilt was a
flowery, trapuntoed, covered with a tiny hand-quilted, half-inch grid
and tiny, perfect circles. It was drop-dead gorgeous and awe-inspiring! I
don’t think I can pick “one” quilt as my favorite. There was this one
quilt, done in three separate strips, with 1920s – style ladies on each
strip that I loved. Right off the top of my head, I can name at least
ten others that I loved also! For some really
strange reason, Jane and I didn’t buy as much fabric, etc., as we
usually do. Maybe it’s because “Don’t I already have that at home...?” We did pick up enough notions, patterns, and “things” to fill the car up though. I
think the highlight this year was our all-day class with Kaffe Fassett,
who is a super-star in the quilt and knitting worlds. We were nervous
taking his class -- what if he was the snotty, egotistical type? He
wasn’t! He and his side-kick Liza Pryor Lucy (or Liza Lucy Pryor, I can
never remember) were as kind as “regular” folks! We learned so much
from him and Liza. He would switch just a couple things around and what
had looked kinda flat, just popped out. I loved that class! Actually,
I loved all my classes. And in my thread class, I received a doctorate
of threadology! You may now address me as “Dr. Bumpy!” The
annual quilt show in Paducah, for Jane and me, is the pinnacle of all
quilt shows. However, just because it’s not the pinnacle (for us),
doesn’t mean there aren’t other ones out there. In
early June, we’re going to the Mississippi Quilt Guild gathering (if
you quilt and don’t belong to the MQA, you’re missing a lot!). In late
June, Jane and I, along with several others from our quilt guild, are
taking classes from Nancy Zeimen. And in
November...several from our guild are going to the epitome of quilt
shows — the International Quilt Show in Houston, Texas! When am I
gonna have time to quilt?
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