Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show this past weekend

This past weekend I went with the quilt guilds from Greenville, NC and Washington, NC to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show in Hampton, VA. It was my first time attending a quilt show of this size and I was not disappointed. We were allowed to take photos of most of the pieces but I do not want to post them here because 1) it would be too hard to choose my "favorites", and 2) I haven't asked for permission. However, if you would like to receive a link to my Picasa file that contains the photos (around 140 of them), please send your email address to me at SallyJH123@gmail.com and I'll be happy to send the link to you.

The artistry and creativity demonstrated at the show was nothing short of breathtaking. There were several pieces that simply looked like paintings until you were about 2-3' from them, then you could see the fabulous thread-work that created the detailing. Artful thread-work abounded in the pieces, as did simply drop-dead gorgeous quilting, both hand and machine. And the machine embroidery ... if I had an extra $12-20K floating around I would definitely buy a machine capable of embroidery.

Piecing With Pixels was a delightful collection using photography and quilting - inspiring.

And the vendors ... so much to look at and choose from. I ended up buying the book Quilting Without Corners because I have the 9-degree wedge ruler and don't have a clue what to do with it, and I bought a beautiful skein of sock yarn.

I left the show very inspired to try to take my quilting skills to the next level.

Check out Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times today. Another fantastic source of inspiration.

The Pioneer Woman - Ree Drummond

I look at a number of blogs everyday - about half deal with weight loss and the other half deal with crafting/quilting/sewing, and then there are 2 or 3 that are outside of those subjects. One of those is a blog I enjoy without fail - The Pioneer Woman. Her blog is so sweet and down-to-earth - she and her husband (whom she refers to as Marlboro Man and there is no doubt after reading her blog that he is her soul-mate) live and operate a working ranch in Oklahoma. They have a sweet family that she writes about as well as the critters that are also part of their family. She also talks about cooking and has recipes on her blog. But the photography - it's amazing. She's a talented writer and talented photographer and seems to be a very genuine and delighful person with a delicious sense of humor. Her blog never fails to brighten my day.