Best Hand Quilting, Mary Krickbaum, 1st Bed Quilt Appliqued & Hand Quilted Golden Glow By Mildred Sorrels

The National Quilting Association’s Show in Peoria, June 23 through June 26, 2004 held many surprises. Whenever I attend a quilt show, I expect lovely quilts, updates on methods, and a peek at new fabrics, books and supplies. The Peoria show had all this and more. The Peoria Civic Center was bursting with exciting new ideas and designs.

Winning Quilts: Although all of the award winners cannot be named here, the “Best of Show” in the bed quilt category was “Jubilee” by Linda McCuean, of New Galilee, PA. In the wall quilt category, “Letters to Sylvia” by J. Phil Beaver of French Lick, IN., won. Mildred Sorrells of Macomb, IL, took the award for “Best Hand Quilting” with her “Golden Glow” quilt. And, Linda McCuean also won the “Best Machine Quilting” award with “Jubilee.” These quilts are perfect specimens—they dazzled the viewers and set the bar higher for anyone who wants to achieve perfection in quilting.

Fran Sandy Teacher of the Year

Special Exhibit: One of the most delightful surprises was Mildred Sorrells and her friend Jean Lohmar’s “Two Woman Show” in the bank building across the street from the Civic Center. They had forty of their prize-winning quilts on display. These two amazing women have been “playing” with design and fabric for 30 years. Mildred’s “Golden Glow” has won not only at the NQA Show, but has been shown at 18 other juried shows. Talking with them was inspiring—they love quilting and the challenges that come with the territory. They improvise. When Jean had trouble piecing tiny pieces, she just mixed up some starch and stiffened the fabric. When Mildred wanted to get perfect corners, she devised a blocking method. They travel the country, searching for just the right fabric. A quilting buddy is a must, and these two are perfectly matched. Meeting them was energizing when my feet thought they were worn out.

The John Watts Quilt Frame

Get on the Bus! A convenient bus took quilters on a tour of local quilt shops, saving our feet for later. This is a popular trip so we could see what a new part of the country has for sale. One of the surprises was found at the shop in Washington, Illinois, where the John Watts Quilt Frame was demonstrated. This is a way for you to turn an ordinary sewing machine into a “long-arm.” Coming out of Australia, where it has been very popular, two Australian men taught us how we too could streamline machine quilting. See www.johnwattssewing.com.au for more information.

Shop till You Drop! Back at the Civic Center, a variety of vendors were on hand to tempt us with their wares. I love the button jewelry at Prize Possessions, Betty Boyink’s Quilting Books Unlimited kept me occupied for several hours, Sandy McCay’s Cotton in the Cabin booth had indigos and spool chests, and Cindy Rennels displayed her array of fine antique quilts. The vendors’ booths had everything from stationery to fabric-covered lampshades, with many quilts and quilting supplies on hand.

Best Of Show Bed Quilt, Best Machine Quilting 1st Bed Quilt Mixed & Machine Quilted Jubilee By Linda McCuean

Preview Party: Another surprise was the well-planned preview party and dinner. On Wednesday night, dinner was served at the Civic Center while slides previewed the winning quilts and reviewed past winners. After the meal, we adjourned to the convention floor to see the quilts and shop at the vendors’ booths. We had lots of energy to preview the show because our tables were decorated with Hershey’s kisses!

Classes: Something for Everyone! Classes are vital to quilters and the incredible variety of teachers at the Peoria show opened new vistas. Suzanne Marshall, of Clayton, MO., shared her exquisite appliqué techniques. Marsha McCloskey, John Flynn, and Bonnie Browning showed us how to improve our techniques. Bonnie Browning amused the audience with her “True Stories of a Traveling Quilt Teacher.” Another surprise was some very helpful classes; Charlotte Dean’s “Marketing & Communication” class and “Making Your Event a Success.”

In 2006: Although I attended the NQA show to see my friends win awards; I came away more excited about quilting and loaded with quilt goodies. What a package--this show celebrated quilting’s diversity and inspired the attendees. The biggest surprise was that I can’t wait for the 2006 show, to be held in Columbus, Ohio, June 8-10. For more information, visit the NQA website: www.nqaquilts.org


©2005 Hallye Bone
www.theQuilterCommunity.com

Best Of Show Wall Hanging. 1st Art Quilts Letters To Sylvia By J. Phil Beaver	Viewer's Choice 1st Bed Quilt Appliqued & Machine Quilted To Have And To Hold By Joan Zeier Poole