To Do Tuesday: Not Much Accomplished But Definitely Something to "Show" For It!

It's time again for "To Do Tuesday" with Carol and the quilters gathering at "Quilt Schmilt"!

Not a lot to report on last week's "To Do" list but it was a thrill filled week none the less!  I had a long list of things I had hoped to get done but only got to two of them:

I did add the last two borders to finish the "Picture That" QOV top that was Item #3:

And its pushing maximum density on my design wall!

I'll be sending it down with the other QOV top made and both will be given to the guild member who will quilt them.  Now that it's done I really need to work on the Log Cabin WIPs I also want to finish.  I want to send at least one of them down along with the QOV tops to my MIL in May so it can be presented at the guild's "Log Cabin Challenge" meeting in June.   

I also did get to Item #5 and made up the first of the two "Alaska" BOM blocks for this month:

Two down six more to go!

The reason I didn't get to anything else this week was because of two special occasions:  the first was that my DH and I celebrated our anniversary!  My gift for the occasion was actually something I had asked him about a month ago:  We attended the American Quilters Society New England Show held in Hartford, Connecticut!

I had known that the show was scheduled for this past weekend but hadn't put two and two together that our anniversary was the day after the show opened because I had already planned to go on the show's last day on Saturday.  However when my husband asked what I wanted to do to celebrate,  I asked if he could take Friday off from work so we could go to the show that day instead.  I figured the crowds were likely to be a little less if we did that and he could use the next day to rest after walking the show with me!

It was my first time attending an AQS show.  I thought they had held this show here before but it was actually the first time the show has been held in CT.  It is also only the second time they have held a show in the northeast since the first one held in Syracuse, NY in 2016.  

As we entered the show (after a stop at the "show swag" booth),  we got to see a display "in the round" of all the big show winners:

For me, this one was particularly influential.  I had talked last week about adding applique to my "Hexie Snowflake" quilt but had been debating about whether I "should" really do it by hand since the hexies had been done that way.  Well this quilt and most of the others in the show were done with fusible applique and machine stitched and all were gorgeous!  

So that settled that for me because the applique I wanted to add would be easier done that way any way!  There was also another quilt in this show by this quilter that excited me but more on that later.

There was a great exhibit of landscape quilts called "A River Runs Through It: The Farmington River Quilt Experience".

All the quilts in this exhibit depicted quilted renderings that captured the beauty of this Connecticut “Wild & Scenic” waterway.   The quilt pictures were designed so that the image of the waterway "flows seamlessly from one quilt panel to the next".

The latest Cherrywood Challenge quilts were also on display with the theme of  "Abyss – Creatures from the Deep":

This is just one wall of two!

There were also a lot of Quiltworx by Judy Neimeyer quilts on display:

There were some more versions of this particular design as well as a few other Quiltworx designs in the show.  It occurs to me now that years ago when quilt and fabric designer Jackie Kunkel still lived in Connecticut, she was a popular Quiltworx instructor and held many classes at her shop Caton Village Quiltworks showing quilters how to construct these patterns.  So it's no surprise that there are still so many Quiltworx enthusiasts among CT quilters.  Jackie and her family moved to Arizona in 2016 where she still runs her quilt business.

I attended a lecture on entering quilts in an AQS show given by Michelle Thompson, the AQS Contest Coordinator.  She said that for most patterned designs (or images used to inspire a quilt) you have to get and submit written permission by the designer or image artist along with your entry to use their work in the competition.  However,  AQS already has a "blanket permission" from Judy Neimeyer for any Quiltworx designs so you would not need to supply that if entering one of those designs in one of their shows. 

There were a couple of "Dear Janes" on display:

This particular one was set "on point".

I had a wonderful conversation with a group of ladies who have seen the original at the Bennington Museum in Vermont.  They say it's phenomenal in person and is displayed horizontally (not hung) and the museum only puts it out on display once a year (in September)!  Yet another of my "quilt bucket list" items I really need to plan to go see!

The first of two big surprises for me was that Ricky Timms "The Visitation" was on display at this show:

This quilt had won "Best in Show" in Houston in 2025 and it won 1st Place in the "Large Quilts - Stationary Machine Quilted" category here.  I had seen the video he made about making this quilt so it was a big thrill to get to see it in person!!  Even my husband was very impressed with it.  

The other unexpected quilt sighting was to see another Pat Holly quilt --- this one made with her sister Sue Nickles:  the original "Jubilee Album" quilt was on display!

This one was part of the "Threads of Liberty: Celebrating 250 Years of American Spirit with AQS Instructor Quilts" exhibit.  

Back in January when I made the label for my "Beth Dutton - Yellowstone" quilt it had been because I saw the cowboy boot block on the cover of an issue of the Fons & Porter Love of Quilting magazine from 2003.  That issue had been one of the issues that year that this quilt had been patterned in as a series quilt. 

 

I had this set of magazine issues because at one point in the past I had thought about making this quilt.  Making the label block revived my interest in making this quilt but this time as my "America's Semiquincentennial" quilt.  Hmmm, is this one of those signs that the Quilt Muses are telling me to "go for it"?!?

Needless to say there were many, many, many more quilts we saw that day!  Added to that was the vendor mall (and two CT LQS that I have visited in the past were vending) and an opportunity to sew up a few blocks for the "Quilters for a Cause: Supporting Local Heroes" charity at a booth staffed by members of the Greater Hartford Quilt Guild.  Yes, it was a great anniversary activity and I look forward to attending this show again when it returns to Hartford next year but it will be in August then.

Our Community Garden had its first meeting of the season the day after we attended the show.  I only saw the announcement of it after we came back from the show so it was a good thing we had changed the day I had originally planned to go to it!  Although the garden's official opening will be late this year (not until mid-May due to continuing garden bed construction work),  there will still be times I will need to start going in to prepare our bed for planting.  So Sunday was a total "chill out and recuperate" day for both of us!!

Now that the "glow from the show" is starting to recede, the new "To Do" list for this week is:

1.  (Once again) hoping I can continue and finish quilting "Modern Twist".

2.  Layer "Lady Claire Boxtrot" so I can start quilting on it before this month ends.   

3.  Test out doing some of the fusible applique motifs for the "Hexie Snowflake" wallhanging and decide if it can get done this year.  

4.  Piece two more of the "Alaska" BOM blocks.  

5.  Make the final stitching decision for the "Rainbow Log Cabin" top and layer it.

6.  Start making the alternate blocks for the RSC "Rainbow Log Cabin Hearts" layout.  

Another long list that I'm not sure how much I will get to.  So I look forward to seeing what everyone else will be trying to get done in the coming week on the "To Do Tuesday" lists over at Carol's "Quilt Schmilt"!

February Trip Review #1: Quilt Con!

 So as noted in yesterday's post,  part of our recent trip to visit my MIL in North Carolina also included going to Quilt Con 2026 which was held in Raleigh again this year.  

My show badge and a "make and take" necklace from the Andover Fabrics booth.

The view from above the exhibit floor.  For an even better shot of it, check this out.

It was a thrill to get to go to this again!  I have to thank my MIL for that:  if she hadn't retired to NC, I might not ever have had an excuse to attend the show as it has been held in places I'd have had to fly to and plan a hotel stay.  I am considering planning a trip to next year's Atlanta show as I have friend that lives in the Atlanta suburbs.  However since she is not a quilter, it would still mean planning a hotel stay to be able to conveniently do multiple days of the show.  

And you do need multiple days if you plan to do more than just look at the quilts or visit the vendors.  Most of the classes held at the show are either half or full day which means you need additional days to walk the show or the vendor mall.  Both this year and when we attended in 2024 my MIL and I couldn't get into our preferred classes as they were already full by the time we registered.  Yet we were still able to fill the days attending the lectures.  To get an idea of the various topics we got to hear talks on, here's my list which they conveniently print on the back of your badge:

You can purchase attendence for the lectures on each day of the show as well.  They also have a print out at the show of the lectures for all the days and a daily sheet of events (lectures, vendor demonstrations and scheduled meet-ups) each day of the show.  It is a very well-run event!  

There was a lot to see including lots of quilty attendee fashion!  One I hadn't expected (or at least must have missed in the announcements leading up to the event) was that ladies from the actual Gee's Bend quilt community were at the show!

I had signed up for the lecture about them but it was a plus to also get to meet them in person and see a display of quilts made in the community.  They also had quilts of theirs for sale and two stations set up to let you learn from them how to hand quilt.

There were so many quilts displayed in the show that we didn't even get to see all of them; particularly on days when the display area was full of people.  The Modern Quilt Guild received over 2,000 entries to the show and whittled that down to a little under 500 to put on display!  

Prominently dislayed as you entered the show floor were the quilts that won the top show awards:    

Apologies for the picture quality of the quilt and of the tag.  This is the "Best in Show" winner and you can read the artist's statement about it here and see the other top category winners here.

This lovely quilt won "Viewer's Choice":

Remember, don't touch the quilts!  If you want to see the back, find a "white glove" volunteer to assist you with that!

The featured speaker this year was Hillary Goodwin and there was also a special exhibit section of her work.

Article from the 2026 Edition of Quilt Con magazine.

I liked this one of hers that speaks to the "modern quilting style" that Christa Watson talked about in her lecture and that I mentioned in my "To Do Tuesday" post yesterday.

 

 I really want to try some "graffitti" stitch techniques like this!!

Then there were the usual quilts in the "modern style" on display:

But clearly "politics" was on the mind of many makers over the last year:

I also attended the lecture of this artist:

There was also a great display of quilts made by kids 18 and younger.  If you don't think the next generation is already creating, check out this quilt by this young man of 7 (!) who was there in his Boy Scout uniform presenting the quilt with his father.....

Once again, apologies for the slightly blurry picture.

....along with this quilt made by his 5 year old brother!!

There were many, many more and we didn't even get to the section of "Small Quilts".  All of the lectures were in the ballroom upstairs on the third floor and next door to it was the display of  "Community Outreach" group quilts.

As the placard notes, these quilts had to be made medallion style and there were two color ways used.  An example of each follow:

To see more of the quilts in the "Community Outreach" exhibit, check out this video and for more from the show in general, check out this video and this article from the Quilting Daily editors. 

And of course, no show visit is complete without a visit to the vendor mall!  I didn't do a lot of shopping this time so my haul was small.

In the back left was the t-shirt, bag and show pin (seen on my lanyard in the picture at the top of the post) that I pre-ordered and picked up at the show.  The socks and the issue of the Quilt Con magazine I purchased in the "MQG Merch Store" set up on site next to the check-in area.  

The items on the lower  left were purchases: the dies and Rose City Quilts charm pack were in the Accuquilt store set up by the Loving Stitches Quilt Shop (they often partner with Accuquilt to vend at shows).  That "Music Medley" die was one I had long wanted but had been discontinued on the Accuquilt site so I thought it a real catch to find it there --- especially since it was cheaper than the prices for it I've seen on eBay!  I had also talked in yesterday's "To Do Tuesday" post about the Colonial Needle Thimble pads I picked up.  

The African print fabrics are a fat quarter bundle sold by Sew Creative Lounge whose owner gave the lecture on "The Stories That African Fabrics Tell".  We learned about the meanings behind each of the designs on those prints.  She had conveniently set up a sales table outside the lecture hall which was great because during it I was thinking that was just what I wanted to run down to the vendor mall to get!  I also bought a project bag in Latifah Safir's booth and we met her while in there!  I will also note that she was one of the award judges this year as well.

All the things on the right side were freebies handed out by vendors or were "spin the wheel" giveaways in their booths.  You saw the necklace I made in the Andover booth at the top of the post but they weren't the only ones with "make and takes" -- other vendors like Ruby Star Society and Accuquilt had them too.      

We also saw quite a few "sew-lebrities"  like Barry of Barry Quilts (who I met on line as we queued up to enter and bumped into a few times during the show),  Carolina Moore of Always Expect Moore,  Tiffany of Tiffany's Quilting Life, and Mac Cox of MA Couture Crafting (we kept seeing the back of her head as she walked past filming the show!).  While I was in two lectures that my MIL didn't attend, she saw and took pictures with Sew Becca and Di of Sister Chicks!  Someone told us they saw Misty and Natalie of Missouri Star and we think we missed them because it was while we were in one of the lectures!  

Also many designers were there in person if they had a booth or were doing demonstrations or were there with their fabric company promoting their new lines.  We saw Stacey Lee of Stacey Lee Creative in the Accuquilt booth,  Karen Miller of Redbird Quilt Co. in the Aurifil booth and Sarah of Sarah Hearts Labels had her own company booth.   

So all in all, another great aspect of our recent trip!  In my next post, I'll cover what I did during the mini quilt retreat my MIL and I had!