Charlotte Quilt Show

 It was a pretty day today, but too cold and windy for my husband to row his shell,  so we took off to see the Charlotte Quilt Show at the Metrolina Exhibit Hall--as did a LOT of other people.  It was so crowded that it was really difficult to get a good look at the quilts at times.  But I persevered!
This first quilt is by Melanie Paul and it won Best of Show. A lot of hand appliqué on this one and  very well done.

 This quilt by Tawny Morrison didn't win a ribbon but I was fascinated by the border.  Look at those  pieced half circles.  A LOT of work went into the construction--and they fit the sides perfectly.

This quilt by Anna Sitterly is a miniature and one of her first quilts ever.  I personally think that it is very difficult to work in miniature and I applaud her for taking it on.  It was well worth the effort because she won a first place.

I had seen this quilt by Susan Brubaker Knapp before--but not in person.  Beautiful stitching really brought out the details.

 And look at THIS cat by Karen Phonishell.  Didn't she do a nice job.  Obviously, the judge thought so.

 This quilt by Jeri Kellett was another first place winner.  The thing that fascinated me about this one is that she pieced the stars  into blocks and then made a bias tape from fabric and went around each star with it to add much more  interest and dimension.  Another 1st place.

 Finally, this quilt by Skye McDonald really caught the eye with her wonderful use of color.  Those blocks were more complex than I would like to try.

The variety of vendors was quite good at this show--from traditional fabrics, to batiks, to wools, to handwovens, to machines--and on and on.  My only disappointment personally--since I teach machine quilting--is that so many of the quilts were quilted by someone other than the quilt maker.  I remember reading on the description card of one of the quilts that the maker had decided to see if she could make a king-sized quilt and quilt it on her home machine.  She was very successful and I applaud her.  I  know that she derived a deep feeling of satisfaction in her accomplishment.  Some people are just afraid to try it for themselves--overwhelmed by the "bigness" of the project.  And that is one reason why I enjoy teaching so much.  Sure, have someone quilt some of your quilts for you but at least work on your skills and realize that it can be a lot of fun to do your own sometime.  Years ago, I was in Sisters, Oregon and heard a lecture by Harriet Hargrave.  She asked the question, "Are you a quilter--or are you a topper?"  I knew right then what I wanted my answer to be.