A Great Day for a Quilt Show

Going to a quilt show on an overcast, gloomy October day really does the trick if you need some perking up. The Prairie Star Quilt Guild of Wheaton, IL is having their show today (Fri) and tomorrow (Sat) at the DuPage County Fairgrounds.  It's too late to attend today but if you live in the Chicago area do yourself a favor and stop by tomorrow.  Not only are the quilts fantastic but there are wonderful VENDORS too. I brought extra cash along with my credit card in case I stayed awhile and needed to eat something but as it turned out I was frivolous and spent all my lunch money pretty early on (!) so I walked out of there hungry and penniless . . . . Yes,  I am a quilter and fabric always comes first. But no, I will not put a hot dog on my credit card . . . . It doesn't kill me to skip a meal now and then anyway, LOL.

There were so many beautiful quilts on display. I am always amazed at the level of creativity and skill when I attend shows like this. So many different styles of quilts and all done beautifully.

This quilt shows up at almost every show I attend and I'm always happy to see it - baskets from When the Cold Wind Blows by Barb Adams and Alma Allen (Trick or Treat quilt made by Marion Schlindwein)

Be Square by Jan Sharpless

Saltbox Sampler made by Carol Andermann

Mary Zenger combined wool and cotton beautifully in her Holiday Inn quilt and won first place!

Stars and Stripes (a Minnick & Simpson pattern) made by Elvira Illig

(Took this one for Sue B.)

Amish with a Twist made by Ann Kowalyszyn

One of my favorite vendor booths was Woolkeeper  - featuring lovely designs for wool applique by Kathy Wall.

I went to the show looking for some pretty wool to use in a few projects for wool applique and regular applique I'm in the process of designing. What a nice surprise to meet Kathy and discover that she's a fan and has made a few of my patterns in wool (Orange Peel above and and Civil War Baskets, below). Who knew they'd look great in wool too?? Thanks, Kathy!

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It's exciting to see all the things quilters are doing with wool now and to see all the wonderful colors available. A Different Box of Crayons also had a great booth and I bought some incredibly beautiful hand-dyed wool from them too.

Yes, I sure am going to be having some fun with wool pretty soon . . . .

There was one antique quilt booth I had to stay away from - there were way too many toy irons and sewing machines I was drooling over.

I couldn't post all of the pictures I took of quilts so I'll add them to another post in a few days. Have a great weekend. You know what I'm going to be playing around with tomorrow . . . . (no, not a toy iron, sigh. I already have a green one just like it.)