Peace River Quilt Show Weekend...

#608 "Bailey's Batik" by Jann Humble

The 13th Biennial Peace River Quilters' Guild quilt show is this weekend. Their theme is "Every Quilt Has A Story". Friday was the first day and I saw one incredible quilt after another.

#1702 "Beneath The Sea" by Linda Bauman (quilted by Susan Slaton)

Color, texture and imagination filled the hall...and the talent was awe inspiring! I had a difficult time deciding which quilts to share with you. I had so many choices. 

#403 "Colors of Egypt - Egypt of Colors" by Sharon Topping

Some of the quilts were done in traditional paterns and colors, and then there were the quilts that stood out for their unique fabrics and design choices.

#2003 "Fishing The Pass" by Karen Stockwell

I'm so glad that I wasn't a judge for this show. I don't know how one could possibly choose a favorite overall. There were eight different top awards for this show... 1) Best of Show (Karen Renninger) 2) Best Hand Quilting (Beth Polidan) 3) Best Stationary Machine Quilting (Pamela Peck) 4) Best Track-Mounted Machine Quilting (Susan Slaton) 5) Best Use of a Classic Pattern (Vicky Fleming) 6) Best Use of Color and Design (Kim Paar) 7) Judge's Recognition (2) (Pat Haas and Karen Stockwell) 8) National Quilting Association Award of Merit (Vicky Fleming)

There were quilts that were appliqued', pieced, traditional, modern, abstract, and more. Every corner I turned revealed yet another masterpiece, each worthy of a ribbon.  

#512 "Poipu Beach" by Madeline Schminke

*****I'm updating this post to include more information about this quilt. (Update: April 1, 2019)

This beautiful quilt was executed by Madeline Schminke and entered into the Peace River Quilt Guild 2015 quilt show. The main block is called "Storm At Sea" and the turtle was appliqued' to the completed quilt top. I believe this was her own pattern, inspired by a trip to Hawaii.

# 703 "Journey With Jane Stickle" by Karen Renninger

This is the quilt that earned "Best of Show". It's a reproduction of a traditional sampler quilt from 1863 and utilizes 225 unique blocks, triangle and kite designs. It was completely hand quilted, with the exception of the sashing. I can see why it received the "Best of Show" distinction. It was truly worthy.   I had fun visiting my friends who belong to this guild, and I enjoyed finding their completed pieces in the exhibit hall. I realized I still have much to learn. I didn't stay as long as I wanted to because I was under the weather (trying to stave off a cold). If I'm up to it, I'll head back to Punta Gorda for the final day of the show today to see what I might have missed. There was so much inspiration that I want to be sure to absorb as much of it as possible.

Incredible Quilts...

"Across The Spectrum" - pieced - Carol Niemann

 I attended the Peace River Quilt Guild quilt show over the weekend.

It was a true treat for the senses...so many incredible quilts...so much

quilting talent! I took many more photographs than I'll share here,

but I had to choose a few to give you an idea of what captivated me

for more than a few hours. You may notice that I took more pictures

of applique' quilts than anything else. What really impressed me was

the sheer number of applique' quilts that were hand quilted. 

Truly breathtaking!

I'll stop talking and just give you captions from here on...

"Classic Baltimore" - applique' - MaryAnn Jacobs

"Autumn Beauty" - pieced and applique' - Carolyn Freeman

"My Whimsical Quilt Garden" - applique' - Connie Johnson

"Round Robin" - pieced and applique' - JoAnn Burtscher

"Round Robin" Closeup

"Fun with Beads and Quilting" - quilted garment - Sharleen Nichols

"Wickersham Revisited" - applique' - Rebecca Marsteller

"Wickersham Revisited" Closeup

"Zinnia Basket" (partial) - pieced and applique' - Carol Niemann

"Zinnia Basket" Closeup - Machine Quilting by Susan Slaton

Didn't they just take your breath away? I know!!

You can click on any of these images if you'd like a closer look.

Congratulations to the Peace River Quilt Guild for hosting an 

incredible show. Every single piece was a feast for the eyes.

I left truly inspired - and I know I wasn't the only one.

Coffee And A Quilt Show...

 I'm still working on table runners, but want to share a little peek with you.

Today, I'll start the day with my beautiful girlfriends in the Coffee Club...

 followed by a short jaunt to Punta Gorda (FL) to the

Peace River Quilt Guild quilt show. I'm looking forward to

seeing the quilts and projects that their guild has been creating.

(Don't tell, but I might check out a vendor or two, as well.)

I don't mean to rub it in, but the weather is in the high 70's, 

sunny (of course! We're the Sunshine State!) and breezy. It's

my idea of perfect weather. If you're facing more snow (and you don't

like it), I can empathize with you. It's what drove us out of Wisconsin.

I'll be thinking about you today. Really, I will.