Getting Caught Up

 

Oh, it feels so good to be back home.  While I loved every single minute in Paducah, there really is no place quite like home. 

 

We left mid-afternoon Tuesday so we could get checked into our hotel and get a good night’s sleep before our busy day on Wednesday (Day 1 of the Quilt Show).  Because we decided to go just a few months ago, we had a difficult time finding a hotel room convenient to Paducah that didn’t want an arm and a leg for a room … we found one hotel that was charging $500/night with a minimum 4-night stay.    Crazy!  We finally “settled” for a hotel in Marion, IL – about an hour to the north of Paducah.  Thankfully DH doesn’t mind driving, and it was an easy hour’s drive – all interstate except for the last little bit.  And it gave me a little extra time to do some basting on my bow tie quilt blocks.Yes, it’s missing the background fabric … I’m still looking for my background fabric.  Most quilters book their hotel rooms for the next year as they’re checking out the current year so we’re going to start checking for rooms in the next few weeks (as soon as the hotels start accepting reservations that far in advance).

 

This was our first trip driving, so we weren’t sure, we were able to find a parking spot just a few blocks from the convention center … one that took us right past Hexie House.  I love English Paper Piecing, so of course, we stopped in on our way back to the car.  Do you need proof that I love EPP?  The gal who waited on me on Wednesday recognized my name from my online orders. 

 

The first thing I did each day, after we got to the convention center, was to check out all the beautiful quilts.  It sure seemed to me like most of this year’s quilts were appliqued … maybe they were last year as well and I just don’t remember that.  While I admire all the hard work that goes into an appliqued quilt, they’re just not “my thing” (no offense to any of you who love applique) … and ditto the machine quilted quilts (again, no offense to any of you who machine quilt).  I spent most of my time checking out the hand quilted and pieced quilts. 

This quilt is entitled 12,000 Pieces, and I believe it!  From what I could see, I’d say that the pineapple blocks were about the same size as the miniature pineapple blocks I’m working on. 

 

I was thrilled to see another traditional quilt.  And I was surprised that the quilter chose cross hatching for the open spaces.

 

See the blue “background” … that’s all pieced from teeny tiny triangles.

 

 

 

 

 

I also spent plenty of time in the vendor area.  And yes, I did my part to boost the economy.  Any ideas as to what my “go-to” fabric style and colors are?  Ha!

 

I learned a few things … like using the Clover Wonder Clips to hold my EPP papers in place when basting.  I shared a few things … like tips and thread recommendation to a quilter who was shopping for thread for her first hand quilting attempt. 

 

I also visited the Museum while we were in Paducah … after all, no trip to Paducah is complete without visiting the Museum, right?    They had some pretty awesome exhibits, but my favorite is still the miniatures.  I wish I could have taken photos to share some of the little quilts that I have fallen in love with.  As it is, I’ll settle for a picture from the Museum’s Facebook page.

 

And while we didn’t go to Paducah for the food, we didn’t go hungry either.  No trip to Quilt Week is complete without the Boy Scouts’ strawberry shortcake.And we were finally able to have lunch at Kirchoff’s.  In fact, we enjoyed it so much (and the lovely walk to the Historic District) that we ate there twice. 

 

The only thing we didn’t do that I would have liked to have done was to stop in at Hancock’s of Paducah.  We drove by on our way in and way out of Paducah each day, and the parking lot was jammed full, including buses.  I’ve been twice and I picked up plenty of fabric at the show, so I had no desire to fight the crowds … although I had hoped to perhaps find the background fabric for my bow tie quilt.

 

I absolutely enjoyed our trip to Quilt Week and am already dreaming of next year. 

 

I hope that whatever you have planned for today includes a little something that brings you joy! Have a great day!
Kathy