Lonestar Quilt Show - Sulphur Springs Road Trip

I have been looking forward to this quilt show for MONTHS!  I am not joking on that on.  My friend, Ms. Marti, is in charge and clear back in May she asked Ms. Allison to be the presenter.  At that time, I said I would be there and I'll be darned if anything is going to stop me.  Although --- the elements certainly tried.  After setting up get togethers for breakfast and perhaps lunch, my sweetie was driving home two days ago and the dang car went kaput.  Totally kaput.  Okay -- punt time.  A quick post for help and soon Ms. Lee Ann said she would come to my rescue.  Phew.  Crisis averted.

She is on time -- and yes, I am ready to go -- so we are quickly on the road and zooming down the interstate to Sulphur Springs.  Great conversation makes the trip fly by and I am surprised when we arrive at the exit for our breakfast gathering.  Oh -- and my tummy is very happy about it.  For a change, I'm actually hungry this morning.

Ms. Ana is there to greet us at the door and already has a table set up for us.  Yep -- cos that's the kind of super cool friends I have.  Within 15 minutes, Candy and Valerie have joined us and the chatting is well underway.  What a lovely time (yes, Valerie is here and I am already speaking "English") we all have but time, as always, passes so fast and we realize that we need to get going or risk missing the presentation.  That will not work at all.  Time to go.



Arriving at the center, as I enter the door, the first thing I spot is Ms. Allison's friendly face on a poster.  It instantly brings a smile to my face as it is a photo from a class we took together last January.  If you want to see how this "homey area" all came about, check out this LINK.  I happily pay my $5.00 and take a direct route to find a chair and secure a seat for the show.  It is so tempting to wander off and check out the beautiful quilts nearby, but no --- I need to stay put.  Focus girl, focus.

  Hugs all around as we run into Ms. Marti and Ms. Allison.  Ah -- wonderful.  Friends are the thread that binds us all together in this passion.  I firmly believe that.

 Now that my spot is saved, I check out her display.  Oh my --- there are some beauties here that I would dearly love to take home with me.  One, in particular, that even Mister would love.  Look at this beauty.  What a sweetheart.  Mister and I spotted one of these a couple years ago but they wanted $800 for it.  That's a bit out of my range.  What fun though.

Another gem!  This Minnesota D handcrank could also easily find a home with me.  I have been searching and searching for a handcrank machine that is NOT a Singer.  I would love something a bit different here.  This one fits the bill.

Of course, she has quilts on display as well.  The red/white feathered star is from the late 1800's.  Wow.  What a treasure to own.

As I'm wandering the display and taking photos, Valerie comes up to me, holds out her hand, and says, "Grab ahold."  I quickly grab her hand and am whisked off down one of the show aisles with Valerie saying, "You've got to see this," over and over again.  Well, alrighty then.  I must need to see it.

She stops me in front of this incredible Whig Rose quilt.  I LOVE this history behind this particular pattern.  The Whig Rose is based on The Rose of Sharon, which the English aristocracy brought to America.  Many of these wealthy people later supported the Whig Party and made these quilts for their "guest" beds.  Fascinating to me.

Well, this one has absolutely phenomenal hand quilting and as Valerie and I stand here in awe, I once again bow down to this type of expertise.  It is flawless and the stitching lines are just oh so close to each other.  Wow.  My hat is definitely off to you, Betty Day.  What an accomplishment.

Now, I need to hurry as the presentation is about to start and I don't want to miss a minute of it.  Every single time I am with Allison, I learn.  Period.  This sponge is definitely ready to soak up some wisdom and love for our craft.

She starts by going over the various machines and I am drooling.  It may be time to seriously look for machines again.  I've kind of let it go lately and if something popped up, I checked it out, but maybe I need to be a bit more proactive.

From there, she has stories and fun stuff to tell about some antique quilts that she has brought along.  Again, I see these all the time at estate sales and auctions, but rarely give them the attention that they need.  Oh the stories and details she has discovered on the ones she has here.  Okay, Deb -- get on the cart and stop letting the horse leave without you.

When the talk is over, it is time to hit the quilt rows seriously.  I need some eye candy and I need it now.

The first one I spot is this falling leaves with a rainbow.  I LOVE the color play and definitely get the sense of autumn, even with the vibrant colors.  It's simply gorgeous to me.

I know I need to put one of these intricately paper-pieced quilts higher on my list.  I love this one.  Lookie here:

Ah yes --- a recycled shirt quilt.  My heart is being fed.

I saw this one last month in Plano, but it is worth of a second post.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.  Will NEVER likely make one, but am drawn to the detail of it as a crocheter.

I also like this circular wall hanging but if I am being totally honest.  I would rather it have a slice in it and be used as a tree skirt.  How pretty would that be?

This next one --- oh the colors.  I definitely want to do one of these (most likely without the applique part) but just to work my scraps in these log cabin colorways.  It just plain old looks like a fun one to tackle.

This one catches my eye because it is beautiful but also because circles scare the crap out of me.  You all know that right?  Well this one not only has the circles but most of them are sewn in -- only the small ones are appliqued.  I am discovering that I truly like brights on white.  Perhaps another future attempt here.

And Best of Show!  An appliqued Christmas quilt.  I've seen this pattern before and as always, admire the person who can do this type of work.  I'm not her.  This one has a border similar to the bright-colored one I saw in Plano that was so mind-bending to me.  You can refresh your mind with a look back to that post HERE.  This one is certainly a beauty.  Good job Linda Neal.  You earned this one.

A quick trip through the vendors and I walk out empty handed AGAIN.  Two shows in a row now.  What is up with that?  I spot Allison heading for lunch and am able to sit down and visit with her while she enjoys her food.  Soon Lee Ann locates us and joins in with Ana following shortly thereafter.  Fun conversation fills the booth and Lee Ann even manages to purchase another Featherweight which we all get to oooh and aaah over.

Ugh, it is time to leave.  We are off to lunch ourselves at the Plain and Fancy Sandwich shop.  Ana, Lee Ann, and I laugh ourselves silly and all feel renewed to go back home and create.  It won't be forever until we are together again -- but perhaps awhile.  You did a great job Marti.  Wonderful show.  Thank you my friends for such a great day.  It has been very cathartic.

As we are getting in the car, I spot the courthouse across the way and grab a quick picture for my Courthouses of Texas collection.  This gal is always thinking.  See ya'll later.