NQA Quilt Show

 Last Thursday I took a bus trip to Columbus to attend the NQA Quilt show. I wish I could post photos of the beautiful quilts that were on display but do to copyright issues I cannot post them on my blog.

 Our buses left Chardon 7am and headed to Lakeland College to pick up some more blurry eyed but excited quilters. Most of my quilt guild sat together in the front of the bus and started talking about what we were looking for. Just a tip, do not sit behind the bus driver if you are worried about how the bus driver is driving. I will never again sit in that seat. We made good time and arrived at the convention center around 10:15 am, got our hand stamped and away we went to the show.

The theme of this year’s quilt show was the Mariner’sCompass, something I’m not sure I want to try. The front half of the room was all the quilts in the show, which were very beautiful, and the back of the room was all of the vendors.

 There were over 100 quilt shops and other vendors selling their stock. Some I have seen there since I have been going and some new ones. My small group decided to bee line it to the vendors to get the best deals first, eat and then take in the quilts on display.

I found some great fabric and a few patterns that I was looking for. I found out last year that if I saw something I better get it then and there because it won’t be there when or if I can even remember which vendor was selling it.

Around noon we all headed to the hotel food court to rest our feet and get some food and to see if anyone found something that we all needed.

Heading back to the show I took some time to finish the vendors then I got my camera out to take photos of the quilts that inspired me, which there were quite a few.

I fell in love with 4 wall hangings, one was of Geisha women which was hand quilted and along the top were silk cherry blossoms. The other 3 were panel wall hangings which look like 6 individual strips but when hung together they make a complete scene. These had thread painting, hand quilting and 3D textures to make up the flowers and the forest floor. If only I could do something that beautiful. I would have to quit my job and my hubby wouldn’t like that.

5pm and it was time to get back on the bus and rest our feet and backs. It was show and tell for everyone with a lot of “Where did you find that?” and “Why didn’t you get that for me?”

 We stopped for dinner at DerDutchman Restaurant, they changed hands a couple of months ago and the sign has not been changed. We had 2 kinds of chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and bread. There is also a huge shop within the restaurant selling everything from gifts to homemade pies and fudge. My friend always buys 2 peanut butter pies or she can’t come home. While we waited for the bus drivers we got to sit on the big porch with rocking chairs.

After we got back on the road we played Bingo. Prizes ranged from fabric to boxes of garbage bags. Even the bus driver got to play bingo (we played a card for her) and won 2 stuffed animals.

A great time was had by all of us and I can’t wait till next year.