Pleasanton Craft Fair

On Friday, September 25th I met up with my friend Tekoa to take in the Pleasanton Quilt, Craft, & Sewing Festival at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. We arrived shortly before noon and spent about three hours there, breaking midway for lunch at the outdoor picnic tables. Tekoa and I prioritized visiting with each other over visiting the vendors. Nevertheless, we walked by every booth two or more times, entering and lingering in some for longer. The yellow colored booths on the map are where I bought something.

Here is list of my purchases, not necessarily in the order I bought them and not necessarily grouped by where I bought them. I had rough guidelines for this outing. I forbade myself from buying yet another kit to join those accumulating in my closet at home, waiting patiently to be chosen for my next project. I also wanted to minimize my purchase of novelty prints and restrict myself to basics and blender fabrics.

The first item that caught my eye at the show was this green/white pinstripe. It fit the criterion of being basic and is always useful for bindings. The one yard green/white pinstripe is from Sew 2 Cute (booths113-114). Later in our looping around, I added the  half-yard black/white wiggly stripes from Workman Farms (booths 201-204).

The time of year put me in the Halloween mood. I spied this witch hat pattern and thought it might be fun to make hats for the grandkids. The Spellbound Hat  inspired me to look at the Halloween fabrics. Yes, they are novelty prints; but if I use them up right away and do not design a whole quilt around them, do they really count? What if I make my first hat and find out it really is rather difficult and time consuming? Throwing caution to the wind I bought the fabrics anyway. How hard can it be? The witch hat pattern was from Quilter's Hollow (booths 611-613), one yard dark pumpkin fabric was from Elk Grove Sew & Vac (booths 501-502), one yard each orange mini-pumpkins, purple skulls, and white ghosts were from Workman Farms (booths 201-204). The Fibonnaci's Fancy pattern also called to me from Quilter's Hollow (booths 611-613). It is very effective in the cool monotones but I wonder if a rainbow effect would be pleasing as well.

Tekoa told me that a friend of hers had made several of these bowl cozies and gifted them to her. She uses them all the time. They work great for taking hot items out of the microwave, kind of a custom hot pad/glove option. I bought two packages from Patticakes Quilt shop (booths 306-309). I plan to make the red one for my own use and give the other to someone with a chicken themed kitchen. The package contains the fabric and the batting with instructions. No, this does not break my "no kits" rule. That is why I referred to this collection of supplies and fabric as packages and not kits.

At Material Girlfriends (booths 511-514) I bought a half-yard of a gray ombre fabric for making the Christmas Morning Delight Wall Hanging which I have admired for several years but never built up the courage to start. I have the pattern but not the kit. The center is appliqué which is not my first love nor my strong suit and the gray ombre that I think is critical to the effect is hard to find. I am now inspired to make at least that center section. The technique is raw-edge iron-on appliqué so I should be able to handle it.

Ok. Now the practical purchasing gives way to the impractical impulse buys. This scenic 36" x 43" Santa panel has such an icy-cold feel it called to me and I could not pass it up. My husband claims when he handled it, it gave him the chills. Not all fabric needs to be made into a quilt. I may just back it with cuddle (red or white or even gray) or staple it onto stretcher bars. I wonder if those bars can still be found or ordered in the sizes I would need. Hmm... maybe just taping it onto foam board would do instead. The Santa panel came from Material Girlfriends (booths 511-514).

I found this Hawaiian-ish print fabric to be uniquely interesting and it called to me. It did, however, meet the criterion of my novelty fabric ban. I walked away from it twice, then carried it around in my hand for a while deciding. With its 8½" vertical repeat it would make a great backing. I eventually caved and my final impulse buy was the one yard length of this Hawaiian-ish print fabric from Patticakes Quilt Shop (booths 306-309). 

It was a fun, inspirational, afternoon day spent visiting and indulging in some shopping therapy. I have already made up one of the bowl cozy packages. I no longer need to feel guilty about rationalizing it as "not a kit" to avoid adding to my pending kit count. Its making will be the subject of another post.

My Entries to the 2026 AVQ Show

I entered four of my quilts into the Amador Valley Quilters 2026 show. In the following sections, each quilt with the text of its descriptive story card is shown along with a link for further details. To see many of the other quilts in the show check out my blog post dated 5/2/26.

1_OhDeer 41"x 40" (#32A)

Changing borders and colors from Coriander Quilts pattern #206 Deerly Loved, I fussy cut the antler fabric to center the medallions. I added black triangle pupils to bright blue eyes. A narrow blue border strip ties into the eye color. The quilted upside-down clamshells symbolize garlands. Be sure to check out the fun backing fabric. (For more details see my blog post dated 12/2/24.)

2_Spooky_Sweet 30.5"x 34.5" (#121D)

Spooky & Sweet, is from a four-week quilt-a-long project by the Fat Quarter Shop with free pdf pattern downloads. The soft colors, all solids, attracted me to this kit. The gray background played nicely with the Coral, Clementine, Pesto and Violet hues, toned down from the typical garish orange, green, and purple for Halloween. (For more details see my blog post dated 10/3/24.)

3_BinThereDoneThat 55"x 55" (#124)

Blocks I’d made from JoAnn Fabrics' 2006 Block of the Month series Spice Meadows resurfaced in one of my project bins, hence the name. These colors were popular nearly two decades ago. Striped Noah's Ark fabric as a backing makes the quilt more contemporary. The colors went well with the front. I had a generous amount of this fabric in my stash. (For more details see my blog post dated 9/14/24.)

4_ChemoChaos 48"x 48" (#51)

Quilter-blogger Karen Brown, at her website Just Get It Done Quilts, posted a technique on how to use layer cake pre-cuts to advantage with symmetry about two axes. This is my result from one layer cake with a sewing theme. The final arrangement of the blocks confused me, but I was undergoing chemotherapy at the time… hence the name Chemo Chaos. (For more details see my blog post dated 11/20/24.)

2026 AVQ Show: Quilting with Friends

Overview

On Saturday April 25, 2026 I went with my husband to the Amador Valley Quilters 2026 show, which promised a display of over 300 quilts. There were 241 uniquely numbered entries and 96 other smaller quilts gathered under communal group numbers. I took 121 photos from the individually numbered group of 241, but half those photos were of the associated labels. In this post I show a subset of those quilts I photographed, selected for a variety of reasons: ideas for future community quilts, comparisons to some themes I've made, appealing patterns that I might want to pursue, general admiration for the amount of skill and work involved, or — last, but not least — merely causing me to smile. My own quilt entries are described in a separate post following this post.

Community Quilt Ideas.

The use of jelly rolls and layer cakes gave me inspiration for community quilts to be made by small quilt group, the Cut Ups. I like the pinwheel secondary pattern of the first quilt by Lynda Smith in the lobby as we entered. I thought the end squares of the second quilt, Daylight by Nancy Hom, added interest and a commonality. The third quilt, Beautiful Christmas by Ann Narciso, inspired me to use some of my layer cakes

Community quilt at entry to show

Daylight by Nancy Hom (#134)

with Daylight pattern by Gourmet Quilter

Beautiful Christmas by Ann Narciso (#175)

with Beautifully Done pattern by Anna Fournelle

Potency of Color

Three fellow quilters — Carlen Colgett, Willi Haslam, and Mary Dexheimer —  challenged themselves to complete a Missouri Star All Star Block of the Month challenge using only the fabric in their stash. I was impressed with the different interpretations. I have a pretty big stash, but I doubt if mine is so coordinated. I enjoyed the various interpretations.

All Stars by Carlen Colgett (#64)

from Missouri Star All Stars Block of the Month

All Stars by Willi Haslam (#66)

from Missouri Star All Stars Block of the Month

All Stars by Mary Dexheimer (#65)

from Missouri Star All Stars Block of the Month

Disney Meets Secret Santa

These next two appliquéd quilts are very bold and striking. I think what impressed me a lot though, was that Lori Korch made them as Secret Santa gifts. If I had a Santa so generous with his time, material, and talent, I certainly would not keep it a secret. 

A Rose for Belle  by Lori Korch (#34)

Secret Santa gift for Melanie

Tinkerbell with Attitude by Lori Korch (#58)

Secret Santa gift for Curt

Modern Vibe

I just returned earlier this year from Quilt Con in North Carolina and reviewed my experience in my 3/7/26 blog post. I can honestly say that I liked the next three quilts by Sarah Kealy Roberts, Elizabeth Taylor, and Kathy Pedrini far more that the majority of the quilts I viewed at Quilt Con. I admit that modern is not my genre of preference, but each of these had such a happy tonality they made me smile. The quilting enhanced each, rather than detracting from the piecing. Breeze is so carefree and I am actually considering getting the pattern for Apparrotly It's a Party for myself.

Hexibore by Sarah Kealy Roberts

from online class by  Jenny Haynes (#20)

A Set of Four Doors by Elizabeth Taylor 

from improv class with Sarah Goer at PIQF (#99B)

Breeze by Patricia Lindsey (#19B)

modified pattern from Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic

Parrot Party by Kathy Pedrini
with Apparrotly It's a Party pattern by Love Sew Modern

Effectiveness of Background Color 

The next three quilts grabbed my attention because of the bold choice of background color. So often the background of quilts is white, cream, off-white, or beige with and occasional foray lately into pale gray. The charcola behind the flower blooms make them stand out. The blue behind the swans is just strong enough to represent water and not be wimpy. The equally primary elements of the green, red, and blue ladybug quilt is a balanced trio that truly is a loveliness of ladybugs.

Walk in the Park by Kathy Pedrini (#4)

with Walk in the Park pattern by Vanessa Christenson

Swan Lake by Dierdre Campbell (#155)

with Swan Island pattern by Elizabeth Hartman

A Loveliness of Ladybugs by Becca Bishop (#143)

with Coulourbug pattern by Linda Sullivan of Colourwerx

The Ghastlies

This ghoulish crew made their initial appearance on the fabric scene around 2011 and here we are still enjoying them fifteen years later. Per my post dated 6/2/20

Hawthorne Threads attributed the character inspiration to the writer/illustrator/poet Edward Gorey. He is quoted as saying, "If you're doing nonsense it has to be rather awful, because there'd be no point. I'm trying to think if there's sunny nonsense. Sunny, funny nonsense for children—oh, how boring, boring, boring."

Ghastlie Modern Maze by Michelle Garrison (#145)

Freemotion on Ghastlies and piano key quilting on black/white

These next two photos are of my forays into the Ghastlies; one a quilt, and one a set of figures. Both were fun to do. Amazing that the Ghastlies play well with both a modern interpretation and a whimsical approach.

 Ghastlies quilt (not in show) by me, Diane Chambers

 no pattern, self designed, gifted in 2014, described in my 3/17/14 blog post

Ghastlies figures stuffed by me, Diane Chambers

from a panel, see Ghastlies history in my post dated 6/2/20

Thimbleberries

Thimbleberries by Lynnette Jensen is another theme and style that has lasted the trends of time. Over 20 years ago, internationally Lynette Jensen created Thimbleberries®. It emerged as a worldwide leader in quilting, sewing, and home decorating. Thimbleberries Quilt Club, founded by designer Lynette Jensen, was a highly popular quilting program boasting over 100,000 members and 1,000+ local shops, featuring monthly, themed, high-quality fabric designs and quilt patterns. RJR Fabrics produced the fabric lines. Born in 1945, she is now 80 years old. I noted two quilts of that style in this show.

Karen Loughrige's entry Pin and Rose (#84) has the associated Thimbleberries color palette. She made it from a kit she bought at an AVQ sale. The draw of that muted color palette, not usually my favorite, is what lured me into my first Thimbleberries quilt. I like how the name Pine and Rose reflects the unique block piecing sequence.

Bridal Path (# 119) by Laurie May was designed by Lynn Wilder, not Lynnette Jensen but it sure evoked Thimbleberries memories. I found it displays the typical Thimbleberries color palette with a bit of added blue. The log cabins on a diagonal are not immediately obvious, and therefore even more delightful when discovered. My husband was the first to notice them. Both he and I thought it was a Thimbleberries.

Thimbleberries has a bit of interesting history for us. Back in 2007 I noticed a quilt  called Hometown Christmas (With All the Trimmings) in a magazine. I fell in love with the intricate and varied pieced blocks. I normally gravitate to bright colors but this quilt was calling to me and would draw me out of my comfort zone. I was going to splurge and by the kit but they were all sold out. Apparently they had been first sold in 2004. I was so disappointed but I bought a set of the four volume instructions, thinking I could pick out my own colors. But would I be brave enough to do so? Back in 2007, online shopping was nowhere near as common as it is today. Unbeknownst to me, my husband got on the phone and called quilt shops all along the west coast (post for 7/24/18), asking if they still had one of those kits.  He found one in Oregon and had it shipped to me. Here is the completed quilt and my label in it. Following is the Thimbleberries December Table Topper which was the first project where I got up the nerve to use my newly acquired HandiQuilter Sweet Sixteen (post for 2/13/15).

I suspect many quilters out there own at least one book by Lynette Jensen. Do you see one you own in the next photo? I just bought what I think my be her final book, New Attitude. It takes her designs and branches out into new fabrics and color palettes.

Awesome Craftsmanship

These next two quilts stand out to me because of all the effort and precision that went into creating them. Fracture (#169) by MaryAnn Soby has an exorbitant amount of hand work. Fracture is a Dutch word which translates to mean an exact duplication on two side, a symmetry around the vertical axis. Look closely and you will see that.  Escher Christmas Tree (#11) by Rebecca Buzsaki required an extremely high level of concentration. She claims that they keep this quilt up all year long, not just at Christmas. All that effort definitely deserves maximizing the time on display.

Social Aspects

My husband attended the show with me. His shirt that he wears at every show when he goes with me certainly very popular, receiving many comments from strangers. A few even asked to take his photograph. Here is Frank, a back view of his shirt, and a view of the embroidered logo above his front pocket. Wearing this special shirt only to quilt shows with me, he wore out the first shirt. This shirt is his second one. 

I ran into many friends at this show that I had not seen in quite a while so it was fun catching up. Quilt shows can be a real social gathering, even when the topics extend beyond the quilts. I estimate about 20% of my time spent at the show was this communal gabbing in addition to quilt gazing. The scattered conversations reminded me of the Pick-a-Little song from the the musical The Music Man.

Purchases

I purchased two items at the ThimbleCreek Quilts vendor. Enjoying this show with me was my husband. Frank liked this pattern Winter Wonderland a lot, called it to my attention, and urged me to get it. I, too, liked its bold simplicity and so bought the pattern. Once home I realized it was the "A" word, i.e., appliqué !!! But, the wall hanging finishes at 45" square so those appliqué pieces are pretty large and there are not many of them. Also I have been collecting solids and can put them to good use in this pattern. Making this quilt will be good for my soul. I also bought some fine line mechanical pencils mainly because their exterior was so quilt-like looking; they will have a greater probability of staying in my sewing room.

QuiltCon 2026

I went with my sister Maxine and my daughter Robin to QuiltCon 2026 held at the Raleigh Convention Center, February 19-22. Per QuiltCon's website

QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting event in the world, bringing together thousands of quilters from around the globe to celebrate modern quiltmaking.

I flew in from California and my daughter flew in from Oklahoma. My sister already lived near Raleigh. Maxine, Robin, and I were at the show for one day only, on Friday the 20th, but stayed for the full day, opening to closing. Before setting off to view the quilts, we prepped. Robin and I picked up our pre-ordered T-shirt and tote bag. We kept those T-shirts rolled up, but the totes sure came in handy.

We got a scooter for Maxine. Because of the scooter, we had to figure out how to get down to the show floor without using an escalator. The Raleigh Convention Center is not well designed. One elevator does not go all the way from entry level to show floor. It takes two elevators at different locations in the building. Aaargh! But we figured it out by trial and error plus, Maxine got practice on how to go forward and reverse on the scooter, entering and backing out of the elevators. The scooter takes a bit of a knack to ride, there is no brake and so to stop, you release the hand controls. 

Before venturing down to the show floor I took some overview pictures. First, looking to the left, are the quilts hanging in the distance at the far corner. A total of 470 quilts were juried (or accepted) into QuiltCon 2026. Central to the hall are the tables for the concession stands for food and drinks. Second, looking straight on, are some of the vendors. Third, looking to the right, are more vendors. QuiltCon had 123 vendors. It was easy to get lost; the vendors had no assigned booth numbers and we had no correlating program. We finally realized the tall square columns each had an alphanumeric designation on them so we could find each other and meet up when separated using them as rendezvous points.

Logistics and orientation accomplished, we set out to view the quilts first, leaving the vendors for later. I am more of a traditional quilter, so modern is not my vibe, but I can still appreciate the visual impact and the workmanship. I share the following pictures of sixteen quilts, which amounts to less that 3.5% of all of them, but these were my favorites. I am, of course, attracted by the color selections, but the quilting on many of these positively blew me away! I divided the quilts by the show categories of  Challenges, Youth, Modern Traditionalism, Piecing, Appliqué, Improvisation, and the featured artist Hillary Goodwin. 

THE QUILTS

CHALLENGES (3)

(Windham Artisan Cotton 2026 Challenge)

Algorithmic Strictures of Deep Learning

by Colleen Pokorny / Albany, Oregon / Corvalis Modern Quilt Guild

This quilt was inspired by a Midjourney-generated image exploring shape, negative space, and Mid-Century Modern geometrics. Using Photoshop and Illustrator, I refined color placement, developed the pattern and templates, and mapped the quilting design. While co-designing with Al sparked bold ideas, its limitations, like poor color control and iteration overload, frustrated me. The final design reflects a layered process of digital experimentation and disciplined translation, transforming imperfect outputs into a precise, tactile composition.  

(Windham Artisan Cotton 2026 Challenge)

Wings

by Beth Wells / Portland, Oregon / Portland Modern Quilt Guild

This piece began in a pattern free class and grew into a playful abstract work. The specific color of the Windham fabrics were my main inspiration, lending itself to the spontaneous flow of the composition. Machine applique was the perfect technique to achieve the clean crisp edges that give the quilt its graphic pop.

(Diamonds Quilting Challenge)

Accidental Asterisk

by Lindlee Smith / Bozeman, Montana / MQG Individual Member

My sole intention when designing this quilt was that I wanted 8 small stars stars within a larger star. It wasn't until after I shared about this quilt (and several people pointed it out) did I see the stars within the quilt actually formed an asterisk shape at the center of the star. I hadn't even seen it! It's so interesting how sometimes we can't even fully see what we are working so intently on.

YOUTH (3)

Ahh-moo-tions (emotions)

by Georgia Wespiser, age 9
Lee, Massachusetts / Northhampton Modern Quilt Guild

This quilt is an expression of emotions inspired by the movie, "Inside Out 2". Can you pick out the blocks with these emotions; anger, jealousy, and nostalgia?

Midnight Blooms

- by Ellie Stuckey, age 18 

Spring, Texas / MQG Individual Member

Midnight Blooms emerges from the whisper of antique blue-and-white china - moonlit porcelain reborn in fabric and thread. Deep indigo and soft white dance together, echoing the fragile grace of hand painted petals and timeworn glaze. Curves unfold like blossoms in twilight, each stitch a quiet brushstroke of memory. This quilt is a meditation on elegance and endurance - where the cool stillness of porcelain blooms into the living warmth of cloth. 

"Pigs in a Blanket Quilting"

by Lorelai Kuecker (age 16)

I did not record the title of this quilt nor the dress this teen quilter wore but I was very impressed. In fact I think I was in awe. I have pre-ordered her book, First-Time Quilter's Handbook from Amazon.

MODERN TRADITIONALISM (3)

Imagination Factory
by Paula Steel / Adlington, Lancashire, United Kingdom / MQG Individual Member

Using children's drawings as inspiration, the quilt uses both classic and hybrid blocks to build a creature/toy from a child's imagination. The bright colours are reminiscent of a child's crayon selection adding to the child like simplicity. Is it a bird, a frog, a puffin a robot or a mix? It is of course whatever you would like it to be.

Bloomin' Lot
by Tara Glastonbury / Kensington, Victoria, Australia / Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild

I hope this quilt makes you as happy as it makes me! Made from quilting cotton and a number of upcycled sheets, Bloomin' Lot was inspired by the flower shapes I saw people creating with Lego dots. The product is no longer available, but the base units of the flowers were essentially drunkard's paths and squares, so I set about covering a quilt layout with a bright mix of flower shapes, leaving no space

untouched.

Hue's to Say?
by Erin Kroeker / Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada / MQG Individual Member

We all view the world through a unique lens shaped by experiences, values, and perspectives. When these lenses overlap, like in a Venn diagram, shared connections emerge alongside distinct viewpoints. Just as overlapping colored lenses create new hues, our perspectives blend to form something richer. My father and son, both colorblind, experience colours differently, reminding me that even when our views don't align conventionally, the unique perspectives of others enrich our understanding of the world.

PIECING (1)

Where the Wild Quilts Are

by Cassandra Beaver / Urbana, Ohio, United States / MOG Individual Member

When driving through New England, I loved seeing the dome-shaped individual trees interlocking along the hillsides, resembling a wild version of a clamshell quilt. Eighteen whole-cloth mini quilts are joined into a single quilt using a potholder quilt technique, where each individual component is quilted and bound as its own entity before being combined into a larger quilt.

APPLIQUÉ (2)

Peppermint Twist
by Ann Feitelson / Montage, Massachusetts, United States / Northampton Modern Quilt Guild

An homage to the humble candy disk. I love stripes; I love to make them whirl and twirl. I love color gradations. The backgrounds and the candy disks are arranged in gradating sequences.

Mod Floral

by Corinne Sovey / Austin, Texas, United States / Austin Modern Quilt Guild

This piece reinvents the floral quilt using a modern perspective. My favorite technique, turned-edge appliqué, allowed me to place complex shapes onto a single, uninterrupted wholecloth background. It was a rewarding challenge to manage the scale of the wholecloth fabric while ensuring every appliquéd element achieved a clean, crisp finish. 

IMPROVISATION (1)

Hopes and Illusions

by Emilie Trahan / Joliette, Quebec, Canada / MQG Individual Member

Fourth chapter of a series that explores the relationship between red and every other color. This quilt is centered around red and green. I challenged myself to use an old Christmas tablecloth as a print, while trying to stir away from Christmas. I focused on two complementary principles: hope and illusion. Opposites and alike, separated by the fading line of reality. Hope is essential, but illusion is its mandatory counterpart. Can you see the difference?

WORKS of HILLARY GOODWIN (3)

Hillary Goodwin is a textile artist and quilter based in Northern California with roots in North Carolina and Washington State. Her work explores modern themes while paying homage to the rich traditions of quilting, dyeing, hand stitching, and leatherwork. Botanically dyed fabric, repurposed t-shirts, grain sacks, as well as modern textiles all show up in her often hand-quilted pieces. Her work has won prestigious awards and been exhibited internationally, and has been featured in multiple books and magazines. One of her community quilts was acquired in 2021 by the Henry Form Museum in Detroit and is part of their permanent collection.

From the artist:

Quilts hold the stories of our lives. Mine tell the story of my participation as an early fan and member of the Modern Quilt movement with the experimentation and bold style this group encourages. They pay tribute to other quilters with collaboration. They speak of my life as an ER doctor who started her career at the onset of the HIV pandemic and worked on the front lines through the Covid pandemic. And lastly they pay tribute to my experience as a member of the world during a tumultuous time who has tried to stand on the right side of history and find comfort one stitch at a time.

!!!

by Hillary Goodwin / California, United States / MOG Individual Member

Exclamation marks can express both distress and delight. For me, in our current political setting these marks scream danger and the colors are intentionally largely skin tones. This was a meaningful collaboration with quilting done by Shashari Kiburi.

Bloberella 2.0

by Hillary Goodwin / California, United States / MQG Individual Member

Blobs make me happy as do improv stripes. This quilt is a celebration of improvisation both front and back and part of my "Bloberella" series adding small components of improv onto odd shaped appliqued circles.

The Egg

by Hillary Goodwin / California, United States / MOG Individual Member

This piece plays with free form improvisational piecing and the elaborate and detailed quilting by Rachael Dorr - a fun collaboration.

MID-DAY BREAK

After gawking at the quilts, we stopped mid-day for lunch, sitting at a round table and people watching while we ate. The escalators were a great source of amusement. We watched, befuddled, as more and more people came down the escalator while it appeared very few were going up. Where was everybody going to fit?

THE VENDORS

After lunch we went over to the to the vendor side of the show floor. We did learn that the vendor stalls were super crowded, and to get close to the wares was a challenge. The lines to pay for items were long but everybody chatted and was cheerful while waiting. The area with 123 vendors was indeed a mob scene. You had to have eagle eyes to spot something you wanted from out in the aisle or have the patience and flexibility to squeeze your way in close enough to get a better look. The were many of literally "on line" conversations struck  up while waiting to pay for treasures to be bought. It was a friendly, chatty crowd, but also oblivious to anything other than the fabric and other vendor wares. My sister in her scooter was below eye level. What we really needed was a tall flag so Maxine would stand out in the crowd. When in a tense pedestrian traffic situation, the instinct is to hold on tight — not let go. We had a few skirmishes but no one was hurt. All involved saw the humor in the situation, and we had a few good laughs. Robin turned down the speed of her aunt's vehicle. Huh — and I thought I'd left the freeway traffic back in California!

Some vendors have things to try as well as items to sell. My sister had a blast trying out this long arm quilting machine.

PURCHASES

My husband is supportive of my hobby. When I go to shows he encourages me to buy stuff. "After paying for your airfare, hotel, and meals, make sure you make the trip worth your while," he says. Having just completed the 21 Day Declutter Challenge from Just Get It Done Quilts, I did rein myself back. Here is what I bought.

My husband collects stamps so this fabric caught my eye. I bought it in gray tones but I thought the yellow colorway would provide a good contrast. I bought one yard of each. When I got it home, I was happily surprised to find out the yellow was a pastel spectrum with color gradations of blues, greens, and pale reds as well.

This is only ½ yard but I could not pass up these cute Tula Pink fruits on a happy green background.

I bought two patterns and a mini kit to make a pop up canister.

My sister was thrilled with her purchase of two zippers. She had never seen striped zippers before, much less those with contrasting teeth. They are 30" long so she plans to make a tote bag of some kind.

Robin bought a panel for customizing an article of clothing for walking though her next quilt show. Some of the outfits folks were wearing as QuiltCon were amazing and we were a bit remiss in not decking ourselves out so artistically! Robin also got some iridescent Tula pink scissors. She did not have any checked luggage so I had to take them back to California with me and mail then to her in Oklahoma lest they be confiscated from her carryon at the airport. For her husband, Robin bought the shirt, "i enjoy romantic walks through the quilt shop". He is a tremendous help at her quilt guild shows and would happily wear this shirt. He had flowers and chocolate waiting for her when she came home.

SAYING FAREWELL

On our way out we took photos by the welcome banner. 

Earlier in the day, Robin had met outside the convention center for a photo with all the quilters from Oklahoma that had come to QuiltCon. My daughter is standing second from left, between and R and the A of Raleigh.

I am glad for the adventure and time enjoyably spent with my sister and my daughter. There was a lot of very impressive talent to behold at this modern show. Sharing your thoughts and opinions with those you love is invaluable. I am so grateful we had this time together.