AQS Chattanooga Quilt Week

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the day at the AQS Quilt Show in Chattanooga. It was wonderful! I ran into so many friends from GA that I joked I should travel to Tennessee more often just to visit with my friends!

As we walked into the show, the first thing we spotted at the very first table was a pile of my eco pouches! How fun and SURPRISING is that!?! I made my sweet friend Mary Ruth posed with them. She's going to kill me for posting this photo, but isn't she cute? We had so much fun and laughed and talked. Kind of the perfect day with a quilting friend in my opinion.

There were several special exhibits and challenge collections but our favorite was the Cherrywood Challenge based on the Lion King. This challenge was stunning. The craftsmanship and imagination that went into these quilts was stunning. We really enjoyed it. We also enjoyed the collection of vintage quilts that were made to honor presidents or political issues. And the barn quilts were very cool too. I can't remember all of the others, but we were not disappointed. The craft of quilting is alive and well!

There were several ribbon winning quilts that were breathtaking. This one made me stop in my tracks. I love quilts that have unique color combinations, and blocks that travel into the borders.
The quilting on this was perfection. See the photo below for the quilters names.

And then there was this quilt. I could have spent all day admiring the tiniest of details on this quilt. The workmanship was beyond description and the entire quilt was filled with the most amazing embroidery details. I can only imagine how heavy this quilt is with all that thread!

And then there was this wonderful quilt by Janet Stone. I couldn't get a close up of the card because of the crowd gathered around. Each block has a letter of the alphabet on the button, bead or ribbon. The use of fabrics and colors is so amazing. I adored everything about this quilt. The quilting really made the quilt too.

This is another quilt by the same quilter and it didn't win a ribbon. GASP. I was so delighted to find that this quilt had the same alphabet theme in each block like it's bright cousin.  The fabric choices were so unique and perfect! I love quilts that I can say "I never would have thought of that but I LOVE it!"

After the show, we hauled our purchases out to the car and drove straight to the nearest quilt shop because that's what quilters on a mission do. I had heard of this fun shop for quite some time and it did NOT disappoint. If you are ever in the area, PLEASE visit, I promise you will be glad you did!

Every little nook and cranny is filled with delightful surprises. The bundles and notions and patterns are so perfectly displayed in such an enticing manner. I know I will be back to visit this little gem again!

I would like to thank Mary Ruth for making it such a fun day and providing laughs and snacks! She's the best!!

I would also like to thank the COTTON PATCH QUILTERS of Athens GA for making me feel so welcome Tuesday night. I had such a good time visiting with them before and after my presentation that I forgot to take any photos at all. If you want to mark your calendars now, they are having a quilt show in March 2017 and I will have a booth there. It's a great show you won't want to miss.

Diane