Ok, if you can, go to this quilt show some year. I am already planning (scheming) to go either in 2009 or 2010 for the full week of classes and discussions and general quilty goodness.
I can't even begin to describe the experience of being surrounded by thousands of quilters, all sharing, laughing, happy and ready to be instant sisters.
Then there were the quilts. The Sisters show isn't juried, although there are a few contests if you want to enter. Otherwise, it's just send in your choice of quilts and be part of the fun.
I can't tell you how many famous quilters' work I saw. They had been there for Q&A sessions and their quilts were hanging. Several I've seen in magazines. Just stunning. I am quite overwhelmed by Kate Pasquini's work. And now she's pushing her work even farther into realms I'd never imagined. And Jane Sassaman. Libby Lehman and Paul Allen Bennett taught classes. Wow the quilts.
More. More. More. Too much to tell. I'll post a few photos in the next week, but not nearly enough. Mostly I took photos for future reference about something I want to try to remember. There were 1200 quilts hanging. And all were gorgeous. People were kind and generous and giving. I ran into one or two grumps. One was a husband who walked through the teachers' tent and pointed out what he thought were mistakes in the famous quilters' work. Loudly.
Yes, I bought way more fabric than I intended. Most of it at the Stitchin' Post the day before the show. It was way too crazy the day of the show to buy anything in there. And she doesn't allow fabric vendors at the show. I loved the little quilt shop in Moro, Oregon. The ladies were wonderful and they have excellent taste in their fabric. One of the quilt shops in Bend (where we stayed because there is no place in Sisters proper) was so overpriced I almost gasped. Another was great and helpful. I spent too much money and my husband was incredible.
Matter of fact, I want to end this by saying my darling husband made this all possible. He made the plans and reservations, drove both ways, kept the car stocked with things to make me comfortable, stopped anytime I wanted to, carried all my stuff, looked at fabric endlessly and happily, and took great care of me. I was exhausted and nearly sick by the time we got home last night, but because he had done all the heavy lifting I slept a lot of that off and feel almost human this morning. It's going to take a few days to be fully recovered. In the meantime, I'm going to clean my sewing room (it's 10 x 11 and I fairly trashed the whole room the day before we left) and take life very easy. I've been to Sisters and it was quite a trip!
Sunny