"It Started With a Stitch"

1600 Inch Jelly Roll Challenge -Nancy McIntyre

I am just home from a weekend in Victoria, where Kitambaa Designs had a booth at the Westshore Quilters Guild. This is a fairly new guild, and their show was admirable, with a nice variety of quilts on display, as well as demos and a Merchant Mall. I was delighted to see all sorts of people I knew - people asking after the Bitengye Designers, people who have been in my classes, and people who are interested in African textiles and quilt designs. It was a terrific experience, and has persuaded me not to give up on going to shows altogether - something I had been contemplating, because the physical demands of a show are so high. What made a terrific difference this time, was that someone helped me load my totes into the van at home, and when I arrived at the show, helpers were ready and willing to help me unload my wares. To anyone helping organize a quilt show, let me tell you that this help earned five gold stars for the Westshore Guild, and I would highly recommend offering the same assistance at any show. It made this vendor very, very happy. I don't have to commend quilt shows to those of you who read this blog, but

Mini Block Sampler - Youngmi Kim

I was reminded again how invigorating it is to see other people's work, and be exposed to their amazing creativity. The quilts I have shown here are just a sampling, but give you an idea of why this show was such a feast for the eyes. I was saw quilts that I wouldn't attempt to make in a hundred years, but loved, and quilts that made me stop and examine why they worked so well, and to think about how I might use that knowledge in one of my own projects. If you're trying to decide what you might like to try next, or if you're trying to narrow down the options a little and decide what might be your own area of expertise, going to a quilt show goes a long way in helping in that process. So a big thank-you to the Westshore Guild for inviting me to this event and being so very helpful, and thank you to all my customers, who gave me the necessary nudge to get busy and create some more Africa-inspired designs. And happy quilting to all of you.

Quantum Shift - Diane Sanci

Coming Home - Linda McDonald

Eileen Neill and Joan Darling