I’m not even sure where to begin…I promised you posts post-AQS Des Moines, but truly, I don’t know where to begin. I’ve been to the Quilt Festival in Chicago before. I’ve been to Quilt Market in Houston and Kansas City before…but I was truly overwhelmed by the show here in Des Moines last week. I live three miles from the venue, I spent all day there on Friday, and much of Saturday. The quilts were, for the most part, stunning and in some instances, even humbling. I am SO inspired to work. But I still have to finish the damn slipcovers first.

The shot above shows a portion of the show, which included 12 aisles of vendors (nearly 300 total booths!), and four separate exhibit areas. I could have spent SO much money there, but my frugal-’cause-i’m-scared-as-hell-by-the-current-economy self only bought a few items, that I had been planning to purchase for some time anyway. Only two small impulse buys.

My favorite quilt of the entire show, this Autumn inspired stunner. I have some detail shots of it as well, it may get its own post one of these days! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Do y’all (I can use that term, I lived in Columbia, SC for over three years!) like those selvage quilts? I didn’t think I did, but then I saw this one:Are any of you saving your selvages for one of these? If so, you really need to check out this project…it puts the quilts to shame!
This quilt was titled something like “Those Little Monkeys Visit Grandma’s Again”. It talks about the grankids (the little monkeys) getting into the sewing room, the blocks start to fly, and then they find the button basket! Too cute and oh so well done!
And a winner that included painted cloth (painted after the quilting is completed):
A Halloween quilt by a self-proclaimed “new quilter”. She got an HONORABLE MENTION on her first show entry! You Go Girl! An original design, it is just fabulous!I loved these morning doves and morning glories! What great fabric choices!
I’m sure this will take a few more posts…it really was overwhelming! I enjoyed meeting many visiting quilters and love hearing how welcoming my city was to them! Iowa does have the nicest people…and it truly is under-rated!

Time to share some bloggy love~please go visit my friend Ann’s blog, another Iowa girl, and welcome her to blogland! She took the leap and started her own blog after reading mine and others for months. She is one of my table partners at our local retreat every Spring and Fall and she totally outsews the rest of us every single time!