Modern Quilt Show

A friend and I had a road trip yesterday down to Kiama to see the Modern Quilt Show. It was a bit of a haul - three hours drive each way - but I really wanted to see the show and my friend very kindly agreed to a day out. We nattered pretty much the whole drive, had a lovely lunch and went for a walk around the shore line as well - so along with a whole heap of beautiful quilts it was close to a perfect day.

The quilts were interesting, some absolutely beautiful, and some not so much. It was good to see the "No Value does not Equal Free" quilt in person. It's quite lovely, although the magic is really in the quilting. Molli Sparkles the quilt maker had included the cost sheet as part of the quilt description, which was fascinating, but might have been a bit lost in translation. I took a seat nearby at one point when my feet got tired and listened to a couple of dozen people miss the point entirely ... oh well, it's hard to get complex messages about value and costing through in that kind of forum.

I really liked the one that won best in show. I have a photo but I won't put it up because I have no idea who the quilt maker is, and they asked that we credit photographs. But I'm sure it will be on the website if you're interested - it was bright and colourful and interesting and had lots of heart. Sometimes with modern quilts I feel they lack a bit of soul - all that minimalism and low volume and grey linen - but this one was packed with it. And ric-rac! What's not to love.

We also shared the small town of Kiama with some kind of car and bike show. Lots of petrol heads mingling with the decorous quilting ladies ... although I'm sure there was some cross over. Surely?

I'd like to make the trip again next year, despite the drive, because I enjoy seeing lots of modern quilts up close and personal.  I didn't come away full of ideas to try - there were lots of things I don't need any encouragement to do (improv, solids) as well as lots of things I've done and will never do again (matchstick quilting uuuuurghhh) and lots of things I just don't like (massively dense quilting, white white and more white). But I might try some ric-rac.