Besides making quilts, I also like to take part in quilting related experiences. I like to share my travels to quilting classes or quilt shows to inspire your next quilting experience.
Super excited to share that my first travel and quilting article was published in the Sept/Oct 2018 issue of Quiltmania. The article shares my story about the International Dubai Quilt Show that I attended in March 2018.
Barns and quilts. Both of these represent unique aspects of America’s traditional farming heritage. Today, old barns and old quilts are lovingly preserved as a link to a slowly disappearing lifestyle. What better way to foster awareness of America’s legacy and history than a Quilt Barn (or Barn Quilt) Trail through the rural landscape.
I followed the Quilt Barn Trail in Tualatin Valley, Oregon, and discovered great places to eat global, drink local, play with Mother Nature and love my stay in a fun and quirky lodge. You do not have to be a quilter to experience and enjoy this destination that is barely 30 minutes west of Portland, OR.
One of the 60 Quilt Barns on the Tualatin Valley Quilt Barn Trail. The Quilt Barn Trail showcases the agricultural and historical heritage in Oregon’s Washington county. Many of the barns on the trail are “Century Barns” which have been in the same family for over 100 years. Each quilt block panel on the trail represents the personal story of the barn’s owners. This Captain’s Star block on the Demmin Farm pays tribute to Captain Lester Demmin who owned this farm after being in command of a nuclear submarine during the cold war. The barn is framed by the farm’s blueberry crop.
Please note that my visit to the Tualatin Valley Quilt Barn Trail was sponsored by the Washington County Visitor’s Association. All content and opinions are my own.
Please note – the Tokyo International Quilt show is no longer being produced as it was before the pandemic. I am keeping this post for those that are curious about what the show was like when it was running.
It is the largest quilt show in the world. Hundreds of exquisitely crafted quilts made by Japanese artists, any one of which would take home a blue ribbon in a major US quilt show. Visit the Tokyo Quilt Festival at the end of January to see the masterpieces of Japan’s best textile artists on display. Even as a non-quilter you will marvel at the detailed and delicate craftsmanship.
This past summer, a good friend and I went on a girls weekend away in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We found an abundance of activities in the town that calls itself “The Sweetest Place on Earth” (along with a great quilt show to boot).
I enjoy taking quilting classes and learning new techniques. Not long ago, I had the opportunity to learn paper piecing in one of the Judy Niemeyer classes at the Quiltworx retreat center on Flathead Lake, Montana, near Kalispell. It was a relaxing week with lots of instruction, lots of food and lots of sewing.
Update – sadly this program is no longer offered at this time.
One of my goals for this year has been to take quilting classes from some of the best instructors in the industry so that I could learn from various experienced quilt artists and get exposed to diverse teaching styles and techniques. I was thrilled to discover Crafty Retreats in central France and a class with Sheena Norquay, one of the UK’s top free motion quilting instructors. What I did not expect was the absolutely perfect holiday guest experience. Continue reading “A Perfect Holiday Escape with Crafty Retreats in Central France”
I had my first trip to the quilt show in Paducah Kentucky when I entered a quilt into the contest for the first time, and found lots of creativity in this UNESCO Creative City besides just the quilting kind.
First published April 29, 2017
It may seem odd that the subject of an inaugural blog post would be about traveling to Paducah, Kentucky, but to a quilter this is near to being a pilgrimage to Mecca.