Quilt show attractions

There are many attractions associated with any quilt show, and the Number One spot is definitely the Merchant Mall or vendors.
I have even known people to go to a show and never even look at the quilts!
The NQA show had about 80 vendors, a good amount for plenty of variety.

It gets too crowded in the shopping area to take pictures, and some of the vendors don't like you to photograph the quilts in their booths. They would prefer you buy the pattern, not copy....and rightfully so. They may also be displaying a borrowed quilt that is a copyrighted piece of art. Some vendors don't mind if you take a picture. It's considered polite to ask first.
The booth above is one of my favorites, the painter Rebecca Barker. She does scenes that have a quilt incorporated in different ways. Each year she aso paints a special picture for the NQA show to reflect the theme. Her artwork can be purchased in several forms, from originals to prints to notecards. You know I like to buy cards, and this year she added a Thank-You card! Now who cannot use a box of those?

Cherry-Cherry and I made up for our lapse of fabric buying in NC by handling every batik in sight at the show. How do you like this one that has a Passion Flower motif?

That came from the fabulous Batiks Etcetera & Sew What Fabrics of Wytheville, VA. 
Now, you know we must really have a batik habit, because shop owner Carol Britt actually recognized us from other shows! Especially our local show...she asked CC if we weren't from Jacksonville, and then wanted to know why we had not stopped at the shop, since we had to be traveling by there on our way to Ohio!
Well, I guess we cannot let that happen again! We promise to stop next time!
I was in class for two days, and that gave Cherry-Cherry time to work on a project in the hotel room...yes! she finished a couple fused pieces. But she also had time to buy these pretty batiks for me!

Thanks, CC...you said they were in return for the last of my 505 spray baste cans, but really...my basting spray is your basting spray!
Of course, if I'm not drooling over batiks, I'm pawing through any collection of Black & White fabrics. These came from The Quilting Connection...no website, but you can find Glenda Brady at many shows with a "field of fat quarters".

 
There were other attractions around the Convention Center, including many lovely plantings:

Does anyone know the name of that pink flowering vine? CC got one for Mother's Day and it did not have any identification.
I am always attracted to food, and this place, barely a block away, is the spot for lunch or dinner:   

The Old North Market has been in operation almost forever. It's like a farmer's market with food stands and other little shops...a total delight for the senses!

Who can resist a sign like this?
Maybe me, as I purchased a chicken salad sandwich one day, and Indian food another. The shops are ringed by an upstairs balcony area with tables and chairs so you can eat while enjoying the sights :

I did not get a shot of the coffee shop inside the Convention Center, but you can be sure that was a popular place. Some day the food vendors will realize that quilters like something after 3:00 in the afternoon, and they could do plenty enough business to afford extra hours.
The other attraction at a quilt show is People Watching...but you won't see any photos of that from me!

In the next post, I'll  share some comments about the class I took on judging a quilt show.

Fabric Shopping at Stepping Stones

Drive across state lines for the purpose of Fabric Shopping?

You bet!

Let's go to one of my favorite places, Stepping Stones Quilts on St. Simons Island, GA! Located around the back of the airport, you'll be glad you made the drive!

Shop owner Connie Vaghtborg has every fabric you could need or want...ocean themes, airplanes, Aunt Gracie, Jinny Beyer...but most of all, fabulous batiks!There were so many gorgeous bolts...they were taking over the shop! They were going up and down the ladder, stacking up along and around the cutting table, and the blue ones had even taken over an actual shelving unit!
This is definitely the place to go for batiks.

Of course, Cherry-Cherry came along for this excursion into Fabriholic Paradise.
She was take with the many shadings of the Jinny Beyer collection.....

...and had a good time selecting bolts in a great color-run of blue through green, with a touch of purple, all inspired by a border stripe fabric.
She wisely added a few bolts of non-Beyer fabric for texture/print contrast.
Sorry I didn't get a picture of all the bolts layed out on the classroom floor! This just half of the classroom...and one of two 50% off racks filled with good stuff!

Connie's husband Chris is the Featherweight guy of the Southeast! He fixes them and sells them and even has parts...so contact Chris if you need some Featherweight assistance.
I need to get back up there when he teaches the Featherweight maintainence class!

OK, I know you are wondering, "What did Sunnie buy???"
Why, thank you for asking! How about these?I don't know either, but it was on the 50% off rack! (a Timeless Treasures fabric)

Just when you thinkthe fruit/ veggie craze has passed, somebody comes out with another fabulous collection! These carrots were just too beautiful to resist.
(another by Timeless Treasures)

Someday I will get around to the polka-dot quilt I have been collecting fabrics for! This one is "Woodstock by Isadora Phoenix" from Benartex.
And now...what you've been waiting for....the batiks!The motif is like trees, and the color is more tealish than it appears here...but still dark!

This is the one I kept going back to, so I had to have some!
And to finish it off, a little Fat Quarter frenzy for dessert:

Yumm, yum...the second from the left was fabulous beyond compare, which means I got the last fat quarter in the shop and the bolt was loooooooooooooooong gone!

Well, that was fun!
I am looking forward to seeing what my friends brought home from Paducah.
Meanwhile, it's back to the usual: designing a Personalized Mystery Quilt (you can see it in August, after the Seaside Piecemakers have at it!). Which reminds me, I have to show you the "Stars of the Quilt Show" Mystery Quilt from Space Coast Quilters!
Look for that tomorrow!