This Ain't Your Grandma's Nine-Patch: Quilt Festival, Part the Second

OK, to immediately give credit where credit is due, the incredible quilter who made this rendition of coneflowers (echinacea to all of you who use herbal meds when you have a cold or the flu) is Ann Fahl. For those of you who don't quilt or think that quilting is all about squares of fabric, I wanted you to know that the quilting universe is HUGE and full of color and incredible artistry.

This is just one of the many exquisite visual delights that got ooohs and aaaahs at the Vermont Quilt Festival (going on through tomorrow). The second tier of ooohs and aaaahs are what you can find at the vendors who are there for the weekend.

This year, I was not on a hunt for fabric because I had that major score just after my birthday. I was after tools. So this is my take (oops, just realized my porcupine quill didn't make it into the picture) from the festival.

This festival got its start the same year Jay and I got married, 1979. In this neck of the woods, it's considered one of the best shows of the year. Buses crammed with visitors come in from New York, New Jersey and Canada. You hear as much French as you do English which is really cool. Makes me think about Montreal, one of my favorite cities.

I met people from Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Québec, Ontario, Minnesota and every New England state. The teachers are just top-notch and everyone who took a class just raved and raved.

Years ago, Jay and I got introduced to this show by our friend Jenna. That was probably ten years ago, and I was deeply hooked. Been quilting ever since and enjoying it more every day. You could make a quilt a week (as if) and never do the same pattern or use the same colors in the same way twice.

And a Mom note for those who have been asking: I talked to her today and she sounded OK. She's getting a lot of help from the aides at the nursing home as well as from the nurses and my sainted sister Heidi. She's also getting a lot of visits and calls, something that really gets her juices going. When I told her our son was heading down for the 4th of July weekend, she oohed and then said "Oh my, what shall I wear?"

So we know she's fading but we're trying to make sure we all get time with her and her with us. She seems relatively upbeat for the circumstances. We were cracking jokes today, always a good sign.

But it's day by day and we all know that.