Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival

Hi all -

I just got back from Kansas City today. I was there to visit with family, of course, and to attend the new Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival. I had a spectacular time! I had lots of time to spend with my family, especially my sister, Linda, who put my dog and me up for the trip. I'm one of those lucky people who really has a special family and I appreciate each and every one of them.

I also got to spend a lot of time at the KCRQF which was held at the Overland Park Convention Center, just a couple of miles from my sister's house. I was so glad to see another quilt show at the convention center since it's a perfect excuse to visit. I wasn't sure what to expect from the quilt show since this was the first year and it was put on by the local guilds, but I was blown away by the whole thing. As usual, I took as many classes as I could, which ended up being five classes and a lecture:

"Fine Finishes" with Deb Hillen
"Modern Crazy Piecing" with Jacquie Gering
"Twilling" with a group of ladies who call themselves "Of One Mind"
"Fill Harmonics" with Sue Heinz
"Twirly Whirly Feathers" with Kim Brunner
"Organic Embellishments" with Sherry Whetstone

All of the classes were wonderful and I'll describe them in more detail in later posts.

The show itself was also great. There were two shows: the judged show and the guild show. Both had some pretty spectacular quilts that provided a lot of inspiration. I'll include some pictures in a later post. I don't have an actual count, but I would guess there were something like 100 quilts in the judged show and another 200 in the guild show. There were also a lot of great vendors there. There were local vendors along with some of my favorites from around the country like SewBatik and Fabric Fanatics.

And the turnout was overwhelming. On Friday, there were so many people at the show that they ran out of parking and I ended up just hanging out in the lobby after a quick look between classes because I just couldn't handle the crowds. Saturday also had a great turn-out, and then it was quieter on Sunday, so I was able to slow down and enjoy the quilts then (although I was also pretty tired by then!).

Another perk for me was that I got to meet up with Janet Stone for lunch one day. She is one of my favorite quilters and is also a really sweet, wonderful lady. We had a great time chatting over Chinese food! She had two quilts in the show, and both won well-deserved ribbons.

Well, that's a quick overview of the show. I'll give you more details and some photos as I have time. Right now, I'm pretty tired from my week away from home and my 9-hour drive this morning, so I'm going to relax for a while and then go sleep in my own bed. Hopefully, my back will feel better tomorrow!

Nancy