HMQS - Stunning Quilts and Fun Times!

Quilters are the nicest people. True fact.

I think that's part of the reason I love long arm quilting so much - I get to spend time with ladies who have spent many hours creating quilts for people in their lives. Those givers touch a cord in my heart, and through my ability to help finish their quilt tops by quilting lovely patterns all over, I get to play a small part in their gifts. How special is that?

I'm being kinda sappy, for sure, but again, true story!  A week ago I returned from spending three days at the Home Machine Quilting Show (HMQS) in Sandy, Utah.  I've been there twice before: once as a brand spanking new quilter who had just bought a long arm and didn't know quite what to do with it, and then a year later with a little experience under my wings but still feeling very much like the novice.

Oh - there's my friend. I think she's camera shy....

This year, I returned and had every bit as much fun as my previous trips. I went with a quilty friend, and we talked our heads off about quilting. Good thing our husbands stayed home because I don't think we stopped talking once during the five-hour drive down there. Or back! My time at HMQS was filled with classes, checking out the vendors, and of course, oohing and awing over the awesome work that went into the creation of each and every quilt on display. And there were some stunners!

Quilting Sampler for Class by Judi Madsen

I took classes from Judi Madsen, Angela Walters and Jenny Pedigo & Helen Robinson (Sew Kind of Wonderful). Could it get much better than that?  These are all women who fell in love with quilting, kept at it, and developed their own style to turn it into a business which gives them a good livelihood. And the best part? They like to share with us.

Angela Walters giving instructions for FMQ at the HMQS 2015

Sisters Helen Robinson and Jenny Pedigo make up Sew Kind of Wonderful, best known for their Quick Curve Rulers and curvy quilts. Class was fun!

I won the drawing for the quilting sample that Jenny Pedigo did during class. It's even signed :)

 
I also ran into people I knew from my local quilt guild, an old friend, and I even found myself in class with a blogging buddy whom I had never had the pleasure of meeting in person before. Val Reynolds of Val's Quilting Studio. What are the chances of that?

Oh - and I ran across a quilt that was entered by another blogging friend, Helen Ernst of Till We Quilt Again from New Jersey.  Her quilting is stunning, although it doesn't show up well in this photo. I snatched up an unsuspecting attendee to snap this photo of me in front of Helen's quilt.  Poor lady, she had no choice in the matter and I then proceeded to explain to her the story behind the quilt and how far it had traveled to get here, and that it had become lost in the mail, and fortunately found, and now graced this spot in the show!

If you zoom in you can see the quilted helicopter. Very impressive work by Helen Ernst of Till We Quilt Again

Anyway, I learned lots and had fun in the process.  I'll leave you today with a bit of quilty bling in these photos of some of the wonderful quilts on display. I took more than 150 photos, so count your lucky stars that I'm not posting them all!

I cannot figure out how to get these to appear upright - my apologies!

That's all for now.
Barb