In case of fire...

Have you ever had to be responsible for your quilting friends' best quilts?  Since Easter is so late this year, the holiday overlaps with dropping off quilt entries for for the Sauder Village Quilt Show that opens this next week.  Some of my participating friends went out of town to spend Easter somewhere else and I took responsibility of taking seven of their beloved quilts to the show along with two of mine.

Gulp...

What if there is a fire at my house?  What if Weasley gets cat hair on them?  What if someone breaks into my house?  What if I oversleep and start the 90-mile trip too late to get there by noon?  What if I forget one or two?  What if I am in a car accident or run out of gas and miss the 2.5 hour drop off window?

Yes...I'm neurotic.  Should I get a limited time fancy textile rider on the homeowners insurance?  Should I tell my family that in case of fire, grab the cat and the bundle of show quilts, which are right by the front door in a rocking chair, stacked in such a way to keep old Mr. Weasley off of them?

I'm pathetic really, but these are REALLY SPECIAL quilts, one a hand quilted double wedding quilt made for a beloved daughter.  Yikes - no wonder I slept a little fitfully last night!

Here they are, all ready for the car journey (I just love my huge IKEA bags!).

OOPS!  I guess I should make room for other passengers and put these in the back of the car...

The quilts are now all checked in and I am graciously allowed a couple of pictures of the huge Founder's Hall where the show will be hung before Monday, when the judging will take place before the show opens on Tuesday morning.  The committee members are carefully sorting and staging all the entries.  They have tall, rolling scaffolding units and super tall ladders for getting up to the hanging cables.  Once hung this is the neatest, best hung show I've ever been to (that includes the annual Houston International Quilt Festival).  I would have loved to see the recent red and whilte NY show...I LOVED how those pictures looked!

My pictures don't do this huge place justice.  It's hard to see in these pictures, but there is a sturdy system of stainless steel cables criss-crossing the arena in a grid.  That is where all the big bed quilts will be hung.  Then all the walls are fitted with panels where wall hangings can be pinned.  The stage is usually reserved to display master quilts and the quilts exhibited by the featured teacher of the week.  More panels are set up in the lobby to feature the yearly challenge quilts and baby quilts.  There is a quilt stretched on a frame below in the lower right.  I enjoy being invited to place a few stitches in every year!  There are also tables set up for various demos.

Then I just had to stumble over to the Threads of Tradition quilt shop that is located in the village.  I mean, I was already here, right?  I must do my part to help the Ohio economy, right?  (I need to stop in before 100's of women start shopping on Tuesday, right??  LOL)

Here are my friends' claim tickets for picking up quilts after the show and free show passes.  There is a great security system worked out for this show.  Absolutely no one can pick up a quilt without presenting these claim tickets.

Now I just have to keep them safe until I see Margit, Mary and Cheryl on Friday when our sit and stitch group goes to the show.

Oh crap!  What if there is a fire at my house?  What if someone breaks in?  What happens if Mr. Weasley makes mischief with them?

Sigh...

Happy Easter to everyone!

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)