Run, don't walk down the unbeaten path!

I was fortunate enough to go to TWO quilt shows last week...opening day at the AQS Quilt Show in Chattanooga (some pictures posted previously) and the Harvest of Quilts put on by the Tishomingo County, MS Needlechasers Quilt Guild in Iuka, MS.

This first quilt, "Ruth's Rose Garden," made by Dorothy Dailey of Burnsville, MS. totally stole my heart!!!  She was inspired by Rose Kretsinger's "Paradise Garden."  It is beautifully hand appliqued and hand quilted.  And the color palette is right up my alley!

Don't you just love the fabric used for the grapes/muscadines? They were fussy cut in a way that added that perfect, realistic sheen of shiny fruit.

My new friend and expert quilter from Huntsville, AL, Barbara Black, was the judge and teacher for the show (click here to see her blog post about the show and more quilt pictures).  She told me about the event or I never would have heard anything about it, which is sad because the event and the group are only just over the state line from me, 20 - 25 minutes by car!  That is closer than me going across the river to Florence!

The next quilt was also hand appliqued, hand quilted and made by the same talented quilter.  It is called "Along the Muddy River." Here is the description from the program book,"I wanted to make a quilt with red birds.  I looked at the beige background so long it began to look like muddy water. Hence the name.  I finished it off with butterflies and muscadines."

The next quilt is called "Wreath of Roses" and was made by Karen Asbury of Tupelo, MS.  The pattern is from the book, Garden of Quilts put together by the granddaughter of Marie Webster.  It was hand appliqued and machine pieced by Marcella Rose Picket at Crooked Creek Quilts in Greenwood, Arkansas.

I did not take very many pictures due to the venue (the local Baptist church) being small and cramped.  I wanted to get shots of them all!!  

The guild had a fabulous hanging pole system, complete with black cloth drapings behind the quilts, but quilts were everywhere, even in the halls.  It was just too hard to get pictures.  It was very gracious of the church to host this show as it is probably the largest venue in this charming little town...I felt completely surrounded and draped in the love and tradition that went into all that beautiful work!

The next quilt is called "Handsome Green Tailed Dandy" made by Dorothy Dailey...the same maker of the first two quilts I showed you.  She was a one-woman quilt category!  (Large: Applique and Hand Quilted)

This is the description from the program book, "My daughter wanted me to make a peacock quilt.  I didn't have pictures or patterns, so she went to the library in Memphis and copied off pictures of peacocks and flowers.  I had no excuse.  She also picked out colors.  The background is light green, rose and purple flowers. Hand quilted by the maker."

This is "Colonial Cockscomb" by Karen Asbury, Tupelo, MS. The design is from Simple Pleasures by Kim Diehl.  It was machine quilted by Marge Love.

This is called "Colors of the Rainbow" by Sharon Beene of Glen, MS.  It is machine quilted by the maker.

This is "4 30's Sake" by Marilynn Robertson or Corinth, MS.  It was machine quilted by Sharon Beene.

This is called "Grandmother's Flower Garden" submitted by Charline Hill of Verona, MS.  The top was hand pieced in 1954 by Fern Scoggins, passed by her great-granddaughter to Charline who hand-stitched the quilt to the border.  It was hand quilted by Emma Hostitler.  I love how this quilt top received new life!

I love all the old, old fabrics!

This is "Bea's Ripples and Reflections" by Chris Steele of Iuka, MS.  A Laura Shifrin design, the quilt was machine quilted by Teresa Lowery.

"Red, White, and Blue State Flowers and Birds" featuring hand embroidered state blocks by LaVonda Cheatham of Glen, MS was a long-term project.  It was machine quilted by the Quilting Beenes.

"Once Upon a Time" was made by Barbara Pardue of Tishomingo, MS.  It was machine quilted by Quilting Beenes.

Scrappy, scrappy, scrappy..."Paper Fan" by Gail Stables of Corinth, MS, machine quilted by Sharon Beene.

This is "Grandma's Garden in the 30's" by Barbara Patterson of Iuka, MS.  It was started as a BOM using patterns from Grandma's Last Quilt by Blanche Burkett White.  The applique is done by hand.  It was custom machine quilted by Terri Quilts in Tuscumbia, AL.

This is "Garden Charm" by Polly Burkeen of Iuka, MS.  It was a BOM by Craftsy.  It was machine quilted by Johnni Schell.

This is "Long May She Wave" by Terri Embrey of Stantonville, TN.  It is a Fons and Porter design made as a Quilt of Valor for an uncle.  It was machine quilted by the maker.

Here are a few shots of Barbara doing her noon to 1:00 trunk show. She brought some beautiful quilts.  I don't know who the quilt holders were, but they did a fabulous job with lots of large, heavy quilts!

This is her version of Bonnie Hunter's "Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll."

HUGE, stunning mini tumbler quilt...

I can't remember the name of this, but it has won ribbons for Barbara.  Really pretty...

Beautiful...

A quilt made from Barbara Brackman's star series on her blog...

A colorful hugs and kisses quilt...

Upon arriving in the little town, it seems like every business along the small downtown had a quilt or two in the window.  It was so charming and welcoming, not just like a quilt show but like the whole town was the quilt show.  Such a lovely idea.  

When I turned off the lonely, rural stretch of US 72 in NW Mississippi to get to this town, I had no idea what to expect.  I encourage you to get off the beaten path and partake of the smaller quilt shows when they are offered.  You will be surprised and feel like you are a part of something special...there are never strangers when you meet fellow quilters.

In stitches,
Teresa   :o)