Crazy Quilter on a Bike!: The Quilt Patch

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Quilt Patch - Outdoor Quilt Show

I have never been to an outdoor quilt show and now I had volunteered to help hang one. I figured my quilt hanging skills at an indoor show could easily be translated to the outdoor show.

The show was hosted by The Quilt Patch in Moose Jaw. The Quilt Patch

I believe this was the 6th year they have hosted the show and it takes place in a lovely park just minutes from the shop in downtown Moose Jaw.

Step one - GET UP EARLY (4:30 AM)
Step two - check the weather - in the event of rain - the show is cancelled which has never happened
Step three - get moving cause there is a LOT of work to be done.

We zipped off to the quilt store to pick up the 300 quilts that needed to be hung. Oh yes - the show officially starts at 10 so no time to waste.

Arrive at beautiful Crescent Park - downtown Moose Jaw - about 6 AM with cars and trucks loaded with stuff for the quilt show

Lay out tarps and look at those bags and bags of quilts!!!!!

Sort the quilts so the sizes are approximate. These girls do NOT waste time fussing with colours - just get two quilts same size (more or less) and put them in a "puddle" so those two can be grabbed and given to a hanger!!!

While the girls did the sorting, the men were on ladders and strung the rope amongst the trees. Did I mention how efficient these people are????? There were just a hand full of volunteers (OK - employees of the store for the sorting and their husbands, brothers, for the hanging)

This is Colleen whose two quilts happened to get hung next to each other. The one on the right is made with ties!!!! Colleen is also the head quilt hanger upper!!!! She whipped us all into shape and by 9 (yes NINE AM), the quilts were all up. All 'THREE HUNDRED of them. I was IMPRESSED to say the least.

Quilts hanging in the park

More quilts hanging in the park

It was a perfect day for an outdoor quilt show. There was a breeze which kept the bugs away and made it not quite so hot. The sun was shining - it was glorious.

There were six vendors there and yes I had to visit them all. There are three shops in Moose Jaw - hard to believe. My favourite of course is the Quilt Patch. The owners of the store have written a book - if you do NOT have this book - you should get one. It has so many cute patterns in it. I just love it. I do NOT have the book because I have been to this store before and I had purchased a number of the patterns that were in the book. But I'm thinking I might have to buy the book and get them to autograph it for me!!!!! Yes - I know - you want to know what book is it - well here it is.......

Tis the Season. I got this picture from Amazon web site - go to the web site and you can see some of the inside pages. I just love love love this book. Of course I have NOT made anything yet, but I am motivated now to get something done. And did I mention that this book is a BEST SELLER and is in its fifth printing!!!! That's an accomplishment for a quilting book!!!!!

Amazon Web Site for "Tis the Season"

And the owners have a new book going to be released in October.

Info about new book

Anyway - go to the link and you can flip through some of the pages to see their new and exciting stuff.

They also have a line of fabric (I think there is a preview on their web site) and that will be available in stores in February.

Exciting stuff - it was so neat to chat with the owners of the store - Jeanne and Shelly. For some reason ( and it was probably Marian's fault), I came across this store a number of years ago. I think they were also in The Quilt Sampler magazine in 2006????? (Where is Marian when I need her to check details!!!) I remember calling the store to sign up for their mystery mailout. They were having WAY TOO MUCH FUN at that store and I get the feeling that every day is like that. It really is a happy quilt store. And speaking of mystery mailout - you should call them and sign up for this (OK - I don't think they are accepting signups until September). But the cost is around $55 (if memory serves me right) and you get a six part mystery with all the fabric mailed to you over a period of six weeks. The projects are doable - they are cute and I can't wait for the next one to start. OK - so I still have two of them to finish!!!!!

Oh - yes - back to the quilt show. At four PM - the volunteers appeared from all corners of the park, the men with their ladders, the women with their tarps. The quilts were dropped on the tarp (I got to be a runner!!!!). They were folded and stacked into piles so the owners could pick them up. I think we were out of there by 5:30. Could have been sooner, but we were waiting for some people to pick up their quilts.

Tearing down the show

Then we had a lovely BBQ hosted by the shop owners. All the vendors were invited and the volunteers. No matter where in this world you go - you have something in common with your fellow quilters!!!!!   I also got to meet a designer - Debbie Richards who designs these quilts.

DJ Richards Design

I think we need to investiage a class in this technique. I love them and they are different.

And then the day came to an early end. Everyone was tired - no kidding - when do you get up at 4:30 AM on vacation except to hang a quilt show!!!!!

I had loads of fun and I've been invited back next year to help out. Hmmmmm - maybe I helped out a bit too much!!!!!   Like I said - this is a fun place to shop and would be a fun place to work!!!!

If you want to meet Jeanne and Shelley yourself - they will be hanging out at the CreativFestival in Toronto in October!!!!!    Make a point of checking out their booth - you won't be disappointed.

Oh yes - I made some observations while I was at the show - which I took tons of pictures at, but they are on my other camera and there are TOO MANY to post)

1. A LOT of the quilts are long arm quilted
2. A LOT of the quilts were quilted with a loose overall pattern (regardless of pieced or applique, pattern or style)
3. A LOT of the quilts had PLUSH or MINKY on the back. They were so warm and cozy - you wanted to curl up with one despite the fact that it was hot that day. The story is that once you put minky on the back - you never want to put cotton on the back or even flannel. I bought some to put on the back of a quilt that M liked.
4. A LOT of the quilts were fairly simple whether they were applique or pieced, but they were all GORGEOUS.

Well - there you have it - an outdoor quilt show. If ever you are in the area of Moose Jaw around the time of the show - you need to make an effort to get here. Or at least - get to the store!!!!!!

Did you notice the orange car in front of the store (the first picture today)??? Well I think they must like orange cars here - look at this one......