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My Paducah Adventure
by Linda Griffith, The Organized Option
As most of you know, I've been a quilter for many years. I've
traveled to some of the bigger shows -- Houston (twice), Sisters
(once), Road to California (three) -- but I've never been to Paducah.
My good friends, Audrey Waite and Dee Lynn of Quilt Camp in the Pines,
lead an annual excursion to the show. Dee told me that they had a
last-minute cancellation, so I jumped at the chance to go and I joined
the group, which consisted of 25 ladies from all around the U.S.
We flew into St. Louis and took a coach up to
Paducah. Before checking into our hotel, we stopped at Hancock's of
Paducah. The building was the size of a warehouse, and inside were
thousands of fabric bolts, books and patterns. Every cash register was
open and, while the check-out lines reminded me of Costco, everyone was
excited about being there. The only unenthusiastic people were
the husbands who sat quietly on the outdoor benches, waiting . . . and
waiting.
The following morning I squeezed onto one of the
many buses around town that take quilters to the show. I arrived early,
and joined the throng of visitors eagerly waiting for the doors to
open. We all chatted amongst eachother--I even met ladies from a
Florida guild who'd heard me speak previously on sewing room
organization.
Before long, the doors opened and we surged forward.
I had to see the show quilts before doing anything else, so I made a
dash for them. As soon as I saw the display, I caught my breath
and whipped out my camera. The piecing, applique, quilting, and
binding are exquisite! The longest line, of course, is at Best of Show.
This year's winner is Ted Storm-van Weelden of the Netherlands. Her
stunning quilt is titled "Spring of Desire", and is completely
handmade. Her quilt is black, gray and white, and features padded
applique, embroidery, cording, beads, and tiny shisha mirrors.
I love quilts which depict a scene. For example, I
loved the quilt "Spectators" by Inge Mardal and Steen Hougs of
Chantilly, France. "Spectators" features three huge dragonflies perched
on tall grass. The detailing in the eyes and wings are outstanding. My
other favorite is titled "Night Jungle" by Betty Busby of Albuquerque,
NM. The quilt is colorful and has multi-layered appliqued leaves,
giving it a tropical feel.
One of the features of the Paducah show that I loved
is that there are clusters of vendors all through town, and the buses
stop at each of them. There's also the American Quilter's Society
Museum, which features the best quilts from previous shows. Photography
is not allowed in the museum, and the quilts cannot be handled. There
are white-gloved volunteers, however, who are happy to lift the corners
of the quilts so that visitors can see the reverse side.
My next four days are spent networking and shopping.
I'm proud of myself for not overbuying--that's one of the perks that
comes from attending lots of shows. You get to the point where you have
most everything, so you're selective on what you do purchase!
In closing, I'd like to say that of all the shows
I've been to, Paducah was the best. Why? The residents. Everyone was so
friendly. The bus drivers, hotel staff, convenience store clerks, etc.
The show is an economic boon for Paducah, and the residents want you to
feel like a VIP. I will definitely return and I highly recommend that
you, too, experience the show!
Linda Griffith, owner
of The Organized Option, is a Professional Organizer &
Speaker based in Phoenix. She specializes in organizing sewing and craft rooms
and also services residential and home-based businesses. A national speaker,
Linda's presentations blend practical how-to organizing tips with motivation and
humor. She can be reached at 480-755-3991, or through her website, www.organizedoption.com where you can
sign up for her free monthly e-newsletter.
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