Visiting Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival

This Mancuso show is held at the end of February every year.  After many years in Williamsburg, VA, the show outgrew the facilities and moved to the new Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, VA.  If you have never been to a regional or national show before, I hope reading the March newsletter and looking at these photos will give you a flavor for the experience.

This page is a companion to the March 2008 newsletter.

Entrance to the hotel section of the Convention Center

When they opened the doors, I ran in and took some pictures of the booths before they filled up with people.  My friend, Carol Britt, runs Batiks Etcetera, shown above.  She is my first stop!

Whether you want colorful fabric, quilted totes and handbags,  luscious yarns or Asian fabrics (below), you will likely find a booth that meets your needs

Show Tips

I find that wearing my wallet around my neck puts my money where I can reach it and it won’t be accidentally set down somewhere.  I can keep my glasses in there and pin my name tag to the front.  I always wear pants with deep pockets to store my cell phone and car keys.  This leaves my hands free for those all important shopping bags.  More to the point, I don’t end up with a sore shoulder from carrying my normal handbag. 

If the weather is cold, as it was in February, wear just enough coat to get inside without freezing.  You are going to have to carry that coat around all day!

Last but not least, wear comfortable shoes; not comfortable like bedroom slippers, but shoes that will give your feet and back good support as you walk around on concrete floors.  I wear Danskos.  They are worth their weight in gold.

What a pleasure to have quilts displayed as art.  Lots of space between the quilts and great lighting.  It is important to pace yourself since you can easily get sensory overload!  The rest of you gets tired, too, and it is a good idea to sit down and rest periodically.  Big exhibit spaces are very dry and it is easy to get dehydrated.  Before you drink too much water, figure out where the restrooms are!

I can't show you everything but here are a few quilts that illustrate the trend I saw for dimensional quilts.  For more discussion on the quilt show, see the March newsletter.

Penelope Mace made Hooked on Caffeine from used coffee filters

Detail from Camelia Elliott's Harvesting a Dream shows real wooden fencing on the porch

Suzanne Riggio - Diametric Equinoxes reflects the same elaborate and meticulous beading and threadwork in two colorways

Susie Williams' Hopeful Return uses real curtains that hang loose on the right side

Laura Fogg - Red Barn with Salmonberries has dimensional leaves in the border and uses deeply textured fabrics like burlap for the fields and plants.

Check the bottom of the Student Commons page for links to sites sponsoring quilt shows.  Many guilds have shows in the spring and often these also include vendors.  I know of two impressive guild sponsored shows which have been delighting visitors for decades.  Quilters Unlimited in Northern Virginia (http://www.quiltersunlimited.org) will host its 35th show in 2008.  The Minnesota State Quilt Guild hosts its 30th show this year. (http://www.mnquilt.org/mq2008/index.htm)