The most wonderful part of Quilt Market is the abundance of inspiration! There are many new fabrics, quilts and innovative items to help you take your quilting skills to the next level. It is truly every quilter’s dream! In all of the new that can be found, there is another area that the most profound inspiration can be felt. Vintage quilts!
When first attending Market a few years ago, I was confused by the vintage quilt booths. I had been under the impression that Market was only for the newest, latest, and greatest fabrics, haberdashery, and patterns. I was stunned to see quilts from out of the attics and cedar chests. These were grandmother’s quilts. Thank goodness grandma or great grandma took the time to learn how to sew and preserve these quilts! There is an astounding beauty of the perfectly imperfect quilts that are on display. These quilts are the foundation of every quilt we make. They are the most incredible works of art that are made even more special by the fact that were made without rotary cutters, electric sewing machines, sometimes by lantern. Hand stitched by people who would come together as a community to share their lives while stitching.
The majority of these photos were taken in one booth that had the most incredible selection of not only finished quilts but also hand pieced blocks. Cindy’s Antique Quilts from Clinton, OK was a smorgasbord of every technique and color combination in quilts.
Cindy’s husband was also quite lovely, working on a wonderful Singer Featherweight while she was setting up. He was told me the history of the machine he was servicing. It was a tragic tale that landed this pristine machine in his capable hands. He had many stories to tell and I could have listened for hours to them. The wonderful people on the Market floor are historians of the art. They are the storytellers.
The red and white variety displayed was completely fetching! These antiques were in fantastic condition.
There was one quilt that was a showstopper! A very exquisite, one of a kind, quilt found in Julie Silber’s booth that was constructed using cigar silks around the turn of the century.
I could not get a good photo of the entire quilt but the specialness of it can be found in the details. I loved the names on each silk like a Pin-Up girls each lovingly stitched together by hand. This quilt was pristine.
This brings an end to the 2015 Quilt Market wrap up. We wish to extend a heartfelt thank you everyone for your continued support for Aurifil! We cannot do any of this without each of you and are already looking forward to Spring 2016 Market in Salt Lake City!
