The curator told us that the quilt is believed to have been made for a Major Ringgold based on an inscription on one of the monuments in the quilt, and is dated 1847. The quilt was obviously the work of several different people and includes several different names inked on various blocks. Apparently there is a large gap in provenance - very little is known about the quilt prior to the museum's acquisition.
There were some interesting and unusual tecniques used in some of the blocks. A few were embroidered with very heavy threads, and there were some really unique dimensional flowers. Some were just simple but bold patterns - I particularly liked this block:
After our visit with the curator, we toured the museum's exhibits, which included some of the most interesting and intricate geometric designs I have ever seen! There was one quilt that was a mosaic of a horse and rider that was composed of tiny squares - probably about 1/2" finished - and was nearly bed-sized! I can't even imagine how the maker was able to get all of those pieces into their proper places!
After we left the museum, we visited Baker's Candies, an outlet store full of tasty chocolate meltaways in lots of different flavors. We filled up on free samples (yum!) and purchased plenty of chocolaty souvenirs. The milk chocolate mints were my favorite...
We stopped at The Quilted Moose on our way back to the lodge. I found quite a few really nice batik FQs that I had to add to my collection. I was so excited about shopping that I forgot to get a picture!
One of my favorite things about the conference venue is the wildlife. We saw deer a couple of times during the week, and enjoyed watching a steady stream of hummingbirds at the feeders throughout our visit. I really loved seeing the turkeys at the seed feeders - they make a mess and waste a lot of food, but they are fun to watch!
My teacher for the conference class was Rita Verroca. She was fantastic! I will post more detail about the class and my project later. One of the interesting ideas Rita shared with us was to laminate paper patterns to create templates. The laminated patterns are great for tracing around, and we experimented with the iron and found that they would hold up to the starch method for those that like a prepped edge.
I was particularly imnpressed by Rita's demonstration of inking. I don't know that I would ever be able to work up the nerve to use a permanent marker on my finished applique, but I loved the effect:
Hmmm...writing about Baker's makes me hungry for chocolate! I think it's time for a snack!
1 comment:
What a great trip! Sounds like you had a great time. And, it's always time for a snack!
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