I went. I saw. I bought.
I ran out of money and decided not to do the second day. Also, I was disappointed with the standard of quilts. Dennis wondered if it was because when I was a new quilter everything looked good and now I am more discerning. But, I have just reviewed my photos from the first time I went in 2007 and I do genuinely think that the show was much higher in quality.
This year there were a lot of quilts - many of which were billed as beginner and were indeed decidedly beginner - from one quilting group. It smacked of 'filler display' and I wonder whether people were feeling the pinch and not paying the fee and postage involved in showing a quilt? I feel I cannot carp too much though as I never got round to showing one this year either - not that mine would have upped the quality to what I was looking for you understand, but it would have enabled me to moan with more credibility!
I was also a bit bored with the fact that I could have named three people who would win before I went and sure enough.....
After the show we went off the hotel in Hereford where I picked up a leaflet of tourist attractions.
"Oh, Look," I said to Dennis. "The copy of the Magna Carta you were talking about is on display too!"
I threw him the leaflet.
"Yes," he said, "except the exhibition starts in June."
Ah. Didn't see that bit. Slight pause and then he added,
"And its worse, It says here the Mappa Mundi we came here to see is not open until next week either."
What?!
I swear the tourist information site I looked at just said it was open on Sundays from May *..... See: this is why travelling spontaneously is not a good idea!
Oh well, the upside is that the shabby Indian Restaurant which is the first one we found in Hereford served great food at cheap prices. This morning we thought we might as well go and see the cathedral itself and found these modern stained glass windows. 
The texture begs to be embroidery doesn't it?
The texture begs to be embroidery doesn't it?
* PS. I've just looked again - the site I went to in fact said it was open April - October on Sundays.... WRONG! Do not use http://www.culture24.org.uk for your tourist info. of course if the cathedral website had actually been more than a front page only and if their opening hours were on their answerphone.....!
4 comments:
Wow, you certainly bought a lot, now wonder you ran out of money.
A pity the show was not up to your expectations, this happens sometimes (two weeks ago I went to the OEQC and half of the quilts were hanging almost on the ceiling, which was four metres high).
Hi Helen
Is there any website that has pictures of the winning quilts? I ggogled but couldn't find anything. Maybe too soon??
I think it is good to have a beginner quilt display. So many times I've gone to a quilt show, especially at the beginning, and felt completely intimidated by the quilts on display. There was a room in the back that showed charity quilts and that made me feel so much better. I can see it would be disappointing to see a lot of wow! quilts.
I have experienced the same reaction to shows that once wowed me, and then later seemed more ordinary. I do think it is a function of having more experience, having seen a lot more quilts, and having one's own skills grow so that what once seemed amazing and impossible now seems within the realm of feasible...or at least understandable. But I'm glad you had a good shopping experience! Are those Beaney and Littlejohn books I see arrayed out in a lovely row?!
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