The Quilt Show in Sisters

So…the last 4th of July firecracker had hardly sounded when the REBELS scooped me up and we were off to Sisters for three days of quilting, quilts and fun. I was signed up for a class with the ladies from Gee’s Bend and had a sack of fabric ready to take…

The first night though, we went to hear Bill Volckening talk about collecting quilts

This guy is from Portland and has quite a collection, about which he is PASSIONATE!  He has many “New York Beauties” and kindly brought them for us to see…

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the 6 of us REBELS and quilter Tonya Riccuci were hanging out talking quilts (here’s Tonya under the “collaboration quilt” Kay and I made last year…)

and then we got into Gee’s Bend land…first hearing the ladies talk abut their work and their lives in the auditorium

and then, the reason I came, the class the next day where a roomful of us sewed and sewed

including my “across the table” neighbor Shelley who was a bit overwhelmed at first…

but with Louisiana’s help, and Ruth’s help, she came on strong.

I’ll post a picture of mine when I finish it up this week.  In the meantime, here is part of the quilt I had along as handwork…

and here’s the “mystery quilt” I talked to Bill V. about.  Is it an Andrea Balosky quilt (a sort of wonky “Drunkard’s Path”)?  Is it a found piece???  The plot thickens!