Wisconsin Quilt Expo 2016 (inspiration plus retail therapy)

The Wisconsin Quilt Expo , produced by Nancy Zieman/Nancy's Notions and Wisconsin Public Television, has become a major regional show.  Madison is an easy drive from home, but this time I joined a bus tour sponsored by Buttons and Bolts, a local-ish quilt shop, on Friday.



Bucky Badger and the UW pep band opened the show in fine style.

I set off on my own in the show hall.

My quilt "Stars in Her Crown" was on exhibit. It's the first time I've had a quilt in a juried show.
I met up with friends.











 Karen is the listmom for the Block Swappers group. She's also on the Baseball Swap and Stashbusters email lists. She's also a Quilts of Valor coordinator for Wisconsin.














Anna is one of the Magpies. She lives in a small town at the other end of Chicagoland. We need to travel out of state to see one another.  We're raising a toast to another Magpie whose birthday was that day.
.
Dorothy is an AAUW friend. She had a quilt on exhibit, too.





Here are some of the many wonderful quilts.  Traditional, contemporary, modern.  Small, medium, large.


This is three-dimensional.

"Nano-strips" (about 1/16" each)

And the retail therapy? Yes, I indulged!

The five black/white packages are panels with drawings of lighthouses -- Lake Superior, Apostle Islands, Lake Michigan.  We've been to many of them.  (I think these may become placemats.)  The panels are produced for Orchard's Edge, the quilt shop in Bayfield, WI. (I shopped there earlier this summer.)

I am shopping for yellow and gray prints for the t-shirt quilt I wrote about last week. Here's the start.

 And these are "just because" -- in this case, just because they were a good price for quality fabric.

I did not spend $50 at Nancy's Notions so I didn't get this tote bag -- but I think the sentiment is great!