Winner at the Vermont Quilt Festival, 2015

And here is the winner at VQF - Celestial Sedona by Norma Ippolito of Chester, VT.  She is a good friend of Sue's from Quilting Treasures !  

Celestial Sedona 

In Norma's words, "This quilt features a variety of construction techniques. Building from the center out, it became a three-year journey resulting in the most challenging quilt I have made, and also the most rewarding.  Pattern Sedona Star by Sarah Vedeler Designs.  Quilted on a home machine."

The quilt won Best of Show & the Governor's Award!

Congratulations, Norma, on a beautiful quilt & beautiful work of art!

Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, VT

Take one more trip to Burlington, Vermont with me & visit Church Street Marketplace - a pedestrian-friendly section of the downtown.


As the sign says the "gem in the Crown of the Queen City of Burlington."






So many white steeples!

This "gem" was opened in 1981.












Home of Ben & Jerry's - Peace, Love & Ice Cream!!

Many street eateries . . . 

 performers & artists !!

We especially enjoyed a young lady sharing her violin music.  Wish I had taken a picture of her; a very talented little gal indeed!

Vermont Quilt Festival, 2015 - Essex Junction, VT

Four-Block Grape Applique

 So on we went to the evening preview of the Vermont Quilt Festival complete with Champagne & Chocolates!  Superb!  And add quilts to that - beyond superb!

One building houses the antique quilts; the other all the show quilts with the winners & their ribbons!  Of course, I head to the antique quilts & begin snapping pictures.

I first want to give credit to the VQF booklet which gives these vivid explanations of the quilts themselves.  Words within " " are taken from the brochure. 

I love this Four-Block Grape Applique with its "exquisite applique & quilting, embroidered grapevine tendrils, slightly stuffed grapes, thin vines & stems.  Circa 1850"

Peony with Tree Border

Peony with Tree Border - Many of the old quilts were held for good use only & remain in superb condition such as this quilt to the right.  I was amazed with the colors so bright & true on this one.  Circa 1860  

Prince's Feather with Swag & Tassel Border

 Prince's Feather with Swag & Tassel Border -  This quilt is "believed to be from Maryland & has exquisite, detailed quilting including feathers.  Circa 1850"

Massachusetts Circle Stars

 Massachusetts Circle Stars has "190 small circle star blocks.  From a distance there is an interlocking diamond design in the center of the quilt. Circa 1870"

Close-up of the Circle Stars

                             

Close-up of Scrappy Irish Chain

                                                                  Scrappy Irish Chain -

I think this is very interesting!  "During the last half of the 19th century, there were competitions to see who could make a quilt with the most pieces.  


This New Jersey Irish chain quilt has a wonderful variety of dime-sized pieces.  Circa 1870"

Scrappy Irish Chain

Pineapple Stars Circa 1890

        Pineapple Stars -

"This two-sided quilt has an early 1880's log cabin variation top & a later circa 1890 scrappy backing.  The color placement creates stars when seen from a distance.  In a center block, the maker has placed initials & the year 1882.  Circa 1890"

Come back on Monday & I will show you the winner at VQF 2015!

On to the Shelburne Museum!

A quilter cannot visit Vermont without going to the Shelburne Museum!  That would just not be right!  And enjoy our day there - we did!


The New England atmosphere, architecture, & history draws you in to the beauty of the state.  Just walking the grounds takes you back in time.  


We explored many of the buildings, but, of course, our main interest was the quilts! 

There are far too many quilts in the museum's collection to display them all, so only a few are able to be viewed at a time.  

Of course, that gives us reasons to go back again some day!

So, here is the building that houses the quilts!

The antique quilts are displayed on the walls like pages of a book bound in glass on front & back.

And with every one, I am amazed that they could achieve such beauty & accuracy so long ago with the tools they had to use.

Nine Pinwheels Quilt known to come from Long Island, New York; maker unknown.

Simple, but so intricate in red & green! And the colors have faded so perfectly!

Doesn't this one look just like rows of candy pieces!  

And how did she get those sawtooths around the circles to meet so exactly!  It just amazes me!

 Truly a work of art is this one!

Sometimes I just gaze at a quilt & think "never in a million years for me!" 

I would never get this one finished, I'm sure!  So beautiful!  

Here I took the picture of the corner only in order to see the blocks & border in detail.  

I was intrigued with the colors combined here. A fuschia pink, orange & green - just three colors into repeated blocks - Wow!  Perhaps the pink was red to begin with - do you think?

Another one that I would probably never get finished!  Finished - heck, I'd probably never get it started!  Shall we count the little circles alone - 16 pink + 24 green in each block!

 I had to take a closeup of this to show you the bias plaid little border!  

Isn't it neat what it adds to the whole quilt!

And this Cathedral Window has quite a statement in one of the blocks.   In the center, see the white block with the red hatchet!

Below the hatchet, it reads 
"mother-in-law"  Oh, no!  I'm sure that does not mean all MIL's!  I know some pretty sweet ones.

This last quilt for today is my favorite!  It drew me back time after time.  Maybe it's the colors - my favorites! For sure the gold!

But I think it's the simplicity of the design, too.

This one is also in the museum book "Art of the Needle" by Henry Joyce; Bias Pomegranate Quilt; maker unknown.  What a shame we don't know who made this beauty. 

Place of origin is even unknown; probably made mid-19th century.

The steamboat Ticonderoga is housed at the museum & is open for tours.

I walked through it & enjoyed the experience immensely.  Do not miss it when you visit the Shelburne.

And a beautiful red round barn completely restored to all it's glory.

That's all for today!

Vermont Beckoned to Me . . . & so we went . . . Bernie & I!

Yes, Vermont & a dear friend Sue Ashe beckoned for 5 years & finally I went! Plush green Vermont has it all -- green woods & mountains, trickling brooks & creeks, maple trees & sugar shacks, quilts & shops on the green, quilt shows, Church Street Marketplace, & on & on. . . thoroughly enjoyable.

Sue is celebrating her 25th year of business with her shop Country Treasures; notice the SALE for the celebration.   Just as she described that in Vermont, the old buildings from the 1800's have many additions, so it is at her shop, as it outgrew the space, they simply added another building.  Over 8,000 bolts insulate the walls at Country Treasures. . . a quilt shopper's paradise!  It looks small, but it reaches a long way back down the alley!

And notice the beautiful old building down the green  - an old hotel & inn, The Fullerton Inn & Restaurant.   We enjoyed lunch on the open front porch.  

Did I say that the weather was simply beautiful every day we were there.  It was showing off just for us, I'm sure!

Here is our little rental KIA parked in front of her cabin in the woods . . . 












Here we walk down to the brook that runs along the back of the cabin . . . 

And here is the brook &, of course, stepping stones & maple trees.  


And all the time you hear the babble of the brook - what a peaceful place!

Sue shows us the holes where the maple tree has been drilled! 

She does it all & is so enthusiastic about her Sugar Shack!  

Yes, she really makes her own maple syrup from her own maple trees.

I had to have a picture of her in her father's flannel shirt!  See the sign at the top of the door reads "Sue's Sugar Shack!"

We had a ball, Sue, & thanks again for all your hospitality & the education on sugaring!

Now, you must come to Iowa some day !!