Chronicles of Jenn, our Sunday Quilter:

Last Friday Jessica (our PhD in residence) and I drove to Burlington for the Vermont Quilt Festival.

Not being 65, and not having quilted purses, we were the undeniable underdogs of this massively busy expo hall.  The photo of Jessica in the entrance  shows that it was a little overwhelming. And that we were the only non-gray haired people there (ok, maybe not… ) Most of the quilts were traditional, with very few of the very modern kind. On the other hand, the vintage quilts felt very modern and graphic. We wandered through the rows inspecting, admiring, and discussing the quilts. There was a lot of “ooh I want to make one like that” going on.

We attended a demonstration of the Japanese art of embroidery called Sashiko, which E&A will be showcasing in a workshop in September.  The lovely exhibitor passed around samples and gave tips on the technique. It looked like fun so we both bought little Sashiko kits.

After being in the exhibit hall for about 5 hours we had had enough. We were all quilted out. Like I said to Jess, it was a bit like the day I spent in Paris where I went to the Louvre, the Musee D’Orsay, and the Pompidou! Of course that didn’t stop us from a little more fabric buying before dinner.

Jess knows Burlington quite well and took me to a greasy spoon Italian restaurant called Bove’s that was featured on The Best Meal I Ever Ate on the food network. I had a big bowl of garlic with a side of pasta and Jess had some cannelloni that came with a side of spaghetti and coleslaw. Bizarre but very tasty and cheap too!

After another scenic detour and a surprisingly fast border crossing we were home again. I think Jess would agree that we both got our quilting mojo back after the trip!