Four days in Paducah

It is amazing what items you can find at a show like Paducah that you didn't realize you can not live without. I found these beautiful fabrics that screamed at me to get because there was the perfect quilt waiting to be made that needed them. I found the multicolor fabric at a place called Angie's that I bought and I was still an hour from Paducah. Much of the time in Paducah was spent trying to find the perfect pieces to got with it. The background was finally found in about the 5th from the last booth in the show. Then, of course, there was the trip to Hancock's once we finally got to Paducah that had the most beautiful batiks and once again I found screaming fabric that must be purchased to make that special quilt.

Then there were the hand-dyes that were harder to pass up than ice cream at the Silver Dipper, so, of course, I didn't pass on them. I can just envision beautiful applique roses made from the pinks.

Always on the lookout for batik backgrounds, I found these unusual pieces, the light background with blushes of dusty pink and gray/blue, which I think will go with many of the stash batiks I have. The yellowish wheat batik was a real find for me, very different from most batiks I've seen.

Finally, I had to have a few necessities for the long-arm business. First, I bought a magnifying glass that fits just above the needle so I can see to do those intricate background fills. Next, I bought some snap-on side clamps to help hold quilts more evenly. Lastly, I bought some clamp-on handles that let me use different muscles for quilting so I can perhaps cut down on all the stress in my shoulders. Though I choked on the $200 price tag, in the long run, I think I'll benefit a great deal from them. The 4 days away from quilting has improved the shoulder quite a bit and I actually slept last night with no pain at all. Thanks to all who have kept checking up on me as I heal from this tendonitis.

Now I'm on to quilting the quilt from England and quilts from the sweet ladies from Alabama for their bi-annual qult show in June.