Omaha Quilters' Guild Quilt Show 2012 - "A Piece Rally"

Here is one more post from my recent prize-winning AccuQuilt trip...I know the others have been a little lengthy, so I will do my best to keep this one short and sweet and let the photographs do the talking.....but I just had to share about my visit to the Omaha Quilters' Guild Quilt Show. I was able to attend this special event after the Barn Quilt Unveiling last Friday - it was held at the LaVista Conference Center, just down the road from AccQuilt's new headquarters.The show itself was quite impressive and I enjoyed leisurely walking the aisles and aisles of breathtaking quilts. The bright colored carpet and the lighting in the building made it a bit of a challenge for photography, so the colors may be a bit off - but as we all know, photographs never do this form of art justice...and you can click on any of the photos to get a closer look at the details. Let me start by showing you the big award winners....

Best of Show
New Year's Dragon - Sandy Bernasek

Best Hand Quilting
Blue Birds and Blooms - Leslie Halbleib

Best Machine Quilting/Large
Starry Path - Carol Nish

Best Machine Quilting/Small
Victorian Floral - Karen Hradec

Visual Impact
Georgia - Merna Bowman

Judge's Choice
Let's Ride - Judy Unrein
The embellishments on this piece are amazing - check out the feathers in the witch hats...

Best Scrap
Pieces of Dear Jane - Patty Kennedy

Best First Quilt Entry
Twisted Bargello - Greta McClellan

Aren't ALL the quilts you have seen so far AMAZING?! Well, now I have to share with you some of my personal favorites...although I could see the beauty and craftsmanship in each and every quilt on display (the entire show was stellar), these next few quilts all spoke to me and had a little something special....

First Place Professionally Machine Quilted/Bed
Lollypop Trees - Lorraine Stenoish
This was incredible in person - bright and cheerful!

First Place Bed Quilt, Hand Quilted
Nebraska Winter - Susie Jorgensen
The quilt front is wool and it is backed/binded with flannel - LOVELY!

First Place Professionally Machine Quilted, Kit or BOM
From The Heart - Dorothy Lange
BEAUTIFUL center medallion applique...
and a wonderful assortment of 6 1/2" blocks....

Honorable Mention Professionally Machine Quilted/Bed
Wildflower Sampler - Barbara Wagner

....and here is my VERY FAVORITE QUILT of the show - I absolutely adored this - I love the whimsical houses and trees around the the border...and ALL the circles you see in the pieced center and on the trees are yo-yos that are hand appliqued in place. I know this photo does not do it justice...if you click on it to see the enlargement, you can see a little more detail...

Second Place Bed, Mixed Technique, Machine Quilted
Sew Many Yo-yos - Karen Hradec

There was also a lot of great shopping at this event - the merchant mall was extensive....and I think I found my new favorite quilt designer! I fell in love the second I walked into the Cozy Quarters booth (Quilt and Applique Designs by Phyllis Paul). OMG - I could have bought every single kit/pattern she had in her booth - her style is so very "me"....she does a beautiful job of embellishing each design - adding wool and beautiful details - every single quilt was a treasure....and she had the best miniature quilts. Not only was her booth warm and inviting, but her quilt kit packaging is WONDERFUL - she does the most unique packaging for each of her kits...I was blown away by her creativity! Phyllis was kind enough to let me take a few photos in her booth to share with you...she was just delightful (I wonder if she needs a new best friend?). I purchased two kits while in her booth (and let me tell you - I had a hard time narrowing down my selection...but after almost a week in quilt heaven, I had to show some restraint!). I already have two kits picked out to purchase from her online shop for gifts...and well, I could buy her whole entire collection for me...

The two kits I purchased...
The "Tiny Baskets" kit is in (what else) a tiny basket...
and the "A New Day" kit is in an a small black gift bag
embellished with a strip of the focus fabric and a wool flower.
ADORABLE!

So there you have it - some of my favorite things from the 2012 Omaha Quilters' Guild Show...I must remember to put a visit on my list for 2013...I'm sure it will be worth the 2-hour drive. For more information, visit the Omaha Quilters' Guild website at http://www.omahaquiltersguild.org/.