Big show, great time!

I was on the road earlier this month,

headed from Winnipeg to Des Moines, Iowa 

to attend the AQS show there

and see the exhibit of barn quilts

curated by Julie Sefton, author of  Build-a-Barn.

This is the first time I've been part of a big show like this

and I'm not embarrassed to say that I hung around the barn display

for a bit longer than necessary,

and engaged quite a few show-goers in conversation.

My quilt is at left with some of the other quilts

made by the Secret Society of Barn Quilters.

Well, we're not secret anymore!

Here's my quilt,

Back of the Back 40,

machine quilted by Chris Ballard.

I find these shows just a bit overwhelming in their quilty goodness.

It was fun to see friends' quilts in the amazing competition quilts.

like Lynne Tyler's chicken quilt,

which I watched her build from afar

and Julie's small word quilt with its inspirational message,

which I think was made from letters abandoned by Lynne.

And of course, the quilt that started the SSOBB:

See Rock City, made by Julie,

exhibited first at AQS Grand Rapids in 2013,

where I met Julie in person too!