AQS Lancasater Show

[This is Jeweled Garden, by DEborah Kembell of Quebec, Canada. It won 3rd place in the Wall Quilt Division]

I've just read my mailing from the American Quilters Society which lists the winners at the Lancaster, PA show and has links to pictures of all the winning quilts. Here is the link to their mailing: http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/lancaster/2010/quilt_contest/quilt_winners.php?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AQS%20On%20Point%20Issue%2020 -- I wish I knew how to do that the short way with just one word but readers can copy this

[This is "Vases" by Susan Marshall of Clayton, MD which won Best Hand Workmanship]

I am amazed at the extreme amount of work -- surely thousands of hours total, maybe hundreds of thousands -- that went into making these quilts. They are enormously complex, some simply boggle the mind of anyone has any idea how long it must have taken these quilters to make their quilts. AQS is known for showing quilts that are what I'd called "contemporary traditional" -- that is, most are not art quilts -- the only well know art quilter who was a winner in this show is Carol Taylor. But the winners are artists in the sense of having wonderful eye for harmony and grace in both design and color choices. I cannot see workmanship in the photos which show the entire quilt but I have no doubt that in all cases the workmanship is superior to superb. I would have loved to have seen that show, these are spectacular and I'm sure many other quilts in the show were also.

If one browses the magazine racks you will discover many articles about quick methods, directions for "quilt in a weekend" and so on. What a dichotomy! Why are all those magazine editors emphasizing quickie work? Haven't they looked at these shows? Don't they realize that some people like a challenge and a long term goal? No, of course not everyone. People have to start somewhere but a little challenge would be a nice thing too.