Vermont Quilt Festival

Vermont Quilt Festival

I recently attended Vermont Quilt Festival.  If you are a quilter, and in the New England area, it should be a goal.  They are, as their website attests, the oldest and largest quilting event in New England.

The festival started in 1977, in Northfield, VT as a one day event.  Within 4 years, it was being held at Norwich University, the oldest private military academy in the US, and had expanded into a multi-day event that included classes and lectures.

The picture above is of the academy.  I first attended the show with my mom in the 1990’s.  The festival offered accommodations on the campus in the form of bunk rooms, usually occupied by the cadets.  ‘Spartan’ is the word that comes to mind.  There were two shared bathrooms on each floor, and no air conditioning.  You brought your own bedding.  Experienced attendees also brought a fan.  We used to joke that no matter when the show was held, it was sure to be the hottest weekend of the year. As a mom with 5 children, it was a special treat to be able to get away for a couple of days.

I think I may be the only quilter who misses those days!

Now, the festival is held at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction.  From the beginning, the official kick-off for the show is the Champagne and Chocolate preview on Thursday evening.

How delightful!

While I was there, I saw a quilt by a quilter I know!  The quilt below was made by 

Mary Wade.

You can see all of the show winners here. Click on each of the links on this page to see large pictures of each of the quilts.  Spectacular~