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~
