In mid-September, I lectured for the Northwest Quilting Connection. This group includes members from the northwestern part of WA and southern British Columbia. They meet five times a year and rotate the location of their meetings within their area. About 50 people attended my lecture and they gave me a wonderful welcome. I was fortunate to spend the night before the lecture with a member, Pat Thompson, in her lovely home up on the hill overlooking Mount Vernon and the Skagit flats. Pat gave me permission to share some of her beautiful quilts with you.

I slept in the bed with the blue and white antique quilt at the foot and Pat’s matching wall hanging – the odd shapes at the sides of the picture are lamps! Pat made the gorgeous Crown of Thorns quilt hanging over her bed. She contributed to the one on the bed made by members of the Northwest Quilting Connection for a raffle fund raiser and much to her delight, she won it! It was machine quilted by Gretchen Monti.

Pat made this quilt, It’s a Good Start!”, using the fracturing technique and Trudy Arnold machine quilted it before the beaded embellishment was added. Pat took a class from Tom Atkins who taught the beading techniques. “It’s a good start” was what Tom said when he saw the quilt in class, and so it was named! The photo doesn’t do justice to the incredible beading on that amazing flower.

The pictorial quilt depicts the a fishing village in Ribesella on the north coast of Spain in the Basque country. Pat began this in a class taught at Asilomar by Hilde Moran. On the right is Curves in all the Right Places, which hangs over Pat’s fireplace. Pat utilized hand-dyed fabrics by Elin Noble. She embellished with couched yarn, ribbon and beads, The border is pieced with thin slivers of curves in the blocks.

I couldn’t resist including a picture of Pat’s wonderful collection of antiquities – irons, sewing machines, quilts and quilt tops. Her dining room and living room were covered in baskets filled with fabric, books and other quilting goodies – over 160, for which she apologized before I arrived! Pat is responsible for the silent auction fund raiser at the upcoming La Conner Quilt Festival from 3rd to 5th of October. Funds go to operating and maintenance costs of the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum. Quilt Fest is always a feast for the eyes. This juried show includes all kinds of textile art, not just quilts and entries are submitted from all over the world. Please support this if you are able, and enjoy this outstanding show.