Quilts in the Garden

Royal Botanical Gardens
Quilts in the Garden
Halton Quilters Guild 2013 Quilt Show

Another amazing quilt show was in store for myself and many others today,at the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton. It was the Quilts in the Garden Quilt Show, put on by the Halton Quilters Guild It's just a quick drive down the road for me, and a very nice day to be there.

Halton Quilters Guild
2013 Quilt Show

It must be said that this is one of the finest venues in which I have seen a quilt show. I've been to the RBG before to take in all the wonderful plant displays, usually in midwinter when I need a hit of greenery! And to see the wonderful light-filled atrium filled with plants and quilts, well, how much better could it be? The atrium displayed many of the award winners from the 2011 show, along with quite a number of vendors to pick up all those yummy quilt fabrics. I noticed that the lighting was really great, which you don't always get at a quilt show. This setting was a bonus for the SAQA Travelling Exhibit B, called This is a Quilt, showing 44 small quilts all made by members of the Studio Art Quilters Association. This link shows you the exact quilts I was admiring today. I really enjoyed this part.

Gerald Fagan in front of his
prized Bethlehem Star Quilt 

And that was just the atrium section of the RBG. There was more to come. As I worked my way deeper into the gardens, there were more vendors, the beautiful RBG gift shop, and finally the exhibit hall, with all of the fabulous large quilts, showing all their exquisite applique, piecing and quilting. I also enjoyed a presentation from Gerald Fagan, a prolific quilt collector who showed us some of his best antique quilts.

And you know that I like to entice you with a few detail shots from some of my favourite quilts that I saw today.

Come Fly With Me, detail
by Lynne McCulloch

Hollyhocks and Butterflies, detail
by Sheila Keating

England's Rose, detail
by Rosemary Makhan

Fall Splendour, detail
by Lynne Wood