My Visit to the Quilt Show Reno while discovering history and talent in the Remote CA Desert
When your mother’s birthday lands on the same weekend as a huge Quilt Show in Reno, Nevada… your destiny is written. So, last week I hopped on a plane and headed for the desert!
Quilt Show Reno
The Quilt Show Reno did not disappoint. In fact, (bad Ribbit) I got so wrapped up in everything happening that I forgot to take pictures! In retrospect, that’s probably a good thing. That means we were all fully engaged in the show and what we were learning and experiencing. The ladies definitely did not disappoint.
Throughout the day there were several lectures on the main stage given by vendors throughout the show. We caught one on embellishing your bags and how to add ‘bling’ but my favorite was given by one of the ladies from “A Couple of Old Broads” quilt shop. Don’t you just LOVE that name!? Her lecture was fabulous. She showed us all the secrets of using colored pencils to color on your fabric and use Textile Medium to seal it in.
I just love the way the colored pencils on her quilts almost give them an ‘old timey’ feel.
Amazingly, I was able to come away from the show without breaking the bank. Honestly, I’m not sure how that happened exactly. Surrounded by all the pretty fabric and patterns I just kept reminding myself that everything I buy I have to somehow get back home. Having a small suitcase apparently comes in handy. 😊
I did, however, purchase a few cutey petooty frog patterns. One has a pocket in the back which will be perfect for keeping control of my remote control. When I’m sewing, I’m constantly moving the darn thing out of my way. So, when Netflix rudely interrupts and asks if I’m still watching (No, I’m listening while I sew, duh!) I can never remember the last place I moved the remote to. Now, hopefully I’ll remember to keep putting it back in the frog. See, frogs are great for many purposes!
The second frog pattern I picked up is actually a kit. He is purely decorative and makes me happy. After all, the more things around us that make us happy, the better. I simply can’t wait to get home and put him together!
After browsing through all the fabulous vendor booths and talking with a few of the local Guilds being represented, we wandered through all of the quilts on display. The talent represented at the Quilt Show Reno was simply amazing!
The Prince wall was one of my favorite displays in the Quilt Show Reno. In 2018 Cherrywood Designs held a contest where quilters were asked to make mini quilts inspired by Prince’s music. They all used the same fabrics to make the same size quilts. They received quilts from all over the world and the results in this travelling exhibit would make the Artist proud!
Note to self: never ask my sister to take a picture of me with my phone. Her pictures are like potato chips, she can never take just one. As we were leaving the show I realized that I hadn’t gotten a picture in front of the sign. So, I dutifully handed my phone to my sister and asked her to take a quick pic to share with you all. Meet my sister, Arianna.
Side Trips are the Best trips
After the Quilt show ended my parents and I decided to test out their new motorhome with a quick overnight trip down to Lone Pine, California. If you’ve never been, it’s a tiny little desert town located in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s about 4 hours south of Reno. If you are ever travelling in this area may I recommend you add this to your itinerary. The views alone are spectacular!
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think the pillows I made for the motor home are the perfect accent in the kitchen table area!
History in the california desert
About 20 miles outside of Lone Pine we stopped at the Manzanar Historical Site. The Manzanar War Relocation Center is one of the ten camps that held Japanese Americans and resident Japanese aliens during WWII. Many of them came from near my families home town on Bainbridge Island in Washington State.
Locked behind the fences of Manzanar, the Japanese people found a way to thrive. Among the despair of their situation, many of them found a way to bring a bit of joy and positivity to their lives. The ladies built a spectacular garden near Block 14, complete with walking bridge and ponds. The guys formed their own baseball teams and held tournaments. One gentleman is quoted as saying at least they all had the “home team advantage.” Finding the best in any bad situation is a great reminder, at least to me, that no matter my struggles, things can always be worse.
In 1988, at the Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, a lady by the name of Hannah Takagi Holmes presented this wall hanging quilt to Sue Kunitomi Embrey. Hannah was born in 1927 and sent to Manzanar from Elk Gove with her parents and family. The beautiful hand made quilt looks to be made of wool, cotton and string. Standing in front of it you can truly see the love and emotion stitched into this piece.
I’m currently sitting here waiting to head to the airport for my trek home and reflecting on the last week’s adventures. The high desert of Reno, Nevada was my home for 10 years and I always enjoy coming back to visit. The dry air and beautiful mountain views always bring back fond memories. Now it’s time to head back to reality. But, as always, I’ll take back with me a little piece of all my adventures carefully tucked away for future inspiration!
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- Complete List of Quilt Shows
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- Tips for Planning your next Quilting Adventure
- Travel Tips for your next Road Trip
- Create a Realistic Road Trip Budget
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I love it when a blogger includes not only a quilt show but information about the surrounding area and adventures. I didn’t know about that there was a camp in that area. Makes me want to visit.
Thank you for the wonderful post with pictures.
I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures! I tend to take hundreds of pictures on every adventure. The camp is a very interesting place to visit. Humbling and frustrating and exciting all in one. Definitely worth the stop!
Looks like you had a blast at the quilt show! As a Certified Shopping Enabler, I have to tell you that your vendor shopping is NOT limited by the capacity of your suitcase. At AQS Paducah, there was a UPS guy on site shipping everyone’s goodies home in big boxes… Some ladies were shipping their dirty laundry home to make room for heavier things like Accuquilt dies in their suitcases. If you found yourself at a show that did not have UPS set up on site, the nearest UPS store is probably a short Uber trip away… 🙂
What a great idea for a show! Having a UPS guy on site would have been super handy. I must remember that little tip for my next quilting adventure! 😀