Quilt Festival in France

Patchwork Festival Fun!

While we lived in Texas, and the last time I visited America, I got to go to the Houston International quilt festival almost every year.  I admit that I have become a bit spoiled since the Houston Festival is just incredible   It is always a great time, and I love going with my mother (and sometimes even my sister), but it just wasn't happening this year.  Houston is great, but there are some incredible quilt festivals all over the world.  Because I live in Europe, I want to take advantage of at least some of the wonderful quilt festivals that they offer here.  This year, I got to go to the Carrefour European du Patchwork Festival in France.  It was a blissful two days filled with fabric, notions, vendors, and other men and women who share my love of all things sewing and crocheting.

It is an interesting show, because it is separated out between different locations in four different towns.  I started out in Sainte Marie-aux-Mines.  Each location featured a different category of quilts.

A church offered a selection of Canadian quilts, the geology museum featured mini quilts, the theater displayed antique quilts, the list went on and on.   You would walk to each location, and then could catch the shuttle to each different town.

I loved this quilt so much.  It's by Inge Hueber of Germany, and it is made with the seam allowance showing on the right side.  The way that she did the color wash here is just gorgeous.

I never knew that seam allowances could look so good.

The vendors were also amazing!  I even won some Aurifil thread!  And I might have picked up a few FQs and other little tidbits from vendors all over Europe and even some from America.  I also got to play with some wonderful sewing machines.  I'm still trying to figure out how I can save up for an HQ sweet 16 (just on the table not as a longarm machine).  I don't know how my hubby would feel about it if he knew how much one costs.  I'd better start saving my pennies now :)

This festival was really well done and worth the trip for anyone thinking about going next year!  If you want to see some more of my trip photos, feel free to visit my Flickr page.