OEQC

Last week the Mister and I went to the Open European Quilting Championships in Veldhoven, a two and a half hour drive from our home. And right next to the city where my in-laws live, so we went to see them too.
We went the night before the opening, because I had to deliver a quilt to Michael Oakshott who wanted to hang it in his shop there. Perhaps it's a bit silly that I did not take a picture of that. I was ever so proud, but did not want to be über proud (which is considered a bad thing in some households).
But you know the one: brown and beige strips + circular quilting: easy to make, great result!

Our entrance was through the hotel (we'd slept there) where we had to buy a ticket in a small hall as if we were on our way to the toilets! Then we came into a room (not big) where 2 ladies were spinning. No not on a bike, I mean making a thread from sheepwool.
We both thought: where ARE we? This is not what we'd expected!
This is a European Championship!
We walked through the room and saw a bigger and much more lighter room: the big hall where approximately 500 quilts were hanging. We stepped in and my husband said after a while:
You can close your mouth now!
I felt like a real country girl for a moment: I have never been to a big exhibition like this!
Here's an impression:

There are more impressions on You Tube (OEQC 2012), here on Shulamit Ron from Israel, here on quilts from Italy and here on quilts from the USA and here one on Reiko Kato, from Japan. I have to warn you: they play the same kind of music in all these films!

I have posted a selection of my 110 photographs on this blog, have a look; there would just be too many pictures in this blog. There's so much to share!

As so many women there, I probably bought too much. Although I have to say I bought a free motion quilting bobbin holder for my Janome and a walking foot with a special 1/4" foot thingy too.

Will someone please tell me what this is called in English (that metal plate)? I have a number of dictionaries but none of them name all the details of a sewing machine. I bought this one to stop the fabric from getting eaten by my machine: this one has a small hole where the thread goes through (up and down).

And yes, I bought fabric too: this is the only bundle I could not resist. It's a fat 8th bundle of youknowwho and only for sale (then) in Veldhoven. When I came home I regretted not buying the fat quarter bundle, because they're  sooo beautiful:

RUBY

I've been racking my brain on what to make with them: a miniquilt like the second one on this page.
That would be totally out of my comfort zone, but soooo lovely. I also like this one which is a less wonky. It's the wonky bit that scares me, it does.
I hope I can let you see a design some time this week.

At the end, when we'd been walking from 10 till 4, the Mister asked me which one I liked best.
That was very, very difficult. These two definitely are in my top 3, and the colours are so much more beautiful than on this picture. Both by Shulamit Ron from Israel. These quilts will hang in the synagogue on the Day of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur.

Hope to see you again this week, not just with a sketch or pattern or inspiration for the RUBY bundle, but I will also have a surprise for you (a giveaway for everyone)!