Tink Tank: Quilt Odyssey 2012

Warning: Picture heavy post.

It's been a few years since I last went to the Quilt Odyssey. The last time I had plans to go I got stuck in traffic so bad my Mom got all the way from San Antonio to Houston (180+ miles) before I even got out of DC (20+ miles). I was so disgusted I swore I wouldn't bother again, but after a few years, I really started to miss it.

So, back in March I jumped on the registration and booked a room at The Annville Inn. I wanted the SigO to come along and I wanted a nice place for us to hang out when I wasn't at the show or in a class. This B&B is perfect and will be my hotspot whenever I'm in that area going forward. The room had the requisite jacuzzi and fireplace. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: "Fireplace in July? Are you nuts?!" But it's a four season fireplace - meaning it's not real fire, just pretty, pretty lights that kind of looks like fire and in the warm season you don't turn on the heating unit. Very 'mantic. The Inn had a theater. Yeah, I know, right? The room has a 64" TV and nice squishy recliners. The owners have decorated it with movie posters and cut-outs of movie characters. It was really cute. And, of course, there was a game room; although this game room was a lot more tricked out than most and came complete with a billiards table. The grounds were very nice. They've put in several gardens, including this rose garden

and this sunken garden.

Also, the view from the back was magnificent.

And last and absolutely not least, they had a conditioned pool. By conditioned I mean it was nice and cool when it was broiling outside, and nice and cozy when it was chilly out. Which, when you spend as much time in it as we did, is quite essential as we were in it both day and night. And you would be too if this was your view:

Rowr!

We arrived at the Inn Thursday right around 4:00 and jumped in the pool as soon as possible. And stayed in said pool until time to go to dinner. Theresa (our hostess) had booked us a reservation at the BlueBird Inn that serves typical tavern food. We had a hell of a time picking from so many yummy, sinful choices, but we broke one of our rules and both ordered the same thing -- meatloaf and mash potatoes. I know what you're thinking - who goes out to eat for meatloaf and mash potatoes, but it was scrumptious. The meatloaf was made with beef, veal, and pork and both the meat and the taters were covered in a gravy made from an Indian Pale Ale. Quite yummy, take my word for it. After dinner, we went back to the Inn and watched The Village in the theater, then stayed up past midnight playing scrabble. My memory of this is that I won. SigO might remember differently if he had any memory of it at all. Snicker. That's what some good wine will do for you.

Friday I went to my class while poor SigO stayed behind to work. My class was meh at best. The course description was learning how to design log cabin quilts. We're not talking plain old log-cabin. George Siciliano is somewhat well known for his log cabin quilts and they're anything but traditional. Here are some samples of his work:

So, I was excited to learn how to figure out cool designs like he does. Instead, he gave us a bunch of papers with different log cabin patterns, had us cut out all the patterns and then told us to just use our imaginations to figure out some fun combinations. Nothing about how to actually make a design. For example, it might have been helpful for some pointers on which pattern combinations created which shapes and figures. Or the best combinations he'd found in his experience. Something. Some guidance of some sort. Not just, "here. go for it." I mean honestly, I can teach that. So, that was a bit disappointing. Also, one of the vendors I was really hoping to see in the vendor mall didn't come this year, so that was a let down, but luckily two others I do like a lot were there, and as one of my favorites is moving to the west coast and will no longer have a booth at Quilt Odyssey, I'm glad I was able to catch her this year. I also splurged on a new iron. This is one of those awesome steam irons that irons 1,000 layers in one shot. Yeah, I'm exaggerating, but it's a nice iron.

After class, SigO and I were back in the pool up until time to go to dinner again. This time, Theresa had made us reservations at Devon's. That was an exceptional meal, let me tell you. SigO started with a lobster bisque that I truly thought was better than what we get up in Maine. I started with Oysters Rockefeller paired with a Sauvignon Blanc. Very nice. He had steak with a side of asparagus for his main course. I had steak and scallops with a side of grilled artichoke with a parmesan sauce and a side of lobster mac-n-cheese. Yum Yum! Those steaks were perfectly done too. We both paired our main course with a Meritage. For dessert I had a banana-peanut butter crepe with rootbeer sorbet. SigO was too full, but I did force him to take a bite of mine as it was too good to not at least taste. Both this restaurant and the Bluebird Inn will be on the venue next time we go.

After dinner, it was back to the inn and back in the pool. That was sheer heaven, because we got to watch a storm off in the distance and got a little drizzle. Why is it so wonderful to get rained on while you're in a pool? We stayed out there well into the night, then went back to the room and soaked in the jacuzzi for a while. Honestly, how could you beat this weekend?

Well, let's not forget the main reason I go to Quilt Odyssey. The quilts. Here is a sampling of some of my favorites:

You can't tell here, but this is actually a miniature. Maybe 4" x 4".

This one is one of George's.

This one won an award - don't remember what, but it looks like a little piece of Delft to me.

So did this on - the back on this one was as spectacular as the front.

This one won best in show. There are words around the border - the words to the Declaration of Independence.

I don't usually like red and yellow together, but thought this was nicely done.

This one is reverse applique. It's hard to tell from the pic, but all the places in white are the background fabrics. In person, it looked like seed pods.