A Quilt Show in The Bahamas...

Fourteen members of Country Road Quilters, our Ocala, Florida, quilt guild, went on a cruise recently. Our main reason for choosing the Carnival Fascination out of the Port of Jacksonville was because the itinerary would take us to Nassau, Bahamas, to attend the annual Stepping Stone Quilters' show. We were delighted by the variety of quilt styles and techniques displayed by this talented group. While it's a small group of about 20, the guild members manage to hang more than 60 new quilts every year. Here's just a sample of what we saw. I've got lots more to show you, including some of the Viewer's Choice winners. It was hard to choose a favorite from the many beautiful quilts like this one. Bright, happy colors abound in the Star-within-a-Star quilt, above. It was made by quiltmaker Irene Knowles.

Also by Irene, "Going Overboard with Androsia" is made using some of the hand-printed and hand-dyed fabrics from Androsia Batiks on the Island of Andros. The fabric company is known for designs inspired by nature, sea and plant life of the Bahamas.  You can see some of the batiked designs in the detail photo below- turtle, shells, fish- done in clear, bright colors.

This quilt which combines piecing and applique is a fund-raiser made by the group members.

One feature of the show which everyone enjoyed was the guild boutique. The group offered grab bags, totes, purses, knitted items, notecards, and notions. The striking Churn Dash quilt hung on the wall behind the boutique. More photos of this wonderful quilt show coming soon. What a treat it was to see and appreciate the work of The Stepping Stone Quilters! Everyone agreed that we need to visit here again.