National Smocking Month

February is National Smocking Month.



My Smocking Guild the Alley Cat Smockers put up two displays for this.





The first display was at the National Quilt Museum.

http://www.quiltmuseum.org/index.htm



If you are every near Paducah, KY this is a mandatory stop. The quilts are unbelievable. I am a traditionalist and prefer hand quilted-put on the bed quilts, but that doesn't stop me from studying the Fabric Arts quilts for hours.

I use to work here in another life. First as a volunteer in the galleries then as an assistant to the curator. The most fabulous thing about that is I got to touch the quilts!.....with white gloves of course.

The class rooms here at the museum are fantastic!. The lighting is great. There is enough plugs and electrical current to plug in 25 sewing machines, irons and anything else you want.

And the neatest thing is one wall is felt. This absorbs the noise and it makes a great place to stick your fabric pieces and be able to step back and study the color, contrast and the state of the universe. If you click on the link to the museum and go to the "Rent facility" you can see a picture of the class rooms.

Here is our display case that is in the lobby of the museum.

I have saved scraps from every dress I made my daughter. Yesterday while looking at the quilts I have made she asked me to make her a quilt. That's all the encouragement I need. Now to narrow down a design and find the time.