Kentucky Bound

Last Saturday, I woke up at 4...that's 4am!...and prepared to do something completely outside my comfort zone!  I drove to Nashville and ....  well, I got there early and took a small detour to Woodland graveyard to visit my Grandparents grave sites.  It seemed appropriate, my grandmother would have loved what I was about to do.  Then I drove to 100 Oaks Mall (a place my mom, grandmother, and I had spent many hours when I was younger) and met up with 4 ladies I had never met before.

Then....I got in the car with them and rode to Kentucky!  Paducah!

If you are a quilter, you know this is a special place.  A place my mom and I had talked of going many times...but never got the chance.  When I saw that the Music City Quilter's Guild was planning a trip there, I decided to join the group and for the first meeting travel with complete strangers to Paducah, KY.

I'll not lie....I thought about not going, turning around and heading back home before anyone knew I was even gone.  I could spend the whole day quilting, doing something comfortable, normal, safe.  I kept driving and cried most of the way.  I really didn't want to experience Paducah without Mom or complete strangers.

But Mom isn't here and strangers are only strangers until you introduce yourself and then they are friends.

Meet my new friends, Mary, Maria, Stefanie, and Trudy.

We are standing outside Quilter's Alley which was actually our second stop...well after lunch!  I got a pattern for a embroidery design that the owner had turned into an applique pattern.  I can't wait to try it out.

 They also had some lovely vintage quilts and some more modern quilts on display.

 Our first stop, of course, was at Hancock's.  It was my first time there, but it brought back so many memories of other Hancock's that my mom took me in for years.  There was so much material it was hard to know where to start.

 I decided to just walk the isles and ran across so many fun pieces.  I got some browns/whites to do a log cabin with, farm patterns for Adam, and Sally loves pin--up girls.

A special treat was visiting Quilt in a Day quilt shop.  Mom had every one of Eleanor Burns' books....well most of them.  When Mom was sick, one of those books was her "table" for her meals.  She would have loved going to the shop.

Then our final stop was the National Quilt Museum.  Oh, I wish I could have taken pictures.  No words can describe how beautiful the quilts were.  I wanted to touch them so bad!

Heading home, we stopped at Patti's Settlement for supper.  Mary had been trying to finish up a quilt binding and was finished when we stopped.  I love the back of the quilt and the colors she used.

Waiting to be seated at Patti's, I saw this sign.  He is the best Friend to travel with.  It was a wonderful day, I saw beautiful things, and made new friends.

Tomorrow I must quilt!!!