NLQG at the League of NH Craftsmen's Fair

We found Tent H just as the team was there opening the tents for the morning. We moved right in and started setting up, we were ready about 5 minutes before the fair opened at 10:00. The raffle quilt, on its stand, was secured just inside the right side of the tent. The clothes line was threaded around the supports for the tent and we found 15 perfect pinwheel quilts and "blanketed" (pun intended) the walls and cross braces in the middle of the tent with our quilts. Three tables were set up, one for sewing and two for activities.

Barbara G. had prepared hundreds of solid colored half squares for two pinwheel block options. Spectators were invited to design a block that would be sewn into a quilt that just might be next year's raffle quilt. Many took pictures of their creation and discussed plans to return. One young woman used teal and purple, the colors of her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. The half squares donated by Betsy E and squared up by folks at Monday Sew Togethers were used to encourage people of all ages to create a pinwheel or other 4-patch of their choice.

Barbara and Stephanie, with the assistance of Becky, sewed them together making dozens of 4" quilt coasters the designers could take home with them. Bobbe kept this busy table organized while inviting people to share their favorite color and design their own piece. She might have even slipped a little color theory into the conversations. We found an additional use for the clothespins in our supplies when the wind occasionally blew through.

Karen S's colorful magnetic puzzle was enjoyed by people of all ages. It was almost a shame to dismantle it at the end of the day. Our I-Spy raffle quilt was admired by many, but only a few tickets were sold. The people most likely to purchase tickets were men.

We found people of all ages, from the toddlers interested in the really big pinwheels at the entrance to the tent, to young children with a parent or grandparent, to young independents, to quilters and quilt admirers who designed their own blocks to be captivated in the creative aspects of quilting. We received some unofficial feedback that ours was the most well attended, active demonstration at the fair.

The fair food of choice at our tent was the hot apple crisp a la mode from the tent just a few steps away. It was a full day that kept going until the fair closed at 5pm. Be thinking about what we can do next year and be ready to sign up, "first come, first served" next year.

At 8:30, Saturday, August 11 when the gate guard saw two carloads of women rolling toward him with a sewing machine on wheels, two wagons loaded with supplies, and three large totes as well as several large, colorful bags and two gigantic pinwheels, he just waved us on in. We could come back later for the official entry badges. He could tell we were there for business.