Prequel: Ohio State Fair Quilts

Hi, it’s Cindy, reporting to you from Ohio!

I recently joined the Central Ohio Modern Quilt Guild.  This year, one of the guild’s community projects was to hang the quilts that have been entered in the Ohio State Fair’s quilt show/competition.  So…last Saturday, we were at the fairgrounds getting ready for opening day at the fair.

One of my favorite rides is the Sky Glider because it transports people from one end of the fairgrounds to the other end.  It moves slow and you get to look down and enjoy all the sites from a bird’s eye view.  It’s right outside the quilt building…can’t you just hear the vendors yelling “Free Drinks!!!”

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Anyway, back to quilting…wow!  I had no idea how much time and effort it takes to set up for a quilt show.

Step 1:  The black curtains are hung on metal and plastic pipes, anchored to metal poles and wide metal plates on the floor.  Whew!  This step was complete when we arrived!

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Step 2:  Well, this is actually Step 1…I recruited my husband to help us!  Some of the poles holding the black curtains were a bit “wobbly” shall we say?  He got the hammer and fixed them for us!

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Step 3:  These heavy duty, expandable poles were fed through the hanging sleeves on the back of the quilts.  The poles are then attached to the joints between the metal curtains.  Now I understand why the hanging sleeves have to be a certain depth, these poles are big!

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Step 4:  Decide which quilts get hung where!  Here is the guild quilt entry, just waiting for fair goer admiration!

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I hope to get back to the fair to see which quilts won ribbons.  There were so many beautiful quilts, what an inspiring Saturday!

3 thoughts on “Prequel: Ohio State Fair Quilts

  1. piecefulwendy says:

    Our quilt group has a quilt show every two years, and it is a lot of work to get it set up (but so much fun). “Many hands make light work” really comes into play, and makes doing those difficult tasks so much more fun. Enjoy the fair!

  2. rl2b2017 says:

    Hi Cindy! I have never volunteered to help set up a quilt show, but I can only imagine the work involved. Almost as much work in the take down, only no decisions needed about where to hang it, etc. Maybe that makes it much quicker to take down. Very cool! Happy Monday! ~smile~ Roseanne

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