Two weeks ago Bob and I were headed to Kalispell, Montana. For a change of scenery, we drove past Libby Dam, and through the town of Eureka. Imagine my surprise when we discovered it was the Eureka Outdoor Quilt Show that very day!
See the girl in the yellow vest? She was part of the Quilt Police! I guess there really are Quilt Police.
There were more than 450 quilts displayed around town.
And Eureka isn’t a very big town.
But it sure is charming.
Great looking new buildings.
Lots of “Western” themed quilts in the show.
You’ll see another member of the Quilt Police in this photo. They were everywhere, but it wasn’t an unruly crowd, so they didn’t have much to do.
The quilts looked fabulous out in the sun.
I love this center medallion with the delectable mountain blocks around it.
There is a lot of work in the medallion quilt!
I recognize this Sunbonnet Sue and Sam quilts as having been made from an Eleanor Burns pattern. I did one myself years ago.
Tennessee Waltz is always impressive. You see curves even though there really aren’t any!
This quilter really achieved a “fractured” look with her choice of color placement.
The edge of this Double Four-Patch really adds interest to the design.
A pretty Picket Fence border here.
In my opinion, brights and black always look good together.
Hollyhocks and nighttime sky?
Lovely and interesting star quilt.
This block brought a smile to my face!
Another great center medallion block.
And another Tennessee Waltz.
I believe this Center Diamond quilt was done by an Amish woman from nearby Rexford, Montana.
Isn’t this unusual and pretty?
Believe it or not, this is a new quilt. The quilt maker really captured the feel of an old wool quilt.
Interesting Nine-Patch setting.
I love the use of color here.
Lovely cross stitch.
Look at the amazing hand quilting on this quilt.
And don’t you love the graphic design of the Jigsaw Puzzle quilts?
This Bow Tie quilt is newly made, but made from vintage feedsacks. It reminds me of my Tie One On quilt.
It’s amazing how graphic a simple Nine-Patch can look when set on point like this.
At the end of town is a public park filled with old buildings from the area.
They were ALL decked out with quilts.
The quilt at the top of the schoolhouse won the People’s Choice Award.
The old library.
It looked like a picture postcard!
Even the train station was decked out.
I think these two guys are doing their Lewis and Clark impression…”We proceeded on.”
There were quilts no matter what direction you looked.
It was a bit windy, but everything stayed secure.
Layers of quilt….
The irregular ends of the sashing strips on the Tulip Quilt are very interesting.
Hunter’s Star. I’m going to be teaching this at our Retreat this fall.
This Broken Star with Lillies is a stunner.
Of course I couldn’t resist the Thirties Sampler.
The Flying Geese sashings on this quilt are so nice–and the quilting is very special.
I’m a sucker for Pinwheel quilts.
This pile of quilts was in the General Store.
I was delighted to see Jackie Robinson at the show. This is just one of the quilts she had displayed.
This vintage Nine-Patch in a strippy setting looks like it was well loved and well used.
More Pinwheels. This time with an interesting alternate block setting.
I think String Quilts are my new favorites!
Fabulous Art Deco design.
After two hours of looking at quilts, I could have used a “Moosage,” but it was time to head down the road!























































10 Responses
August 19th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
How cool was that for you?? I have been to Eureka before and it is a cute little burg anyway, but those quilts really top it off, don’t they!! Very cool!
August 20th, 2010 at 1:38 am
Wow….I think that is better than Sisters, Oregon quilt show. I have been there a few times, and I think Eureka has it beat!!! Will have to put that on my list of Places to go. Thanks….
August 21st, 2010 at 2:29 pm
What a wounderful surprise for you to find. We went to the auction in Rexford a number of years ago. The quilts were wonderful but not many true Amish ones. I wanted to go up to Eureka so now we need to plan a trip. Do they have the show the same time each year?
August 22nd, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Wow! That is a spectacular sight, especially with all the old buildings in the park covered with quilts. I cannot comprehend the logistics of hanging 450 quilts outdoors. Truly amazing.
August 23rd, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Amazing! I’ve been longing to go out west to Montana and have read about the Eureka quilt show. Now I feel like I was there. Thank you. My family once lived near Martinsdale and I’d like to see it someday soon.
August 24th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
I can’t believe HOW MANY QUILTS there were in this little town!!!!! Beautiful idea hanging them from the little buildings in the park. SO FUN!
What a fun trip!
~kc
August 26th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Oh, that brings back memories of the Sisters Quilt show. It looks like you saw so much talent there! How fun. I was thinking of you just yesterday when I picked up the Quilts and More and saw your face on the page. So cool!!
August 26th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Wow Oh Wow!! Thank You so much for sharing. I so want to go to Montana for this. Do you know how many quilts were displayed? Is this show the same time every year? This is truly worth a trip. Thanks again.
August 29th, 2010 at 6:22 am
Did you really come upon this outdoor exhibition by chance or did you know about it in advance. Your photos made me feel like I was there. What amazing talent. Thanks for sharing.
August 29th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Wooh, thank you so much for this wonderful quiltshow. I’ve never seen something like this here in The Netherlands.
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