FOR YOU ????????????????

OK I AM GOING TO THROW OUT SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU AND I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY FEEDBACK.

My friend Cindy and I were discussing the Paducah show as we were returning home.

The topic of conversation was the Long Arm machines.
Especially the ones with the stitch regulator.

It seems all the top winners are either using the LA
or are having the tops quilted by someone else.
I have a problem with this. #1 is it fair to have your quilt, quilted by someone else and only have to acknowledge that someone (no name) worked on the quilt?
#2 Is it fair for those of us who have home machines without stitch regulators to have to compete with the LA? I know there is a separate catagory for LA but that only applies to those quilters who enter that catagory, and the rest just have them or do them on the LA and enter into the regular catagories.

There seems to be an inequity somewhere.
Also I am seeing quilts like the two quilters from France who always win top prizes. These quilts are done and acknowledged that two people work on them. Shouldn't that fall into the group catagory?

The winners were exceptional this year. The Best of show was almost mind boggling. Someone said it took her 4 years to complete and she invested $6,ooo.00 in crystals applied to the back.

So, anyway, let me know what you think on these topics and perhaps if enough people are thinking along the same lines we can get the shows to make some changes.

This is a picture of the new Four ??? something perforning arts building. I think they held the fashion show there this year. 

Another view of the wall. As you can see it was raining. Seems like it is always raining when we visit Paducah. Doesn't dampen our spirits just really makes the hair a disaster! 

This is a picture of the flood wall along the river. If you have never visited before each panel has a historical painting. 

Obviously this is the front view. 

We visited Caryl Bryant Fallert's new studio. Still not finished but open. She was there and we had a nice chat and bought some things. 

This is by Inge Mardal & Steen Hougs, from France. They always win. But back to my ranting. Shouldn't this be in the catagory of group. More than one person worked on it. Maybe I need to ask exactally what the rules are? 

What to say? 

This was my favorite. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but the colors and the design were the greatest.