Taupo Quilt Symposium

Every two years we have a quilt symposium in New Zealand. In 2013 it was held in Taupo. Quilters from around the country converge on the host city and prepare for a week of exhibitions, classes, lectures, happy hours, and general socialising with each other.

I submitted four quilts to the Symposium exhibition an was very fortunate to have all four accepted. This posed a bit of a dilemma for me as I had sold one of the quilts at the COOTs exhibition in April. O NO - so I had to get going and make another one. Of course the second one (in my opinion) was not quite as good as the first one. But still such an honour to have it shown at a National Exhibition.

We arrived and immediately went to view the exhibitions. On the first night of the Symposium, they announce all the award winners and it is always good to see the quilts in person before the winners are announced so you know which ones they are talking about.(they don't have the awards on the quilts until after they have been announced at the awards evening). At the awards night they do show the quilts up on the big screen but its better to be able to see them in person.

Anyway, I was so surprised and excited to win the Amateur Innovative category which came with prize money!! O my gosh so excited.

Here is a you tube video by one of the tutors Pam Holland which shows some of the sights of Taupo and some of the quilts at the exhibition. ( I see she has my name as Wendy Watson!!!)

Here is another blog showing some further photographs of the exhibition.