Jinny Beyer

 We got back from our southern adventure on Thursday just before lunchtime.  It is good to be home, but it was also fun to be on the road, especially in warmer (to us) climes.   We had some chilly days in Virginia and wore our mid-weight winter jackets most of the time.  Still, a change of scene is always a good thing.

In Harrisonburg, Virginia, early in the trip, we visited the Virginia Quilt Museum, and I marveled at a retrospective exhibit of master quilter Jinny Beyer's work.  She is retiring and recently closed her shop in Virginia across the Potomac from where I grew up.  I have enjoyed using her fabrics over the years.  

Most of the quilts in the exhibit were pieced and quilted by hand, and the fussy cutting was amazing!  My pictures do not do her quilts justice, but I thought I'd share a few anyway.  Up close and personal, they show Beyer's incredible mastery of the craft.  The medallion quilt above appears to be queen-sized, and the blue/green one was a wall hanging.  I love the way it flows.

Just south of Harrisonburg is Staunton, another place we had visited before.  We had tickets to two plays at Blackfriar's Theater and stayed in a hotel right next door.  It's a charming town, perfect for walking, and we enjoyed discovering Trinity Episcopal Church with its lovely Tiffany windows.

On Friday evening, we enjoyed Shakespeare's As You Like It, with just seven actors playing multiple parts.  I love the recent trend of diversity in casting.  This group worked well together, as was seen the following evening in a modern version of Eurydice.  Before each performance, they entertained us with several songs, and after Eurydice we stayed for a "talk back" with the cast and crew which was very interesting.  We hope to get back to Staunton again.  

[more on our trip to come!]