After the show

I worked take down at the show yesterday afternoon.  And, like the day I volunteered to hang quilts, I am sore all over.  It's a lot of work, but the show was down in a little over and hour and a half and I collected my quilts and was home a little later and reading the judges feedback.  It was good feedback, but I received feedback on Half That that there were exposed fabric edges that should have been enclosed in seams.  We can't find them, but I guess that separates someone that's been looking at the quilt for two years from a judge.  All the other feedback was wonderful and I am so proud. 

This is a very talented guild, so it was hard to pick quilts to show.  I'll have to split the pics of my favorites into a few posts. 

This quilt won Best of Show.  And, you can certainly see why.  It was professionally quilted by a wonderful long arm quilter who definitely set the piecing off with some fabulous quilting. 

 

The guild did a mini show last year of quilts that the guild members voted on and then the quilts were displayed at the show.  This was a one of the minis.  You can estimate its size based on a comparison to the size of the ribbon.  I work small, but not that small

This quilt won Second place in its category, but a Judges Choice award and Best Machine Quilting award. 

Rob and I both loved this quilt and the messages it conveyed.  The name was I Still Embrace All The Good Things.  What an appropriate title, right?  Blow up the pictures if you can and read the messages in the quilt.  This quilt won Viewer's Choice.  And, you can see why.  Even if you don't agree with the messages, you have to admire the workmanship and the originality. 

This was a Dear Jane, done in two fabrics.  Can't tell, right?  But, look at the second picture.  I thought this was a very unique idea. 

Loved this applique quilt.  A friend made this one and she was very proud of the ribbon.  She does wonderful needle turn.  We were in a bee together and I got to watch her work.  Such patience. 

These next two pictures are the same quilt.  If the sign had not told us it was a two sided quilt, I would have thought it was two quilts and when we were at the show on Saturday, so did a LOT of people. 

This one caught my eye.  You can see why.  Again, color and workmanship.  I want to ask how long that took.  But, I know I'll never be able to focus on one project that long. 

This is me, walking around with my ribbons pinned on.  The guild offers the ribbon that hangs from the quilt and a smaller version to wear.  I looked like a Mardi Gras float.

 

This was the guild's Raffle Quilt and the inspiration for the show name, World of Color.  Again, you can see why.  

 

Okay, so that's enough for today.  There will be more posts with pictures from the show.  And, Rob will be posting his video walkthrough when he has time and you'll get to see a lot more of the quilts there.  I did pretty good at the vendor's booths.  I bought one piece of fabric that I'll mention below and 7 fat quarters; four of which have a specific project, and the other three were just for fun.  I spent my money on tools and one pattern (for a Christmas quilt of all things...what was I thinking?)  I bought one of the really large rectangular ironing board toppers and the cover to go with it and I bought a beautiful wood turned combination seam ripper and stiletto.  It was more than I usually spend at a show, but what the heck...I'm worth good tools, right?  And, picking out seams is such an awful task that it's better done with a nice tool, so I consider that well worth it.  And, the Hoffman vendor did the nicest thing.  In exchange for getting to tell that all three of my winning quilts were made with Hoffman Wool Batting, she gave me a lap size silk batting to try.  She didn't have them for sale and had to go to her car to get it.  You'll have to watch for my review of that.  There certainly will be one. 

I came home so inspired that I've already started my quilt for the next show.  So, you'll have to stay tuned to see what that's going to turn into.  These sections are just from a couple of colors that I cut really quickly.  It's going to have all six basic colors, in every shade I have them in, grading as they move along the section.  If one color starts in dark, then the corresponding color starts in light and as they move to the right, they reverse so that at the other end, they are the opposite.  And, I bought a fabric that I'll be pulling them all together with and that I'll use on the back.  This morning, I started pulling and cutting yellows, greens and oranges.  And, all the fabrics I'll use in these sections are coming from my scraps.  I'm planning it to be a scrap buster, but it's not busting many scraps.  At least not yet, but it's got 1200 spikes, so maybe a little early to estimate how much scrap it will bust. 

Everybody have a great week!  I'm off to New Orleans tomorrow for a meeting.  But first, I need to pick up my new glasses.  I broke my most recent pair and the ones I'm wearing are two years old and I can't push them up on my face far enough to see out of them good anymore.  It is time.

Be well.

Lane