Quilt show entries



It's almost time for our bi-annual quilt show at Q.U.I.L.T. of NWA. Our show is the second week of April, so the show chairs are calling for our entry forms within the next month. We can only enter two quilts per category so that no one can sweep all three top ribbons in any one category. Not that that would be likely for me, of course, but I can dream. ; )

 

So here are my two entry selections for pieced bed quilt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've completed several bed-sized quilts since our last show in 2011 (entries must have been completed since the last show), but these two are the ones that Mom and my husband deemed to be of the most interest to viewers. Since I do not enter with any expectations of winning, I choose my quilts based on the most interesting designs. My quilts are all made to be used rather than admired. : )

 

Below is my entry for mixed-techniques large wall-hanging. This is the quilt I made when learning how to applique in 2012. My technique is not great, but my friends will get a kick out of seeing that I tried. I have had a long-running allergy to even attempting applique before now. 

 

If I get my owl quilt finished before the entry deadline, I may try to enter it in the appliqued large wall-hanging category. Unfortunately, since I am pretty set in my ways, I don't have enough variety in my quilt styles or sizes to have entries in other categories. Maybe in the future.

Anyway, now I have to make and sew on sleeves for each of these quilts so that they can be hung. Sewing on sleeves is tedious work, but it's the only way my quilts are going to make it into the show (and the wall-hanging needs a sleeve anyway), so I guess that's what I'll spend the next week doing.

I actually have some finishes to show you, but if I include them here, I won't have anything to show you tomorrow. Therefore, you'll just have to wait (giggle).

Until then,
Debbi

Oh my. Even more UFOS...sigh...

Well, I'm afraid I have some bad news for myself. I was working quietly in my sewing room last night sewing on the binding on my latest finished quilt and thinking about how much I actually enjoy handwork, when my mind took a quick, guilty peek back at some of the handwork I've been managing to avoid for several years now. Yep. I've been handquilting the same three quilts off and on since around 2005. I've actually made progress...really! Just nowhere near enough.

 

Well, now it's time to own up. I'm adding four more quilts to my Get 'er Done To Do list for 2013. That brings me up to...what...27? That's only two finishes plus a smidge more per month, right? No problem. I didn't need that full-time teaching job anyway.

 

Okay, well, maybe I shouldn't go overboard. I do need to pay for fabric after all. Besides, several of those projects actually only need binding, a few more need to be quilted and bound, and quite a few more need borders, quilting and binding. It's not like I'm starting from scratch with all of them... Easy peasy, right?

 

I just keep reminding myself of how much better I'll feel with loads of projects off of my shelves. I ignore the fact that I will then have nearly 30 finished quilts to pile on my guest bed when I'm finished. Anyone have a princess I can borrow? And a pea?

 

The first quilt I'll be adding to my list is actually one of the very first quilts that I ever made. It's in lovely fall colors, and I'm supposed to be giving it to my brother. Thank goodness he doesn't know that or he'd be nagging me to get it done. It's only seven years old now. The poor little quilt is still a youngster! Anyway, I need to finish the flowers in the sashing  strip areas and then tackle the borders. The floral squares are finished and most of the sashing strips are done. You can see the floral pattern I'm using in a couple of the strips.

 

 

The next quilt that I'm adding is one that I actually work on every year. It's also still a youngster at only about six years old.

Each of the 6" squares gets a quilted butterfly. Each butterfly has a different wing color. I think I'm down to the last three or four butterflies to do, and then I can finish off the flying butterfly pattern in the outside borders. What was I thinking when I started hand quilting more than one project at a time? I used to have three hand quilting projects going, but I got tired of working on one of them, ripped out the little quilting I had done, and handed the quilt over to Mom to machine quilt for me. Best decision I could have made. These two, however, have come too far for me to back out now. Onwards!!!

 
The next addition to my list is this cute little Turning 20 quilt. I actually won all of the cut pieces for this quilt as a door prize at a Stashbuster's meeting at Sager Creek Quilts and Yarnworks about three or four years ago. I'm actually machine quilting this one. To be honest, I haven't looked at it lately. I think all I have left to do on it is quilt the outside border. After that it's ready to be bound. So why is it still in my To Do pile? Geesh.

 

The last project that I'm adding (until I run across some more - after all, I have until the first Saturday in March to turn in my UFO list to the guild) is my African inspired quilt. Several years ago I decided to make a quilt using my precious collection of African fabrics and African inspired fabrics. There is no pattern. The fabrics are sewn together completely free style. To add some challenge to the project, I completed the quilt with no single seam running in a straight line completely through the quilt. Every seam will, at some point, run into the middle of another fabric. Later I'll post some pictures of the complete quilt top and you'll get a better idea of what I mean. This photo is primarily for turning into the Get 'er Done contest. I am also hand quilting this project. Sigh.

I will also  soon be posting  photos of the quilts that I will be entering in the Q.U.I.L.T of NWA's quilt show this April. I need to get the entry forms filled out this afternoon, so hopefully I can get photos on here when I have more time (maybe tomorrow?).

In the meantime, have a great day!

Deb