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

A hot time in the old town tonight!

I didn't say fun - I said hot! And hot it has been. We're breaking temperature records nearly every day. Unfortunately, my husband and I have chosen this summer to do a lot of work outdoors. We've moved on from demolition to construction. We've spent the last two days trying to figure out how to build an outdoor patio. Okay, we're not particularly "handy" people. We wanted to hire someone to build the patio for us, but we couldn't get anyone to even come out to give us an estimate. I guess our little 10' x 20' area just isn't large enough for the workers in this NWA. So much for a bad economy and people in need of work. : (

We finally got one guy to come out, and he gave us an estimate of $2800. Do you know how much fabric that would buy?!? We decided to figure out how to lay a patio ourselves. Then this afternoon, without warning, one of the contractors who didn't come out earlier suddenly showed up out of the blue. We had already done some of the work ourselves and have much of the materials, so he's going to send out a couple of guys who need some work to finish the job at a price we can afford. Now we can get back to cutting out the huge juniper bush at the corner of the house. Yippee...

On the quilting front, I finished the side strip on the Farmer's Market quilt, but I'm not happy with my color selection. I'm too lime green heavy on one side. I think I'm going to switch out some of the blocks, but not right now. I've shelved the Farmer's Market for the moment. I need some time off. Instead I've decided to finally sew the final border onto the my second Sister Quilt. All it needs is the final black border. Here's a picture of the quilt folded in half lengthwise so I could measure it.

I got the first two borders sewn on with no problems. And no help from the kitties. Then they got bored and found me. Sinnie decided to inspect my fabric, so that put an end to cutting borders.

Then Callie decided to inspect the quilt itself, so I decided to try out my quilting thread options. I'm really leaning toward a rather colorful copper variegated thread. : )

And here came Maxie to oversee thread choice. She had to run each thread through her teeth and claws as I worked with them. I'm trying to decide whether to applique some of the flowers from the focal fabric on the two large blank corners (I'll show them to you when I actually finish getting the borders on) or to use those corners for some fancy quilting designs. The copper thread I like is in the middle of the photo The thread at the bottom is a softer variegated blue, red, and green combo. Hmmm... Choices, choices.

We have to spend tomorrow digging up Mom's old patio that she wants rid off - we're recycling her stones - and buying the additional stones that we'll need to finish off our area. We have to have all of the materials for the workers by Thursday. Busy, busy.

'Til later,

Debbi

Sister Quilts

Some of you may remember the first sister quilt that I finished last year. The top had been finished for about two or three years, but I finally got around to making a backing and having Mom quilt it for me. I began making two quilts of the same design but with different focal fabrics. All of the coordinating fabrics are the same. Here is the top of Sister Quilt #1 before it was finished.  

Here is the same quilt at the Airing of the Quilts last month. The color in the first photo is the true color.

Below is the photo I took of the second sister quilt for my Unfinished To-Do Project list earlier this year. As you can see, only the middle was finished. No outside borders yet. At this time, the pattern was still identical to the quilt above.

This is a photo I took of my proposed borders when I was still in the planning stage a couple of years ago. Sinbad is posing with his rearranged pieces at his paws. He thought the rumpled look was much better!

Last weekend I got out the second Sister Quilt top and took another look at it. I'm still at a loss for how to finish this. The first quilt was easy - I had a border fabric that matched the focal fabric. This one...hmmm.

This is where I am now. I have the triangle border sewn on - you can't see it in this photo, but it is a broken border on the top left and the bottom right. I haven't decided if I want to leave an expanse of unbroken black for Mom to play with on her quilting machine or if I want to applique a flower from my focal fabric in these spaces - now that I know how to applique! I'll let you know when I decide. Any suggestions?

I just tossed these next two photos on here because I ran across them again, and this is one of my favorite quilts that I've designed and made. This was one of my first efforts. Isn't it cheery?

Tomorrow I'll show you some of my recently finished quilts. I took photos this weekend, but I'm out of time now and have to run! More photos later...

Debbi



Wraps ups and Previews

Sorry I've been a little absent yet again this week. I have another two weeks of summer classes before I'm out, so I don't have a lot of time to post or a lot of time to quilt interesting things to show you. At least not yet. And no, I'm not willing to adopt another cat just to have more pet pictures to post!   

Well, actually...okay, just a small kitten if it comes my way...  ; )

Since I'm sneaking some post time at work (I'm actually all caught up in my research - yeah!), I'm posting Mom's photos from the Airing of the Quilts last month. I know that I've missed photos of some of the last quilts, but they're on my computer at home, so...

Anyway, here is a photo of a Disappearing Nine Patch pattern that Mom taught at Quilt Congress in Rogers, AR, last year. She was getting bored of teaching and using the same pattern, so she decided to set the pattern on point. I absolutely adore the way this quilt turned out. Of course, it could just be those lovely purples that have won my heart!

Mom makes many, many kids' quilts to donate to local charities, and that's where this adorable panel quilt is going. What cute animals. I'm sure some child will love this simple, but heart-warming quilt. On the left is the itty bitty quilt that Mom made in her Itty Bitty Quilt group. The center is a sweet fawn set in a square-in-a-square pattern. Around it is tiny nine patches that I would not like to try to duplicate. Tiny! I'm sorry I didn't get a good close up of this quilt.  

This scrappy quilt is one of Mom's personal favorites. We did a scrappy star quilt as one of our Stash Buster challenge quilts last year. This one helped her use up a LOT of scraps. I think that's why she liked it so well - it diminished her scrap heap a bit.

.
Cliff from Sager Creek Quilts challenged Mom with this lady bug fabric. You may have seen the Grouchy Ladybug fabric based on the children's story. Or you may not. Anyway, the ladybugs on this fabric looked so grouchy that they frightened off prospective buyers. Cliff gave Mom a panel with the challenge of using the fabric in a non-frightening way. Mom cut off the grouchy faces and replaced them with calmer visages. She then placed them on flowers and let the babies fly! Good job, Mom.

Now, a couple of previews...

Here is a preview of Mom's current project. She made these stars in a Hunter's Star class at Sager Creek. She couldn't decide what to do with them, so she decided to place some of them on point and mix them around in a scattered pattern. This will be fun to see finished. Here she is auditioning placement on the red background. This was not the final setting she chose. She's working hard, so I should have finished photos soon!

I just showed this photo last week. It's from the Airing of the Quilts. This is one of two "sister" quilts that I designed several years ago. This quilt is the first one to get finished (finally - a month or two ago).

The quilt below is its sister - the same pattern, the same coordinating fabrics, and the same window setting. There are two differences in these quilts - the focal fabric and the borders. The focal fabric above has a lot of red while the focal fabric below uses a lot of blues. Again, identical quilts and coordinating fabrics (although different green sashing fabrics), but different borders. The top quilt uses a matching border fabric that I happened to find in Pennsylvania (what luck!), the bottom quilt uses left over half-square triangles from the blocks. Here I'm auditioning possible border patterns. What do you think of this one?

This is a Get 'R Done project for this year, so I should (hopefully) have the top done soon and can show you what I decided for a finish.

I just had to show you the lovely plant I bought for Mom for Mother's Day last month. It looks lovely in her front garden. It will also be great for cut flower arrangements indoors later on!

And I felt in the mood for a kitty fix. Here's one of my favorite photos of Sinbad (stolen from my Quilt Cats page). He always has to check out any new fabric purchases. That's my boy! Sniff out that fabric!

Until later,

Deb