made my day in such a good way

It has been several years since I have entered any of my quilts into national shows.  However, the quilts are stacking up around here, so it was time to get them out in public again.  I entered a couple of quilts into the Mancuso's Quiltfest Destination Savannah.  I was delighted to have them accepted into the show and was even more delighted when they safely returned  to me along with nice compliments from the judges.  Opening the box and unwrapping the quilts, I was thrilled to discover a blue ribbon for 

Best Use of Color in the Innovative category.  

I blogged about her creation, but never added a photo once I had, at last, completed quilting her.  Introducing a completed Ms. Lantana 

54" x 70"
hand dyed and commercial fabrics
machine pieced and quilted

progress on other projects

 

I thought that I was certain as to how I wanted to quilt my posy quilt.  I had practice stitched all the ideas that I had sketched out. Got everything ready to begin the machine quilting, then as I sat down to begin, something else took control and here is what it said.  Tiny  round and oval seeds all over the quilt with ghost flowers sprouting up randomly amongst the seeds.  I generally dislike the quilting process, machine or hand, as I much prefer the design aspect.  But for some reason I have become obsessed with this one.  It has become a joy to just sit and move the needle over the fabric and see these little designs take shape.  Who woulda thunk it? 

back side

 

I love the way it looks on the back.  Using the different colors of threads to match the top fabric color gives it an interesting look, don't you think?  

There could be a hidden meaning in all this, because I do need lots of practice with my machine quilting and I had predetermined that I would be machine quilting great gran's string star repro quilt.    I want to duplicate the quilting patterns on GGM star quilt.  Perhaps by the time that I finish making thousands of tiny circles and ovals, I will, just maybe, have gotten a bit better and become a bit more patient.  Patient enough to make her proud.  Not to say that I am there yet, but who knows.  It could happen. 

the original GGM

my version ready for quilting

 My quilts are going to be featured for one week at my home town museum during their quilt show and I do want to have enough new pieces completed for the show.   So I have been plugging away  Nothing like waiting until the last minute to complete the quilting part, huh? So wish me luck.  I hope to have these both completed before mid March.  I'll let y'all know how that turns out.  Meanwhile, I better get busy........

C'est la vie

Paducah 2010.  What more can I say.  If you haven't ever been to the "big mother of all quilt shows", think about treating yourself one day.  It is another world.  As expected, I didn't win a ribbon, but that's OK, cuz I am honored just to see my big  Orange Hibiscus hanging there.  That's not all I am gonna say about it though.  Does anyone ever get a "kick" out of the judges comments?  It never fails to amuse me when I read their critiques.  Just to show you what I mean, I'm going to write these down for all to see.  Here goes:

Best Feature(s):
1.  Flow from light to dark
2.  Variety in scale of fabric prints

Area(s) to Improve:
1. Flowers get lost on busy background
2:  Machine tension

Okay, some of this is really confusing to me.  The judges liked the variety in scale of fabric prints, but seemed to think that the flowers were lost.  Maybe because I created this thing,  I have no trouble seeing the flowers or the blooms or the buds or the leaves.  Tension, yeah, I got lots of that.
C'est la vie.

As an unexpected treat, my friends and I had the good fortune of enjoying a delightful dinner at a table next to Kaffe Fassett  and Liza Lucy right before Kaffe's lecture.  Now there is an interesting fellow.  Jolly good and all that.

They were both very cordial to us and as much as I was tempted to bombard him with adoration, I thought it best to only take a few discreet snapshots.  Loved the purple shirt, purple slacks, and his bag of knitting yarns. (assumption on my part regarding the bag.)  And check out those socks..  I really had to restrain myself from asking him where I could buy a pair like those.  Loved his lecture.  All about color and design.  Duh, one of the masters of color and design in the quilting world.  And, to top it off, he has no problem in stating his opinion.  In answering questions from the audience he stated that he left America for England to get away from all the rednecks.  I didn't know that his stomping grounds, Big Sur area and NYC,  was so full of rednecks.  I always thought that those areas were full of hippies back in the sixties.  I shall assume that he has acquired that dry British tongue and cheek attitude.
 
On the other hand, I was also amused by his statement regarding all the little folks in their white gloves who wouldn't allow you to touch the quilts on display.  He seems to think that quilts are for all to enjoy, to caress, to explore.  He and Liza don't like quilts to be overly quilted to the point of feeling like cardboard.  Yippee!  so now I am once again justified by a famous one.  I agree with Kaffe - it's all about the color and design. The quilting, whether hand or machine, is secondary.  Sorry, I know I have just insulted a zillion quilters out there.  But that is my joie de'vie.

Back home from my 6 day trip with the girls, I am back to work on grandpuppy.  I must say, she's lookin' good.  I have begun the sewing process and it is always a thrill to see it come together. And, as always, I welcome input from anyone who sees any faux pas that I have made in the color and design.  Still agonizing over the "water".   Any suggestions before I continue to sew?