A Real Quilt Show

I've been AWOL for the past week getting ready for a real quilt show. My guild, Quincy Crazy Quilters, usually has a show every other year; however, due to some unforeseen scheduling conflicts, we skipped 2009. The 2011 Crazy About Quilts show was this past weekend. This is the first time I've been an active committee member; in fact, I was drafted into Committee Chair of Quilt Intake. What a job!! Everything turned out well, though, and people seemed to enjoy the show. We had 140 quilts, several demonstrations, vendors, Hoffman challenge quilts and dolls, and a featured quilter, Carolyn.

A couple of set-up photos... This is the first room that folks walked into. It housed our Country Store, quilts around the outside walls and the Hoffman Challenge in the middle:

This is the main quilt display room with the vendors being around the outside perimeter.

Quilts going up...the mostly white quilt on the right took Viewer's Choice First Place in the Large Category.

An example of a Hoffman quilt.

This year, our challenge project was to create a Mojo Doll. These are the ones made by our guild.

And, best of all: This is a photo of Carolyn, our Featured Quilter, with her Mocha Stars quilt on display behind her. It won Viewer's Choice First Place in the Small Quilt Category. I was very proud, as was she!!

Quilt Show: Day 5

This is Day 5 and, potentially, the last day of the show...depending on how fast I get the next quilt finished! This quilt is from Carolyn and is the Mocha Stars pattern by Kim Diehl. Kim's appliqué techniques were different from what Carolyn was used to, but she did a beautiful job. Have a look:

This quilt took forever! There were a million (okay, slight exaggeration) stops and starts, and I always tie-off and bury my threads, which takes even longer. Each circle, stem, leaf and diamond had to be done individually.

And after all those stops and starts, there were the pebbles. Lots and lots of pebbles!!

I love how this quilt turned out. This was one of the first times I'd done pebbling and while it takes a long time to do, it looks awesome! 

No pictures of the back, since nothing really showed except the cream pebbles on the brown background. Carolyn was disappointed that she hadn't chosen a different backer after seeing how it turned out. Top thread was Rainbows Brass Band, Lava Fern Grotto, and So Fine! in a cream and chocolate. I used chocolate in the bobbin for everything except the green and cream areas.

Quilt Show: Day 4

The next one up is called Spring Garden...appropriate, don't you think? Connie pieced this one and did an excellent job; every corner matched perfectly.

Here's a closer view of the quilting pattern:

I've always loved these flowers, but never tried them mainly because I couldn't figure out how to do them and make them continuous. I kept thinking you had to start in the middle. Then I got smart and got my doodle pad out and started drawing. If you start in the upper left corner and go around to the upper right corner, you can go all the way across the row and then finish them up on the way back. Sometimes I just amaze myself *smirk*

And finally a picture of the back...

Quilt Show: Day 3

This one is from a new customer, Donna. She's a member of my Guild and is an excellent piecer. She wasn't happy with this quilt when she finished it, so my goal was to make it so pretty when she got it back that she'd change  her mind.

When I first looked at this quilt, I immediately thought it needed something more than an allover, but not anything so busy as to take away from the stars. I got out my mylar sheets and started drawing and then sent her this idea to see what she thought.

She's still not in love with it, but she likes it better than before. This is how it turned out...

A close up:

The back; if you click on it to make it larger, you can see the fun pattern of the star on the back.

Quilt Show: Day 2

The next one up was this really fun Log Cabin from Buggy Barn that Marei sent me. I love Buggy Barn quilts and Marei used these terrific batiks. I had fun with this quilt!

Marei had seen the Log Cabin block in the Underground Railroad Quilt that I'd done some time ago and asked that I do something similar. This is what I came up with:

I used bright yellow Metro EMB thread on top and Bottom Line Lace White in the bobbin.

No pictures of the back on this one. It was a beautiful lime green with white, small, dots. The quilting really didn't show in photos, but it did look fun in person.

More quilts to follow...

Quilt Show!! Quilt Show!!!

Since I've been quilting and not posting, I decided to have my very own quilt show! Stay tuned...

This is the first one up. Remember these quilts? Well, this one ws in there. It is from our retreat last year where they chose the fabric for our double mystery. This one belongs to Billie and although she wanted black/white/red fabrics, she wasn't thrilled with these. She gave it to me to quilt and just wanted an allover pattern.

I started out following Billie's instructions, just doing a large meander. I knew she didn't want to pay a fortune and this is a big quilt. But then, I remembered the solid black backing...so I did some continuous curve and line dancing to throw in a little interest.

I just couldn't meander the whole thing. Seriously?? Look at this back! It was calling to me. *sigh* How to get your longarmer to give you a good deal on quilting? Tell them you want the least expensive possible, then give them a plain back to go with your quilt. It gets me every time! (For a detailed look at the back, click on the picture below)

Thanks for stopping by...the quilt show will continue!