Post Quilt Show/Pre-Houston Sewing Frenzy

The guild quilt show is over and most members are happy with it.  I've spent most of this week working on the budget, writing reports, preparing newsletter articles and other show-related stuff.

Today was a "don't leave the house" kind of day and I finished my 3rd Houston garment.  We are given fabrics, select our choice of pattern, and wear specific garments on specific days.  This really helps with packing and makes us somewhat recognizable as staff.  Here are mine:



Vintage Made Modern by Amy Barickman for RJR, pattern is Gathered Back Tunic by Indygo Junction

Zen Chic by Brigitte Heitland for Moda, pattern is Contemporary Kimono by Indygo Junction

Shimmer Wheel by Jennifer Sampou for Robert Kaufman, Contemporary Kimono by Indygo Junction--making a garment with 2.5" strips of fabric was more of a challenge than I anticipated
 

I head to Houston next week for 13 days and now that the garments are done, I can start packing.  I do a list of what I'm wearing each day--the garments are assigned so I just have to figure what blouse and slacks will go with each.  Everything I take has to do triple duty, and I don't want to forget something important. 

For fun, I made Lori DeJarnette's latest quilt-a-long, Country Roads Mystery.  Find it here.

This may just be the first real quilt I quilt on my Bernina Q20.  The center squares and perimeter triangles will be forgiving of my designs and I want to try Ruler work on the pieced blocks.  Probably after Houston...

I'm still keeping up with Stars in a Time Warp.  The Claret Red and Cadet Blue are weeks 39 and 40.  We're getting toward the end of this year-long project and I'll have to decide what to do with my stack of blocks--I made 2 each week except when I loved them, then I made 3.  I think I have 82 six-inch blocks currently.  Barbara Brackman has also provided layout ideas and I've seen some I really like, just  have to decide.  She gives so much historical information about the use of the various colors and fabric styles, it's worth a look even if you don't want to make any blocks.  Stars In a Time Warp.

There's more to do before I take off for Texas next week, house stuff, yard stuff, packing stuff, teaching, and cutting some more handwork for "down" time, not that there is very much of that.  Houston is the highlight of my year and I am getting excited already. I'm also taking 2 free motion quilting classes so have to remember to pack the required supplies for those.   I'll post when I can so stay tuned.

While I'm gone, my beautiful grand-girl, Stella, will come to town, with her folks--she is being baptized.  I'll miss her but her granddaddy hopes to get lots of time with her.  We miss her so.  She's four and half months old now, and scrumptious!

Let's Quilt! 

Barbara

Fanfare 2015 Quilt Show and Sale is Put to Bed

Best of Show:  Ode to Joy, by Ben Darby.  Ben made this to commemorate singing in the chorus for the Huntsville Symphony's presentation of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.  It is his original design with the letters coming from Word Play Quilts by Tonya Ricucci.  Ben was encouraged to join our guild and enter the show.  He is a husband, father, and engineer.  He blogs at Huntspatch Quilts.


Another successful Quilt Show and Sale is now in the history books.  It was a beautiful show, with so many wonderful quilts, our guests were very impressed, and everything went as smoothly as you could possibly hope for.  Many terrific vendors to visit added to the fun.  Set up and take down happened in record time, many hands making light work, and we were out of the Von Braun Convention Center in less than two hours--I still cannot believe that!  My co-chair, Jane and I, had the most amazing committee members and guild members stepped up when needed--it was truly a wonderful experience.

I didn't take many photos and I wish I had.  My friends will have to provide some for me.  We are making a CD of all the quilts which will be available later this year.  But a wonderful visitor who has a lovely blog, Teresa Rawson of FabricTherapy.blogspot.com attended and took many great photos.  Be sure to see her post:  Fabric Therapy.  She has just moved home to Alabama after many years in Michigan and was worried North Alabama might be a quilting desert.  I've been assuring her she'll be in good company here and was so glad she could attend.  I wish she was closer than 75 miles away but maybe she can join us from time to time.  I am very thankful for her blog, with great photos posted the same day of the show.  Enjoy her mini-tour.

The judge, Pepper Cory, gave an excellent Judge's Tour twice, where 40 people were able to get an inside look at the judging process.  She told them how difficult some of her choices were.  She was very generous with all the info she shared during the tour.  Judging is important for Validation, Celebration, and Education of our members--worth every penny!

My guild is such a joy to me, certainly a big part of "My Joyful Journey".  Here are the few photos I took.  I wish you all could have been there:

Falling Off a Log, Teresa Belyea, one of my favorites



This is mine: Antique Rose Star, mostly hand pieced and hand quilted--I may add more quilting now
 

Another of mine:  Color in Black and White--the quilter added a 2nd batt, it really needs blocking, this one is heavy

My 3rd entry:  Grandmother's Choice, patterns from Barbara Brackman's Block of the week to celebrate the Suffragist Movement of the early 1900's
 

Three Colorful Fellows, Sherrie Cahill, we have talented Art Quilters too
 

Ben shortly after being surprised with his Best of Show award

Daughter's Rejection, Lewis Harmon, made for his daughter's wedding and she didn't like it. He's keeping it.



Glacier Star, Janet Henne, wish my photo was better.  I loved her quilting.

Stash Vortex, Judy Ballance, another of my favorite quilts

Escapade, Elaine Wick Poplin, her blog is Messygoat.com, a very talented younger member of our guild

 

 

 

As sometimes happens, quilts that were entered don't get delivered and we had a few spaces to fill.  We were able to borrow a Huntsville treasure, this signature quilt that was used to support the Historic Huntsville Foundation.  It is signed by many famous people from all walks of life:  Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, George C. Wallace, Walter Cronkite, Buzz Aldrin, Neal Armstrong, Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, George Burns, Bo Jackson, Joe Namath, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Carol Channing, several Supreme Court justices and a President or two, and many more.  You could stand in front of it and just say "Wow!" over and over.  What a great addition, an unexpected Special Exhibit!

We also had 3 guild members present an Artist's Studio talk, one each day, explaining their creative process and showing more of their work.  On Saturday we were happy to present a Gee's Bend talk given by two descendants of Gee's Bend Quilters, Loretta Bennett and Rueben Bendolph, Jr, both of whom live in Huntsville.  They are cousins and described their memories of quilting and family life growing up in Gee's Bend.  They brought many Gee's Bend quilts made by their mothers and grandmothers and some of Loretta's work.  It was a highlight of our show for many:

Loretta Bennett and Rueben Bendolph, Jr.

 

                                            Just a few of the Gee's Bend Quilts they shared.

Well, now I'm itching to stitch so I'm off to make 2 of last week's Stars in a Time Warp.  I teach two classes this week and our guild meeting is Thursday night, when the fun will continue with selection of Incentive Prize winners for our volunteers.  More about that later.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara