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