My SPECIAL EXHIBIT — REVISITED

 As I apparently forgot to write a post this week, here is a look back at my one-woman show in Houston in 2021.

After not having a show in 2020 it was a joy to return and share my life’s passion with the world. Click the link to see the entire exhibit:

https://bbquiltmaker.blogspot.com/2021/11/houston-quilt-festival-2021-part-2.html

As my son Joshua Black Wilkins had a bucket list moment last night when he took the stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville I was reminded of my own bucket list dreams.

Enjoy!

Let’s quilt.

Barbara 

Houston Quilt Festival 2021 -- Part 2

 These photos will focus on my Special Exhibit at International Quilt Festival 2021 in Houston, TX.

It features 23 of my quilts, from early pieces that are pretty humble to the four Best of Show quilts. I told my family it is my "Lifetime Achievement Award" and is a really big deal--in case they didn't know what it means for a quiltmaker to have an exhibit of their work at "Houston".

The opening display: 

A huge "Thank You!" to the fine folks at Quilters Select who so graciously agreed to sponsor this Special Exhibit: 

Sizzle--Hot! pattern by Becky Goldsmith, in a private collection

Joyful Journey, Sue Garman pattern, quilted by Lois Kindley

I took some of these shots before the show opened to the public. The layout was lovely, close to chronological order as I had requested: 

Red and White--By the Numbers got very little attention and that was fine. She was front and center and images of this quilt was everywhere in 2014. She is part of my journey but not the most important part; 

Some of the older pieces: 

If It"s Purple... patterns from my guild in the early 1990's, original layout/design, hand quilted by Lucille Ford, Best of Show, HQH 1995

Devil's Claw, original design, hand quilted by Lucille Ford

                                        

                                      

The oldest pieces were on the back side of the exhibit--the two flying geese quilts are personal favorites: 

One of the oldest quilts in the exhibit, Charm Quilt, 1992. Made with "blocks" from members of my first guild, VA Star Quilters, Fredericksburg, VA. I designed the original quilting pattern. The quilt sat in the frame in a west-facing window for so long the border fabrics are badly faded. The narrow inner border was originally black: 

The ONE quilt that got far more attention than any other is "My Lifetime Quilt". It was in the perfect place for maximum visibilty--facing into the quilt area of the show, and leading to the vendor area. 

These next 3 photos are from my friend Karen K Buckley, who featured them on Facebook--Thanks, Karen!

                                                 

The subtitle of this quilt is Wow! because I hear that all the time when people first see it. This guy came around the corner and yelled "Wow!" followed by "She's nuts!"  As I was standing there I said to him "it really wasn't that hard to  make". He figured out these are all my quilts and said some very nice things about my overall body of work. I asked him to pose, saying "Wow" and he was happy to. Wish I had gotten his name: 

There are many blog posts about the making of this quilt--use the Search box in the upper left for Lifetime and they will come up. Here is one: 

Lifetime Top is Done

I have lots of photos of the backside of lots of people--every time I went to the Exhibit there were people gathered around it: 

I spent an hour a day for 3 days at the Exhibit, listening and talking to lots of people, quilters and their families. Many wanted my business card and I hope some of them are now here following along with the rest of my Joyful Journey. Many members of The Quilt Show took a moment to say "hi" and that was special too.

All and all, it was a great experience I will be forever grateful for. My personal motto is "I am a part of all that I have met", by A. Lord Tennyson, my high school yearbook motto. I feel my connection to all those who are a part of my journey: teachers, friends, students, mentors. I especially felt the presence of two women who have left this world, but not before leaving a permanent place in my heart: Judy Murrah, my mentor, boss and friend for so many years and Sue Garman, designer and friend. I miss them both so much but feel their love to this day.

Let's quilt.

Barbara 

A Little Trip to Houston

 I recently wrote about the challenge of getting 20 of my best quilts, and a few early, more humble ones, to Houston, TX for the big Special Exhibit of my work, called My Joyful Journey this Fall. They had to be in Houston by July 2.  See that post here: Things You Don't Think About

Shipping would have been expensive and there is always a bit of worry about things getting lost in transit. My husband was adamant he could, should, and would drive them to Houston himself. Long rides in a vehicle are not my cup of tea and this involved 15 hours total driving time, each way. So all I had to do was plan his hotel stays when he knew how far he would go each night and worry about him.

Packed and loaded and ready to go--as soon as the cover was closed on the truck:

The next day he arrived at the Quilts Inc. office where Becky Navarro, head of Special Exhibits met him:

They transported the 3 large boxes, containing a total of 20 quilts, up to the 5th floor: 

Success! The boxes are now safely at their destination. Will met a few of the employees working that day--much work is still being done at home:

He quickly said his good-byes and turned the truck toward home. The day before he had driven through the hardest rain he had ever seen, along I-10, before he got to Beaumont, TX to rest for the night. With lots of construction and traffic. So he decided to take a more northerly route home, going toward Shreveport. He got as far as Monroe, LA the second night where I had another decent hotel room waiting for him. 

All in all, it was a long, hard trip for him but he proved he could do it and was pleased with himself, I think. But the quilts will be shipped BACK to me, much later this year.

You would think having 20 quilts out of my house would be noticeable but not really. Four of the best ones are stored in a big closet so they were out of sight. The two that came down off walls, in the living room and master bedroom, were quickly replaced with others. And the bookcase still looks full. I really need to get rid of some of these.

If you haven't been to International Quilt Festival in Houston, this is the year to go. Besides my exciting exhibit, there will be more than 25 others as well as an awesome judged show with some of the finest quilts you will ever see. And this year, there might not be 60,000 people there. But, then again, quilters are eager to be back in Houston. I really hope to see you there--most of my best friends are coming! For information go here: Quilts Inc.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

THINGS YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT

When I proposed a Special Exhibit of my life's work for International Quilt Festival in Houston, called My Joyful Journey, there were a few things that didn't cross my mind.

Like, how does one send 20 quilts to Houston, TX, safely and securely? I have shipped two quilts to various shows, two quilts = two boxes. But 20???

Here is the official Announcement from Quilts. Inc:

Joyful Jourey
pieced by Barbara Black
quilted by Pam Dranfeldt

Sponsored by Quilters Select, RNK Distributing

A look back (and ahead) at the life and work of quiltmaker Barbara Black.

She began in 1985 

with simple baby quilts from pre-cut fabric, and today

creates challenging quilts filled with small pieces and complex design. 

This journey shows her progression from new quiltmaker to quilt artist. 

Precision piecing and beautiful color and design are the hallmarks 

of Barbara’s passionate quilt journey.

A few months ago it was time to really think about just how getting my quilts there would happen. My husband insisted the easiest plan would be for us to drive them there. Not my idea of a good time, two days in the SUV, the first day long, so the second day could put us at the Quilts Inc. office by mid-morning. Then a few more days on the road as we visit family along the Gulf coast.

But compared to the cost and worry of shipping all those quilts, he might be right. He kept asking, "what is the Volume of all those quilts?" He is an engineer... I said I wouldn't know until I gathered them from around the house into one place. 

Here is what the Volume looked like. The spare bed is covered with piles of quilts:

The engineer went to work, researching box sizes and determining how many boxes would fit in the SUV or the pickup truck. Then he tried to buy the boxes online. He found a ten-pack of big boxes at a reasonable price BUT the shipping was over $100--for empty boxes! 

This is starting to get complicated... He did find the local FedEx store had THREE of those boxes on hand. He bought those and the logistical plan began. The boxes are 24" x 24" x 18". Three of those will fit in my SUV, with room for two small pieces of luggage. 

Let the folding begin:

Three boxes, 20 quilts, lots of plastic for the inside of the boxes, and lots of padding and additional plastic bags to protect the best of these quilts. It worked--they all fit in three boxes:

After the first two boxes were packed I came up with the brilliant idea that my spreadsheet should list which quilts were in which box. The boxes weren't sealed yet, that will be done right before we leave. So we took the quilts out so I could indicate which quilt was in each box. Done, all set.

There are two more quilts included in the Special Exhibit that I no longer own:

Red and White--By the Numbers
in the Corporate Collection of Quilts Inc.

Sizzle--HOT!
in a private collection

These will be delivered by the owners for inclusion in the Special Exhibit. I love both of those quilts and am very glad they will be included as they tell part of my "Joyful Journey" as a quiltmaker.

Several of my friends have let me know they will be attending Houston this year, some of those for the first time. That makes me so  happy. It's not too late to make your plans. Find hotel information here: Hotel Discounts

The Faculty was just announced this week--check out this esteemed list of amazing teachers: Faculty and their Classes. A lot of safety precautions will be in place, lots of space for each student, for example. There is no better place to find so many first-class teachers you can learn from. Classes begin Monday October 25.

Preview night for students is Wednesday October 27--students get an extra two hours to shop and see the quilts before Preview night opens to the public. The show itself  is Thursday-Sunday October 28-31, 2021. Can you see it all in ONE day? Absolutely not. Two days? Also, no. Plan for at least 3 days and wear your most comfortable shoes--it's a BIG place. 

I hope to see you there. I will be there for both Market and Festival, as usual, and will get down to the show floor as time permits. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Looking Ahead

 Things are starting to look up now as more than half of all eligible Americans have received at least one vaccine shot. I hope many more do so in the coming months.

This Fall sees the return of International Quilt Market and International Quilt Festival:

The deadline to enter the Judged Competition is May 27--all details HERE.

I will be there for 13 days as I enjoy the Special Exhibit "My Joyful Journey", featuring 22 of my quilts, from the somewhat humble early pieces to the four that have won Best of Show in previous judged shows. It shows my journey and progress as a quiltmaker. I hope I get to see you there.

Quilter's Select, by RNK Distributing, is the wonderful company that has agreed to sponsor my exhibit. I use and love their products, Quilter's Select Threads, Rulers, Rotary Cutters, Mats, and an ever-growing list of excellent quality and well-thought out notions and sewing supplies. Here are some I am using right now:

The most important thing now is to figure out how to box up 22 big quilts. My husband and I will be driving them down--they have to be there by early July. That will be quite a lot of boxes. A few are currently on the walls in my home, several are laid out on the extra spare bed and the rest are folded in a large bookcase. Wonder if I will miss them when 22 are out of the house.  After Festival  they will be shipped back to me. 

In August I will be flying to Rhode Island to present a lecture and an all-day workshop for the Ninigret Quilters. In late August I will be flying to Dallas to tape The Quilt Show again--really looking forward to both of those. In September it's a trip to Houston to lecture and teach for the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston. 

In addition to all the planning for these events, we have been doing some sprucing up of the front porch. I love the painted red front door and the painted battleship gray floor, which looks more blue than gray. Goes well with the "haint blue" ceiling. Add some new cozy furniture and cushions and we have a lovely spot to sit outdoors--only took 21 years to get it this way:

Being close to our grandkids is fun when we get to go to dance recitals and an outdoor lunch. Almost 6 year old Stella did a great job on a big stage, smiling and dancing through the whole number. High School Drama Club is sure to be in her future:

Sweet almost 3 year old Sam, is such a cuddle bug, eager for hugs and kisses. He did great sitting still on the front row and watching all the dancers. He thought the soloists were "pretty". He loves his PopPop:

I hope your life is starting to open up too and we can meet again as we, hopefully, cross paths in the future.

Let's quilt.

Barbara