This was a big quilting weekend for us on Long Island.
The Long Island Quilters Society holds a huge quilt show every two years, and because I taught a workshop for them in January, I was in the loop enough to fill out the forms and submit my quilts on time this year.
I went yesterday morning and saw the show with Eri. It is held at the Garden City Field House Gymnasium which is big airy space. Everything felt fresh, bright and beautiful. Promise that spring is on the way. I was very happy that Travel Quilt #3 took two ribbons-- Best in class for Piecework, and 1st place for commercially quilted in its size category. (That's completely
Shannon's fault! thank you!).
It's only recently that I became interested in entering my quilts to be judged. Winning a ribbon is pretty cool, but I have always been a little anti-establishment when it comes to the "proper" way to make a quilt. I still feel that I made the quilts for me, and I want to share what I've made with a larger audience. If a judge likes or doesn't like it, that's fine. It's my quilt, I won't be ashamed of that. So tonight when I go to pick them up, I'm curious to read the judge's comments. I don't know if it will change anything about how I make my next quilt, but it's interesting to get feedback nonetheless.
Here are some of my favorites from the show. Quilt maker info is on each pic.
As Eri and I were walking around, I thought about why I love these quilts, scrap quilts. When I saw the Cathedral Windows below, it hit me.. I like to look closely and see if I have any of the same fabrics.
(Btw, this quilt was hung behind a guild booth, without any identifying information. If you know who made it, please let me know!!)
I thought about the quilts I have been making, and the ones I'm planning to start or work on soon.. I think I've been getting distracted by what others have been doing again (bad, bad Instagram!), and I want to find time to get back to some of the projects that really spoke to me. I've also got a bit of gift sewing I want to finish this spring too. Hope I'll find time for all of it.
Anyway, here is my finished Travel Quilt #2. Completely me. No ribbons, but I still love it. Made between 2007-2014, there's a whole lot of my life in there. (the border does go all the way around, but the hanging sleeve is placed 88" from the bottom, as per the show requirements)
