This one won a ribbon! Congratulations Sheila.

This quilt (at least I think it's this one) won second place in the Southern Comforts Quilt Show in South Carolina. The reason I'm not exactly sure it's this one is because I did two quilts, for two different ladies, that used the same pattern and very similar fabrics. The lady that made the winning top is Sheila Wright of Bluffton, SC.

She called me about it a couple of days ago but I had to go searching through my blog posts and my photos before I could post about it. If you want to see more of the photos and close ups of it then go back through my blog posts to April. I would put a link here but blogger isn't cooperating with me on links at the moment.




This is the center of the quilt.




I'm very proud that I could quilt it well enough to win a ribbon for her. I hope it's the first of many ribbons for the ladies of Bluffton, SC! Hi Ladies!

On another note.... I'm very tired. The all day shopping trip is over and I'm taking a short break before starting to put everything away. I wanted to get off my feet a few minutes. That's why I'm sitting at the computer.

I scanned through my emails looking at the titles. I didn't want to open them up to read but I was looking to see if there was anything extremely urgent to answer. I saw an interesting title that got me curious. It seems a reporter from the Courier Journal wants to interview me about my frugal ways. I can't see that I'm any more frugal than everyone else these days? I guess I'll find out why she chose me when she calls me. When I find out when the article will be in the paper I'll let you know.

Ok, my short break is over. Time to put all that STUFF away. I won't be doing any quilting this weekend. I've GOT to get some organizing things done...... for my sanity.

This quilt was like the energizer bunny.... it just kept going and going and going....





I finally had to just say enough is good enough and get it into the mail so the owner can have it by the time she gets home from Paducah this weekend. I could have kept quilting for several more days and still not quilted everything.



This is one half the quilt....







This is the other half....






This is the whole quilt pattern picture.




I used 15 different colors of thread.

I lost count of the different stitching designs and the number of stops and starts.

Stich in the ditch was done around most of the applique.

I didn't want my work to over power the fabrics or the design which is why I used matching thread though out.

I'm not sure you can see it but this is meandering leaves.

Stars on the stars.

This house has tiny, tiny pebble quilting.

I tried to make this look like a plowed field.

I couldn't go around this applique. I explain all the time that buttons should be put on AFTER the quilting is done. I can't sew through or around buttons.

The fabric of this area gave me the idea for the stitching.

I ran out of time before I could put texture on these. They are small enough that the stitch in the ditch quilting is close enough to hold it though.

I only did stitch in the ditch around these too. That birdhouse is one inch with a button center.

I like the grass texture in this area.

More of the grass.

These blocks are made of three quarter inch squares.

More of the background texture. Straight echo lines accent the flutterbies. No they are not perfectly straight... just freehand straight.

More of this background.

I tried to keep the textures next to each other different to give the quilt more depth.

Another view of the different textures next to each other.

The horses only got stitch in the ditch.

This is a 4 inch block. It shows you how close the stitching is.

A four inch solid block next to the star block.

The larger star block made from one and a half inch star points.

Another view.

How the background textures merge with each other.

Does this look like blowing snow? I think it does.

The corners of the quilt. Are those supposed to be acorns or pine cones? I guess they could be either one.

I'm not sure you can see it in the picture but this background is a meandering star. Look just above the top of the tree on the right..... you may see a tiny star.

A close up of the meandering leaves of this background.

More of the backgrounds.

A close up of a couple of the trees.

A close up view of the border design.

Like the stitching..... the pictures could keep going and going.... but there are other quilts waiting on me. Hmm... should I clean house first? Naw... the deadlines are looming.... gotta keep going.

Moving right along.... and proud of it

I'm still working on this one. I took my SIL shopping on Friday, helped her for awhile, then came home to get back on the machine. Yesterday, instead of going to the Thunder Over Louisville show..... I worked. This is some of the quilting. That's a four inch border.

I did get to see the big blue planes as they flew over yesterday during the air show. I really love those planes! Wow are they loud when they go over my house. I tried to get a video but they moved much too fast for me to follow. This is the best photo I could get out of about 3 dozen.

I read an email this morning that really made my day. It was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits! It was a reminder to me of what my quilting is all about. Pride. Pride in my work. I have to tell you the story behind this.

Last year a friend (Elizabeth) told me she wouldn't enter a quilt contest because she felt she would never be good enough. I encouraged her to enter anyway. Last year I sent her a nice long email of encouragement to enter this year. Then I forgot about that email over the course of time. Well she entered after all and feels good that she did.

Also, lately I've been really bummed out hearing my customers tell me about getting ready to go to Paducah or on vacation while I'm going to be stuck at home quilting their quilts. Asking me if I could please have their quilt finished by the time they get home from their trip. Being so very far behind schedule means giving up lots of ME time to get the quilts done as quickly as possible. Geeze, I want to go on vacation too!





The next thing that bummed me out was seeing, once again, that I didn't win a ribbon at MQX. I've been entering MQX and MQS for many years. Never won a ribbon. This year I really, really, really thought I had a winner this time. It's this one. I called it "I love you too"














A close up of the girl.








A close up of the puppy.

Elizabeth's email came just in time to remind me...... entering contests is not about the ribbons.... it's about the pride we have in our work or our profession. It's about giving it our best and feeling good about it. Then showing the world how hard we tried by seeing it hanging in a show. Sort of like the last person crossing the finish line in a race. The last person will have pride just knowing they crossed the finish line.... even if it was in last place.

Elizabeth reminded me of the reason I'm willing to stay home and quilt when my customers are away at Paducah or Florida or Australia. It's about the pride I have in creating a finished quilt that the owner can be proud of too.

I won't know what the judges found wrong with this quilt until it gets home to me. The judges may not think it's worth a ribbon; but for me, this quilt will always be a winner. I had thought this would be my last contest quilt. One more ME project about to fall by the wayside as I rush to finish other people's quilts. My reasoning for no more contest quilts was a matter of getting rid of stressors in my life.... not discouragement about contest ribbons.

I will probably try again, and again, and again.... even if I never win a ribbon. Winning a ribbon in a contest is sort of like playing the lottery. We buy a ticket, don't win anything, yet... we go out and buy another ticket to try again.

My quilts will not be quilted so heavily that they can stand up by themselves. My contest quilts will not have perfectly even outlines or cross hatching or stitch in the ditch. My quilting is in real world time. In the real world there is not enough time to stitch a quilt within an inch of its life and still earn a living. In the real world quilts are meant to be used and loved and washed many times.... not so heavily quilted or embellished that they can't be cuddled under with someone you love.

I will get judges comments like.... strive to keep your stitches uniform in size. (I have a Gammill stitch regulated machine but I still get this on the comment sheet.) Or comments like... tension should be evenly balanced. (With mono thread it's better to have the stitches pull to the back to prevent constant breaking.) I wonder if the judges use magnifying glasses to look at the stitching? I look but I can't see the problems they see.

When my customers get home from their trips I can give them a finished quilt that I know is good. It compliments their work.... not showcases mine. I put my heart into every top that I make into a finished quilt. I'm just as proud of the wonky lonestar quilt as I am proud of the girl and dog quilt or the one I'm quilting now.

With this said..... I'm headed back to my quilting machine with a new attitude today. I want this customer to have her quilts when she gets home from Paducah next Sunday. Thank you Elizabeth. You helped me remember something I had forgotten. I'll try entering again next year..... if you will.

Now.... if only.... I could make blogger stop messing with the spacing of paragraphs in my posts!

I'm really not trying to rush you..... but

I was just a quilting away enjoying the work I've been doing on this quilt. See, the center is starting to fill and not sag any more. When the phone rings and I got one of those phone calls. You know what I mean? One of the phone calls that remind me a deadline is looming. I knew things were going much too smoothly. So this one comes off the machine. Thank heavens for zipper leaders!




This one goes on the machine. It has to be finished and in the mail by Monday or Tuesday.

So once again I've got myself behind schedule. I hate when I do that. I will be gone Friday and Saturday so today and Sunday are going to be filled with working on this quilt. I really thought I had until May 1st to finish this quilt. I miss interpreted the letter sent with it. She does need it by May 1st..... but it must also be bound and sent off by her on May 1st. Which means I have to have it back to the owner in time for her to do the binding. If I get it finished and in the mail to her by Monday then she should have it when she returns from Paducah next weekend. I guess it's a good thing I had decided not to go to Paducah myself this year.

.

Hmm.... there goes my plans to work on my cardboard furniture Sunday evening and possibly my plans for Saturday. Bummer! I'll have to see how the quilting goes today before deciding on cancelling my plans for Saturday.