The QuiltCon Entries

Yesterday the QuiltCon 2023 show emails went out and it's always a bittersweet time. No matter what the results for yourself personally, I think we all bear some of the joy - and disappointment - of our fellow makers. I know I do. As deep as the feelings go, we know honestly, though, that any perceived rejection does not actually reflect badly on us as individual makers. We are a large, talented group, this modern quilting community, and there's just not room for all of our gorgeous creations in one show - right? 

That said, I was fortunate to have three of my five submissions selected for the upcoming show in Atlanta. Those that were not accepted were:

eXtra - Made for the Modern X Challenge

Vista Toscana - Entered in the Improv category

And those that were accepted:

Italiano antico - Which will be part of the Modern X Challenge 

Tears - A liturgical quilt that will be included with other Small Quilts

Horizon Views - my most recent @beesewcial collaboration with Leanne @shecanquilt, Stephanie @spontaneousthreads, Marci/@marci_girl, Karen/@capitolaquilter, Felicity @felicityquilts, Kenny @thekingslacker, and M-R @quiltmatters

So I'm grateful, of course. With 2089 quilts submitted, and just 481 selected, it's not lost on me how fortunate I am that a few of mine will be included. I trust it'll be a fantastic show, as always.

QuiltCon Together :: My Quilts

So the virtual QuiltCon Together is in full swing! It's very different, of course, but still very good. This is my 4th QuiltCon, and yesterday as it began, I felt the normal excitement and overwhelm. As usual, I headed straight for the quilt show for a quick look around before exploring other portions of the site. Would you like to see the quilts I have hanging in the show?

Split Segments is in the Small Quilts category. Made entirely from scraps, it started with the dark blue cut-offs from my 2019 Summer Sampler.

Note to Self was made for the MQG Classics Challenge from a pattern by Karen Foster/@capitolaquilter. There are 22 quilts in the special exhibit, all made from a pre-selected fabric palette.

And then there's Rings, my latest Bee Sewcial quilt, which of course, is in with the Bee/Group quilts. I was surprised that there are just 13 in this category! My collaborators were MarciDebetaz, Karen Foster, M-R Charbonneau, Leanne Chahley, Stephanie Ruyle, KenSmith, and Felicity Ronaghan, and they definitely helped bring my vision for this quilt to life.

And finally, there is Autumn Steps, which is in the Modern Traditionalism category. This is the one I was most surprised was accepted. It happens to be the largest of those quilts I had accepted (72" square), but quilted least densely, and the only quilt of the bunch that I had washed prior to entering. (I mention about washing mainly so I remember, as I know some folks wash every quilt when finished; but I usually do not necessarily, especially if it's a quilt I might submit to a show. Just personal preference, I know.)

To top things off, Autumn Steps was included in this year's QuiltCon Magazine!

So all that is of course very gratifying. I've already been back for a few more in-depth 'walkthroughs' of the show quilts, and they are amazing. An added bonus in these virtual times is that many of the quilts have an audio component - a short recording of the maker telling about their quilt. I like this feature very much! 

If you'd like to see the winning quilts, they are all posted on the QuiltCon Together site. They are a fantastic group!

Not to Be

So QuiltCon Together acceptance letters went out yesterday, and I had a mixed (but overall happy) outcome. And I was preparing to share about all of it in this post, but I've noticed that this year, alot of folks are holding back on sharing their acceptances, and just sharing their 'rejects'. That's due to the nature of the 2021 quilt show being virtual. So I think I'll follow their lead and let you be surprised. But here are two of my quilts that will not be in the show in February:

Cutting Corners was entered in the Improvisational category, and I kind of expected it not to make the cut. Total fabric-play, this one, and made entirely of scraps, it still makes me very happy.

Modular was entered in the Group category, as it was made in conjunction with Bee Sewcial, the improv, solid-only bee I'm a part of. I'll admit I was really hoping this one would get in, as I'm very pleased and proud of the finish. But maybe another day....

So if you're on Instagram, do take a look through the #quiltconreject hashtag. We know they can't all get in, and this infamous 'show' is always spectacular.

Yo-Yos

Last weekend, I had the chance to enjoy the local Mukilteo Garden & Quilt Tour, a joint venture by Mukilteo Way Garden Club and Mukilteo Lighthouse Quilters. Eight gardens and 152 quilts, the complementary workmanship was a sight to behold. I shared a mini-show over on Instagram earlier in the week, but there was one particular quilt I wanted to share again.

It was the first quilt I saw as I began the tour, and I'm so so glad I took a closer look. It was a yo-yo quilt!

With the unlikely but fitting name of "I Must Have Been Out Of My Mind," it was made by Bunny Cummins, "created over many years and hours of flying and waiting for someone or something." At 79" square, I find it extraordinary.

Show News

There I was, busy at work last Friday, when I received a text from my Seattle MQG quild-mate, Matt/@odditease letting me know that our Improv Alliance (I pieced, he quilted) had won a third place ribbon in the Group Quilt category in our local Everett Quilt Show. Yay! I was so pleased, as I'm super proud of this quilt, and Matt's quilting just made it extra special. AND it was just plain fun to have it hanging in the show.



Then as I was heading up to the show, I heard from Elizabeth @eagould that my Home Away from Home had won a ribbon of its own .... First Place in the Small Pieced category. Matt was leaving that little tidbit as a surprise, and I admit, when I got the note from Elizabeth, I just started laughing!

The theme of the show was "It's Raining Quilts" which explains why the ribbons all had umbrellas on them!

I had entered one more quilt in the show - Follow the Dots. It was hanging with other modern quilts, many made by other members of Seattle MQG.

It was SO good to see other quilts from my guild-mates on display, and though I fear I may have missed some, here are the ones I caught a photo of. Enjoy!

 Refraction by Lynne Shandley

 The Giant Placemat by Clare Kapitan

 Rhythm of the Heart by Elizabeth Gould [2nd Place in Modern Quilts]

 The Last Hurrah by Louise Wackerman and Seattle MQG

 The Sum of Blue by Sara Goss

French Cut by Matt Macomber

 Black Hole by Lynne Shandley

 Raindrops on Wildflowers by Louise Wackerman

 Pinstripe Suit by Martha Peterson [1st Place in Modern Quilts]

 Sunset Dreams by Louise Wackerman

 Morphing by Martha Peterson [2nd Place in Small Pieced]

 Whose Turn? by Elizabeth Gould

English Toffee #1 by Clare Kapitan

Camano Fields by Rosie Winters [award unknown]; quilted by Dionne Matthies-Buban

Octagon Sky by Rosie Winters [3rd Place in Modern Quilts]; quilted by Dionne Matthies-Buban

There you go. Hope you enjoyed (a portion of) the show!

Good and Better

Yesterday started off well enough. The MOD-Q newsletter popped into my email inbox, and there was my Follow the Dots quilt in the Quilt Stories: Headline News feature. Editor Helen Butcher of the Quilters' Guild of theBritish Isles, had written a while back asking if she could include it, so I knew about it, but it was still a fun surprise to see in my feed.



And then things went uphill from there, when I got notification that Follow the Dots had made it into 2018 QuiltCon in the Small Quilts category. Oh yeah. I would have loved if our guild quilt had gotten in but that didn't happen. With over 1430 quilts submitted and room for 360, it is what it is. Honestly, I'm thrilled to have even one in the show.

A bonus was hearing that my Bee Sewcial beemate Felicity/@felicityquilts had her #felicityquiltswinter accepted! It's a group quilt, made in collaboration with the 2015 #beesewcial women @shecanquilt, @marci_girl, @spontaneousthreads,

@quiltsforthemaking, @weshallsew, @spontaneousthreads, @entropyalwayswins, @diane_stanley_sews, and myself. Considering I wasn't there when my own Bee Sewcial quilt, Mod Mood, was in the show, I'm hoping to get in on the group photo with Felicity and her "Winter."

So back to Instragram to scroll through and see what got in and what didn't. They are all equally inspiring!

All Anew

Here's a little revisit to my Refiner's Fire that I posted back in April....



You may remember it was created for the Women of the ELCA Tenth Triennial Gathering with the theme "All Anew", a black and white plus one challenge finishing at 40" square. (Here's my original post if you missed it.)

Anyway, the gathering started yesterday, and this 'sneak peek' video was posted on Facebook:

Deb Westerberg/[@dulutheran] was kind enough to snap a few photos. Her quilt is the QR Code to the left of mine below.

And some wider shots...

Anyway, it's fun to see all the entries together - 47 of them. How I would love to read some of those artist statements!

The Judges Speak :: Twice

Yes, I said all that talk about Mod Mood was over, but then I came across this photo that I'd forgotten to share, so I'll do that and be done with it. I really do enjoy seeing how my quilts hang in conjunction with others.

photo courtesy Amy Smart

Yet while Mod Mood was having her moment of glory, another quilt had some excitement going on too.

Yes, Steeped in Tradition was hanging in the small quilt category of the show.

photo courtesy Jackie/tinwoman48

Here's what the judges had to say about her:

Not quite as glowing as Mod Mood's evaluation, and I have to agree. That white rectangle? In my scurry to finish the quilt, I forgot to trim it down as I'd intended. And the quilting stitches? One of the main reasons I just got a new machine. But note that '+' by the word 'binding.' Oh yeah, I'll take consolation in that.

But that's not all. On a whim, when I was registering for QuiltCon, I filled in the 'Sale Price' box with a number instead of the routine NFS (not for sale). Well lo and behold, on the last day of QuiltCon, I got an email that Steeped in Tradition had sold! This is a first among firsts!

So overall, I'm more than pleased. Kinda crazy how I didn't even make it to QuiltCon this year, but it sure provided me with plenty of affirmation and joy, just the same.

photo courtesy Jackie/tinwoman48