Exciting Week

This weekend, there are a couple of big quilt shows running - The Georgia Quilt Show and the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza (hosted by Mancuso).  I have entered the GA show four years now, and ribboned each year.  Each year the competition is a bit stiffer too.  Last year the top prize was a huge chunk of change, so it attracted some larger name quilters.  I wasn't really sure what this year would bring, but sent 2 of my better quilts anyhow.  Zen Garden had a bit of a unpredictable start last year, bringing home more than a handful of honorable mentions.  It was really hard to gauge how it was doing.  At the start of this year, it earned yet two more honorable mentions.  One of them was at Paducah, which I consider a definite win.  This set of somewhat lackluster results was tempered by the fact that it was the cover quilt for the Vermont Quilt Festival's class catalog, and it was the cover for MQU magazine's June/July edition!  But until June, I had no idea what to expect.  Since then, it has taken two 1sts and two Best of Shows, including the first it got in Georgia.  A 1st at Georgia pays like a BOS at many other shows - yes, it was a lucrative win!  The comments from my peeps at the show have been all positive, and you can see from the show photo, she is hanging beautifully.

I also sent Kaleidoscopic Calamity to Georgia.  It is a hard size quilt for many shows, being only 35" square. It's difficult to compete with other good small quilts when they are 50".  I made it especially for some of the machine quilting shows that have a 40" and under category, and as you can see it does have no shortage of nice machine quilting!  It didn't place, but it is taking home a special Staff Recognition ribbon.  Both of these are heading to PIQF in Santa Clara next month.  I am hoping for good results there!

I sent two other quilts to Phili for the PNQE - Rainbow Nouveau and Meet Me at Giverny.  Both of these have done pretty well at shows, especially Rainbow Nouveau.  A year ago when this quilt went to its first show, I never would have predicted how well it would do.  In fact, the Georgia Quilt Show selected my Rainbow Nouveau to be on all of their show advertising this year!  Below, it is on the cover of their class catalog (Best of Show relegated to the back inside cover...).  

And last night I was looking at the show's photos uploaded to Facebook, and noticed that they have these banners around the show - one here at a giveaway and another in the entry hallway.  The quilt on the banner is mine!!  Love it!  Now I am completely kicking myself for not attending this show.  I came SO close to going.  Regrets, damn.  Anyhow, Both quilts at PNQE did not disappoint.  Rainbow Nouveau took home a 2nd place in the traditional category, while Giverny got the HM (same category).  I'm scurrying to finish up my applique quilt so I can go shopping for fabric for a new quilt...yup, the winnings are going to burn a hole in my pocket soon!

 I will leave you with a sneak peek of a quilt I am finishing up for next year.  Never fear, it's only the back. You'll have to wait until the springtime to see the grand reveal of the front.  I'm glad that this is done, but will be happier when it's blocked and bound and ready to enter.

Next week's agenda...get some borders onto a small-ish modern quilt I will also hopefully have ready for next season, quilt Erin's silk quilt and a couple others of her's, and finish an article I have due soon.  Sounds easy enough, but it's not!  Too little time...