Big Surprises and Progress with a Client Quilt

Last week brought phenomenal news.  The Road to CA show in Ontario, CA -- where I hope to possibly teach in the future, took place.  This is a big show, on a level just beneath Paducah and Houston.  It attracts many well-known talented international quilters.  Much to my complete surprise, on Tuesday night, I received an email with the results of the judging. I had 2 quilts out there.

My new quilt just finished last October, won the top award!  Best of Show at a show like Road is still kind of unthinkable for me.  This is a fun and personal quilt for me.  It represents fabrics, colors and processes that speak to me, and to have it rewarded so well is sweet.  And yes, that is one monster-sized ribbon, over 3' long!

 My other quilt that was there, From the Bride's Trousseau, also did well -- Outstanding Traditional Quilt.  This is another of the top and very well paying awards.  It is hard to believe.  I was considering retiring this quilt before it was sent to Houston, where it ribboned.  It may have a show or two left to attend.  It has certainly exceeded my expectations for a little whole cloth quilt.

 While the show was going on, I was here in frigid new England quilting on my client's quilts.  This is Carol's.  She from Panama - can't you tell by her warm, sunny choice of fabrics?!  I love the orange. She hand pieces her quilts too.

I did a mini for her a couple years ago that was this same pattern.  This one is 70" square.  By the end I was getting mighty tired of ditch stitching these circles, but it turned out wonderfully.  When she gets it back, she'll be happy. 

 here's a closeup...It has wool batting, and orange YLI Polished poly thread.  I ditched every circle, and they were echo quilted twice to make the framing show more.  These are done with continuous quilting across the entire row.  How, you ask?...bu sneaking in the ditch now and then where it won't show.  I'd never do this with all the apparent stops and starts.  Her backing is crazy busy, so it hides everything.  It would have been totally different with a solid backing.

 I'm up to more little projects than I can count or show.  Here's a sneak peek at one of them.  I have started (well, now it is closer to done) hand-painting a part of this new show quilt.  It has a name now, "Taking the Uncharted Road".  It seemed like a fitting name with it's mariner's compass and the binding that most certainly did not come with directions.

I have a couple of other surprises, but they will come out in due time.

Right now, I am trying my best to prioritize that which must get done, and I am not entirely sure it will.  My mood is deep in the dregs of winter.  The new president and his petty, unnecessary ways have me feeling sad and depressed, and not as productive as I'd like to be.  Nobody wants to read about a political sob-story on a quilting blog, but suffice it to say he is a complete embarrassment, and I am ashamed to be an American right now.  He is everything I thought he'd be during his campaign and more.  Sadly none of it is good.  I have a bad feeling, and it is hard to shake.

There, said.  Done.  Now we can get back to the goodness you came to this blog for.
Have a good week,