Best of Show

  This past weekend, our local quilt guild had our semi-annual quilt show.  I brought 10 quilts of various sizes to the show.  It was nice to see that I have accomplished quite a bit in the last couple of years.  In addition to my own quilts, several of the ladies from the guild are kind enough to trust me with quilting their quilts, so it was great to have a lot of my work on display for people in the community to see. I was thrilled to receive the "Best of Show" award for my 1930's reproduction quilt sampler.  There were lots of beautiful quilts at the show, so it was truly an honor to win the ribbon.  My "Poppies Delight" wallhanging also won a ribbon for "Best Applique." 
  The show was a lot of work to put on, and our coordinator did a wonderful job.  The way it was organized, the decorative displays, the food stand...everything went smoothly and people really seemed to enjoy it.  We gave away our raffle quilt, and after selling hundreds of tickets, a member of our own guild won the quilt!  We were thrilled for her!  All in all, the show was a big success, and it was fun to be a part of it.  Now, I better get busy working on new quilts for the next one!

Creating a Trunk Show

The bright Twister that I made for a class...still unquilted

  In the quilting world, I am still an unknown.  However, I would like to change that someday and perhaps be able to travel and teach a bit.  I am only 45, (which is still pretty young-or so I keep telling myself!) and, for now, I am thinking about the future of my career each time I make a new quilt.  I know that in order to make a name for myself, I need to create a trunk show of quilts that people would enjoy seeing and want to hear about.  That can be tough when I need to spend most of my time quilting for customers.  I've decided that I have plenty of time to accomplish my goals as long as I approach it (to use an old saying), "like eating an elephant, one bite at a time."  My first step has been to start thinking in terms of making more elaborate quilts, and then to quilt the quilts I do make in a fancier way.  In the past, a lot of my quilts have been small, quick projects with utility-type quilting because my goal was to finish the project and either give it away or use it.  My 1930's quilt was one of the first quilts that I did where I followed Karen McTavish's advice.  When I took a class with her she said the following, and it really stuck with me:  "Always do the hardest thing."  Her point was that difficult idea that you had, but are fighting doing because you know it will take more time, is what will make the quilt special. I am remembering that from now on.  Each quilt that I add to my future trunk show will include at least one element that makes it special, whether that is in the piecing or in the quilting, or both, remains to be seen.  My second step is to do more of my own design work.  Whether it is taking a pattern and modifying it to fit my own ideas, or making my own designs from scratch, I know it is important that my quilts not just be "cookie cutter" quilts from patterns that everyone else is also making.  I often modify patterns, but I need to step further out of my comfort zone and really get creative.  In order to create more, I need to set aside time to work on my own projects.  I have decided that from now on, unless I am up against a deadline, I am going to save one day a week to work on my own projects.  I can't wait! 

 

Trying to promote the Blog...I am not smart enough for this stuff!

Okay, here is a confession...while I consider myself a smarter than average person, I am quite lazy when it comes to learning new things-especially when it comes to technology.  I read a book about blogging and it looked kind of fun.  So, I decided to do this blog.  I enjoy looking at other people's blogs, and I wanted to promote my business, so I jumped in.  Well, I am enjoying it.  However, I don't have many followers, so I decided to try to promote my blog by using a quilters blog promotion site.  http://www.allquilting.biz/quilt-blogs/  It is so nice of them to help people promote their blogs, and so, I want to give them a shout out!  Please, go to their blog and see what they have to offer.  I feel like I could do so much more with this blog, but I don't want to spend too much time on the computer when I should be quilting for customers.  Speaking of which, I finished a couple of quilts in the last couple of weeks, so I will post their pictures below.

Back of a mystery quilt.

Custom free-motion work made this quilt special.
 

Summer is Winding Down

  In spite of the fact that I no longer teach high school kids, I find myself measuring my life in semesters and summer vacation.  We just returned from a week on the North Shore of Lake Superior, and as I sorted through the pictures this morning, I started to wonder why we went when we did.  We don't have kids in school anymore.  I am not in school anymore.  We could have gone this fall when all of the fall colors are at their finest!  Oh well, we had a great time, and the weather was glorious!  After a brutally hot and dry summer, it was so refreshing to travel to Minnesota where everything is nice and green.  The average highs for the week were in the low 70's.  I got to wear blue jeans and a sweater!  It was fabulous!
  My other reason for traveling when we did was that Minnesota was having their annual statewide shop hop.  Every year during the Nebraska shop hop, I end up working at the quilt shop in Kearney, and never get to go hopping.  It was a lot of fun to stop at shops along the route to our trip.  My wonderful husband took me to 10 different quilt shops over the course of the week, and never complained once!  I bought a bunch of the Minnesota fabric to make a quilt as a momento of the trip.  It will be a lot of fun, once I get the chance to work on it, to have a quilt with lakes, moose, and loons on it.  It's not something that many people in Nebraska will have!
  Now that I am back, I am trying to get motivated to quilt for my customers.  My back is fairly fragile, and it is protesting all those miles in the car.  At one time, we were only about 30 miles from Canada, which is a LONG way from central Nebraska.  I am feeling it!  Slowly, and with several breaks a day to put ice on my back, I am finishing a queen-size quilt made out of flip flop fabric.  It is fun, and that helps motivate me to keep working.
  Summer's end is here.  Kids are back in school.  My life hasn't changed, but I look forward to fall football season, working on Christmas quilts, and cooler weather! 

Fair Time

It's that time of year...frantic last minute calls that go something like this, "How far out are you?  Well, I was wondering if there was any way possible that you could do a quilt for me in time for fair?  I am sorry to be calling so late...."  The answer?  Sometimes "yes" and sometimes "no," but mostly "no."  I do try to keep some spots open this time of year for those calls, and I love knowing that my work will be seen by lots of people at our local county fair and at the Nebraska State Fair, which, by the way, has a fabulous quilt show.  If you have never been to the quilt show at the Nebraska State Fair, I would highly recommend it.  There are hundreds of beautiful quilts running from novice to professional skill levels.  It is quite inspiring as a quilter to see what others around the state are making.  The fair this year will be from the weekend of the 25th of August through Labor Day weekend and is located in Grand Island.  I am entering two quilts this year, and although I don't expect to win anything, I enjoy seeing my work hanging at the fair.  The deadline for online entry is August 8, so it's not too late for you to enter your work!  Go for it!