2014 AQS Chattanooga Quilt Show, Part Two...

Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit!  Look what came in the mail today...a pretty ribbon!  "Baltimore Rhapsody-Symphony" won "Viewer's Choice" again, this time at the AQS Chattanooga show!  I am quite speechless...counting Sauder Village, that is now three shows where it has garnered "Viewer's Choice."  Again, I am humbled and thrilled!

"This quilt blends Teresa's love of music with her love of hand applique and quilting.  Each block challenged her to design something fresh and new."

And below is my other quilt in the show...my version of Lori Smith's "Songs of Spring" (I added an applique border...).  Seeing the pictures close together, I am noticing for the first time how similar the quilts look...the one below looks kind of like 'son of Baltimore Rhapsody' - similar neutral background, setting, colors and style...both hand appliqued and hand quilted...one has 15 inch blocks, one has 6 inch blocks...how weird and comical!  Am I in a rut, or WHAT?

"The first bird's song and spring flowers are very welcome after a long, hard winter.  This winter for Teresa, it was either make this quilt or hibernate!  Design Source: "Songs of Spring" pattern by Lori Smith, with original outer border by Teresa."

I was sorry not to be in Chattanooga on the same day to meet the maker of the next fabulous quilt...Quilt Diva Julie.  Oh, so fun to see it again in person!  (I still have some photos that don't know which way is "up"...sorry!)  By the way Julie, thank you for emailing me pictures...so nice of you to take the time!

It was so great (and a little selfish) to stand in front of this gem and really study it to see hidden details.  As Chattanooga IS Rock City, you could say that this quilt had come home!  

(Hey Julie...maybe the 'Rock City' attraction owes you a little advertising revenue!  For those of you who didn't grow up in the south, 'Rock City' and 'Ruby Falls'...two natural wonders of the area...used to advertise all over the south on the roofs and sides of old wooden barns. Sadly, most of those old barns are no longer standing...I'm not used to seeing the new billboards...I have great memories of being taken to both parks by my Aunt Katrina...that was a lot of years ago...)

"Julie free pieced this one-of-a-kind quilt featuring twelve unique barns, four Mid-south seasons, farm animals, tractors, silos, barn signage, and even a windmill.  Quilted by Chris Ballard."

It was great fun to meet up with my friend Margit, who moved from Michigan to Tennessee last year.  She and some friends came on a charter bus with fellow guild members to enjoy the day.

LOTS more pictures to come, either when I solve my picture rotation problem, or when my perfectionism just lets go and lets them RIP!

In stitches,
Teresa   :o)

Sauder Village Quilt Show (a little tardy), Part One...

Nothing makes me feel more normal than quilting, so yesterday on my first full day back from being at my parents' house for 3 weeks, I drove out to see my friend Mary and pick up my quilts.  I received news of my parents' fatal accident before the Sauder Village Quilt Show was over, and Mary and her husband graciously offered to pick up my quilts after the show and hold onto them until I got home.

Mary had made me lovely, zippered fabric bags for both of the quilts to protect them (thank you!!) and carefully preserved my ribbons.  Somewhere in the blur of the last 3 weeks I remember being told that I had won the people's choice award for my music quilt in addition to winning first place in its category.  It didn't sink in until I was driving back to Ypsilanti yesterday with the quilts and ribbons in the back seat, and I cried all the way home.  I am so touched by receiving this award from my quilting peers...it means more to me than any ribbon from a judge ever could!

I was going to get a picture of the music quilt hanging in the show on the last day when I went to pick them up, but I never got the opportunity.  I really couldn't get near it to photograph it on the day I went to the show, so I took the following picture, lurking NEAR it, behind an adjacent quilt on the next row of the set up...

It is fun to lurk near your quilt at a show and hear the comments...comments like, "no WAY are the edges turned under on THAT tiny piece," or "do you think it is really FUSED instead of hand appliqued?!?"  Hee-hee-hee...all fun and games...here's the picture from the day I tore up my family room for photography's sake...

My little version of Lori Smith's "Songs of Spring" did well, too, also taking a first place ribbon in the appliqued, hand quilted wall hanging category.

I had to pull out of the NQA Show in Columbus, OH this past weekend due to circumstances, but "Baltimore Rhapsody - Symphony" will be making its way to Shipshewana, IN in June, the AQS Grand Rapids, MI show in August, and the AQS Chattanooga, TN show in September.  My parents were very supportive of my quilting, this quilt in particular, and the launching of my fledgling pattern business.  I hope to endeavor to live up to their opinion of my abilities.

I will follow with posts of the Sauder Village Quilt Show pictures in the next few days...tardy, but still full of beautiful quilts and much inspiration!  I managed to photograph about 130 of the 400 entered into the show on the day I went.

In stitches,
Teresa   :o)

I got the blues, and that ain't bad...

The 38th Sauder Village Quilt Show opened on Tuesday, and little birds have told me I took two 1st place blue ribbons (happy dance, happy dance...).

One for "Baltimore Rhapsody - Symphony" (Bed Quilt: Appliqued and Hand Quilted) and one for "Songs of Spring" (Wall Quilt: Appliqued and Hand Quilted).

I can't go to the show until Friday, so I will have to contain myself for another day or so...

The show runs through Sunday in Archbold, Ohio.  There are 400 quilts there...I promise LOTS of pictures!

In stitches (and on top of the world!!),
Teresa  :o)

In under the wire...SO typical...

"Songs of Spring," 6-inch blocks by Lori Smith, outer border by me, is hand quilted and bound...just in the nick of time to be my second entry for the Sauder Village Quilt Show next week (Tuesday through Sunday) in Archbold, Ohio, along with "Baltimore Rhapsody" - the big music monster.

This tiny baby measures about 36" x 42".

I just love appliquing these fun, tiny blocks...the blocks are the perfect size for a baggie, take-along project...once they are glue prepped for applique.

I drive the quilts to drop them off on Sunday afternoon...yippee! Best not to peak too soon! 

The hand quilting is pretty boring...outline quilting of block motifs, diagonal grid through the blocks, piano key motif above the swags, and dense echo quilting in the outer border.

Since I am coordinating a huge fundraiser "Pastapalooza" spaghetti dinner for my daughter's high school music program this Friday night, I needed hand quilting therapy last week and weekend.  Hand quilting calms me down when I am contemplating a hanging death by hot, al dente pasta noodles...

I just love that stop border green wiggly striped fabric.  It gives the quilt a little motion.

Here are the twelve little blocks.  They are such a cute, little size...

Here I am, nervously soaking out the blue quilting lines and the glue from the corner outer border motifs.  I pre-shrunk my cotton batting before basting the layers together so that I could keep the overall shrinking of the finished quilt to a minimum.

Would you believe this is the first time I basically washed a quilt right after finishing it...not even waiting for it to get soiled?  I'm thrilled it didn't come apart or get all bunchy...

I don't know what I was afraid of...the small size made it an easy chore.

In stitches,

Teresa Rawson   :o)