And the winner is...NOBODY?!?

Well, my quilts are hanging in the Sauder Village Quilt Show in Archbold, Ohio.  A weird thing happened in the category I entered my bride in, "Bed Quilts: Appliqued-Hand Quilted"...there was no winner!!  There were two second place, red ribbon winners (the bride was one) and a third place and honorable mention, but NO WINNER.

The other second place winner was fabulous!  I put several pictures below.  It was called "Promise Fulfilled," and it contained beautiful hand applique, Broderie perse , and hand quilting.  The 2 judges must have had a really hard time picking a winner, so decided not to.

The judges were NQS certified people, and I don't pretend to understand quilt show judging, but when two athletes tie for first place in the Olympics, don't they give 2 golds and a bronze?  On the list of winners, they just put "First Place: n/a" - I've NEVER seen that before!

At this show they often award an extra second or third place winner, and multiple honorable mentions, when justified, but I guess there is a rule that there is only one blue ribbon for every category.

It was very crowded and hard to get pictures around my quilt, but as I go back for the last of the show and to retrieve my quilts tomorrow afternoon, I hope to get a better one (hold on Lizzie, I hope to get a better picture for the "finished" gallery on your blog!).

Our little stitch group, the Seasoned Quilters, made quite a showing and should be very proud.  I'll treat you with more pictures!!  The following two wool wallhangings were done by Renee Weidmayer.

Margit entered the following two quilts, the first of which, "Chelsea Lane," received second place in in the "Bed Quilts: Small pieced-machine quilted" category:

Cheryl went three for three, three quilts entered, two first place finishes and a second place finish.  This first one, "By Land and Seas and Air," was a first place winner in the "Baby Quilts: Hand or Machine Quilted" category.  She made it for her first grandson:

Her "Churn Dash Variation - Quail's Nest" took a second place ribbon in the "Bed Quilts: small pieced-Machine Quilted" category:

I have several pictures of her "Fall Rhapsody - Pineapples" entry in the "Wall Quilts: Large Pieced-Machine Quilted" category:

Marilyn, who machine quilted Cheryl's and Margit's quilts, had 2 winners herself.  She won first place for "Block of the Month" in the "Bed Quilts: Mixed Technique-Machine Quilted" category:

This is her third place winner in the "Bed Quilt: Large Pieced-machine Quilted" category:

Here's the second one I entered, machine quilted by Rhonda Loy, "Fanscrapulous":

I have many more pictures that I will post from the show a little later on.  Tomorrow they will award "Viewer's Choice," then the show comes down at 4:30 (they take down over 400 quilts in only 30 minutes!).  We are all dreaming about next year now!

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

The bride is DONE!!

Zzzzz.....

Well, the project is DONE!!  I can't believe I got it finished!!  I am SPENT!!!

For all of you playing along at home, I finished binding it at 3:08 AM, April 23...just a few hours ago.

MaryLiz is the winner of the jellyroll,  (Maggieblueyes, Crafty Maine Mom and Paula were SO CLOSE!).

Thank you and a big shout out to everyone who ventured a guess...your comments and well wishes kept me motivated and moving forward, even when I was hitting mental brick walls and doubting my ability to pull this one off!

I'll post better pictures later...now I'm going to take a nap before Sit & Stitch...

In stitches my pajamas,
Teresa  :o)

Ahhh...Monday....

I love Mondays, which I know is counter intuitive.  Our weeks and weekends can be so hectic, so Monday for me is often the calm before the next storm, a day of to-do lists for the week, often filled with ridiculous, unobtainable goals.

This week's goal...finish the bride.  Quilting is progressing, although I hit a mental brick wall last night and just had to put down the needle and go to bed.  Sleep was a good idea.  I am much chirpier this morning, with wisps of choral Mozart dancing around in my head (our church choir sang a Mozart choral work with orchestra yesterday morning at church, the "Solemn Vespers" and the experience is joyfully lingering).

The book on CD has changed to a Janet Evanovich 'Stephanie Plum' novel, so the mood in the quilting cave is light and humorous.

This goal is obtainable...I see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it is not a train!

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)

Quilting boo-boo...

One might say that I am working my poor fingers to the bone!!  Quilting on the Civil War Bride is progressing right along despite my quilting boo-boo's.  My thumb and a couple of fingers look awful, but are fortunately still functioning.

I was nuts to think I could meet my deadline to deliver the quilt to the show on April 25...I still think I can.  So all of you who have ventured a guess, the deal is still on!  I've been listening to a couple of books on CD while working...have your read/listened to "The Thirteenth Tale?"  AWESOME!!!!

The housework is in decline and meals are getting a little boring, but the family is coping well with my insanity and are cheering me on.  Thank you for all of your encouragement as well!

I am so behind on reading your blogs and responding to your nice comments...please forgive...I will catch up soon. 

Crispy was curious what I bought at The Quilt Box in Dry Ridge, Kentucky.  They have the best reproduction fabrics!!  I bought some newbies and some "oldies but goodies," mostly from Windham and Moda.  So here they are for your drooling pleasure...

Whenever I need a little TLC and balm for my sore quilting fingers, I just run my hands over these babies and they feel better IMMEDIATELY!  The prescription for sore fingers:  "take two fat quarters and call me in the morning; repeat every four hours, as needed."

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

Pictureless Sunday...

Well, I am back from the sunny south!  My daughter and I took advantage of her spring break holiday from middle school to make the 700+ mile drive down to Alabama to see my relatives.  We had a great trip and are safely back home in Michigan.  We left early chilly spring in Michigan and arrived in early hot summer in Alabama...the Dogwoods, Redbuds, and fruit trees were blooming and bulbs and flowers putting on a show.

On the way "down," we stopped by one of my FAVORITE quilt shops in northern Kentucky, THE QUILT BOX.  If you love reproduction fabrics, I think they carry everything ever made.  They are located on a lovely farm, just between I-71 and I-75 in Dry Ridge (where they "split," just south of the Ohio/Kentucky border).  It is worth the short jog off either interstate to get there!!  They have been in business for 26 years and definitely know what they are doing!

Thanks to everyone who put in a guess for the finishing of the Civil War Bride quilt.  Quilting is progressing.

I look forward to catching up with everyone's blogs.  I was away from a computer for over a week and I am behind on email and blog reading.  The Liberated Lady block swap took place last Friday morning during "sit & stitch" at The Quilting Season quilt shop...thanks to Ellen T. for leading our local group, the Seasoned Quilters, on this fun and dynamic project.  I look forward to getting my distribution of ladies...maybe later this afternoon!

In stitches,
Teresa   :o)

Ta-da!! The give-away...

Well, here is the give-away prize for guessing the day and time (before April 25) that I finish quilting and binding my Civil War Bride quilt.  It is a beautiful jellyroll from Minick and Simpson..."Bar Harbor."

Some of you have already ventured a guess.  I am off to visit family down south with my daughter for Spring break, but you can be sure that my project is going with us!!

Happy Easter!

Teresa  :o)

Liberated lady par-tay!! (and have you signed up for my give-away?!?)

I finished my 17 liberated lady blocks for our group exchange (with one to spare...I won't take the one where I had to piece the background after I finished the block due to a fabric defect...).  These were really fun and I anticipate making some more for me when I get my blocks from everyone else.  I am going to finally brave making some of Tonya's free-pieced (un-ruly??) word blocks to sprinkle in with the ladies ("girls, girls, girls").

But that project is going to have to wait until "the bride" is quilted...sigh. 

It's not too late to get in on the betting pool for the day and hour I will finish quilting and binding "the bride."  When I am at The Quilting Season tomorrow I will spy something wonderful for a give-away.  Whoever is closer to the time that I finish (and shout for joy and relief!!) will be the winner!

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

Three liberated ladies down, 14 to go...AND a give-away!

Yeah!!  Three done!  I'm getting in a groove with them now.  Somehow I forgot shoes on the first one.  We'll see how many more I get done tonight.  Even though our deadline is no longer this Friday but the Friday after, since I'm leaving town this Thursday mine need to be finished in 4 days!  Makes me glad I only need to finish 17 in total.  (and also glad that I did not wait until Wednesday night)

Quilting on "the bride" is progressing OK...I have finished outline quilting all blocks, done what I'm doing to the sashing, and have finished 5.5 of the 20 blocks (and it's not even April yet!).

Michele suggested I should host some sort of "pool" to guess the correct day and hour that I finish hand-quilting "the bride."  I've never done a give-away, but maybe this would be a good way to start.  For those who don't know, I am trying to finish the Civil War Bride Quilt by April 25 (yes...(sigh)...THIS year...) so that I can drive it down to northwest Ohio and enter it into the Annual Sauder Village quilt show.

Before you comment and submit your guess, I should tell you that I work for a church and have to work that morning, so don't waste your guess on any time on April 25...I will have no time between church and starting the 90-minute drive to do any last-minute stitching.

I will find some sort of delightful quilty goodie with which to award the winner and post it soon to entice you! 

So, write a comment with the date and hour of the finish!

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

Quilting!!!

Basting is done and now I am quilting...YEE-HAW!!!  It's every bit as fun as anticipated!

I'm hoping for a block and a half a day...not very realistic, but I'll try.  I used 3 spools of my mom's old polyester thread to baste a 2-inch grid.  April 25th is my deadline...

In stitches and in-sane,

Teresa  :o)

I finished the Civil War Bride top!!

Ta-da!!!  It all over but the shouting (and the hand quilting, and the binding...).  I'm excited to baste it together tomorrow and get going on the hand quilting.

I did deviate on the borders, but after deviating on other stuff and adding sashing, it seemed normal to me.  It will end up being about 78 x 78 when all is said and done.

Here's the future recipient!!

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)