QuiltCon: The Quilts

About the QuiltCon Quilts
Since I can't share all my pictures here - I took more than 200 photos! - here are some of them. The info card appears after each quilt.

Most of these are quilts that you won't find pictured on the MQG link to 2019 QuiltCon Award-Winning Quilts.

 

One of the most interesting quilts was this one, that won "Judges Choice." I'm showing it here so you can see the detail. Each pieced block was no larger than 1-5/8". 

"Log Lunacy" is right!

In the quilt center, the artist included a teeny picture that's mean to be herself!

"Sprinkles" is by my Clermont, Florida friend Debra @madeofhonorquilts

This is meant to be a map representing the various paths the Mississippi river has taken.

 I'm still smitten and challenged by improv quilts.

"Baconrific" by my friend Debbie @aquilterstable She really captured "bacon" didn't she?

This was my vote for Viewer's Choice: "Curled" by Charlie Mankin @sydneyrosedesigns of the UK. A different quilt was selected that I didn't even photograph.

No, I didn't win any ribbons or awards. Though I'm flattered that some of my family thought I might!
Here are my three quilts in the show, all of which were for sale. No one made a purchase and it surely can't be because the price was too high!

Roulette

Wrinkles Fade Away

O-O Orange in the two-color challenge; hand quilted

I went by car to/from Nashville, so it worked out nicely that I could pick up and bring my quilts home with me. Linda

2019 QuiltCon: The People

It's been more than a week since I've been around to write a blog post, and now I have a lot of catching up to do! So much goes on during a QuiltCon week.

First though, I'll announce that the winner of my blog giveaway (last blog post) was Cindy who lives in Illinois. Thank you Geraldine, for sending Cindy a stack of 10-inch square Island Batik Fabrics. And my thanks to everyone for your lovely comments about the "Heading Home" quilt I made from Geraldine's pattern. Quilters are decidedly generous with their praises!

When I return home from QuiltCon, I feel a little lost. It's because home is such a contrast to the bustle and excitement of QC which is incredibly energizing for someone who's as out-going as I am. Some quilters have called after-QuiltCon a "QuiltCon Detox" and "QuiltCon Decompression." For me, it's definitely a let-down. Some of you will understand when I liken QC to a wedding when I've been the mother of the bride/groom who has planned and prepared for weeks. When the event ends, I feel empty. I also came home with a head cold, so feeling punk just exacerbates my low mood.

Every time I return home from QC, I don't know where to begin to write about it! Me, the one with a journalism degree. Ha!

How do I recount seeing more than 400 incredible modern quilts? (See my next blog post.)

How do I explain how wonderful it is to meet-up with Instagram quilters I've known only by their handles? They're all "friends in my phone" that I took lots of pictures with.

Upper left: Helen, @TillWeQuiltAgain
Upper right: Steph, @StephSkardal (2018 QuiltCon Best in Show winner)
Lower left: Sarah, @sariditty
Lower right: Jessie, from Iowa! @threadedquilting

Top: Many of you already know my good friend in Kansas City, Carla @lollyquiltz 

Lower left: My new, fast-friend Paige @quiltedblooms who won two awards - a first and second!

Lower right: Another new, fast-friend Connie @gynconnie She makes excellent book-reading recommendations. 

Then there were the delightful, random meetings with quilters whose work I've admired from my phone.

Top left: Heather @quiltachusetts

Top right: Elaine @messygoat

Lower left: (L) Christine @ccpquilt whose longarm skills I admire; and (R) Leanne @shecanquilt who won Best in Show with "Smile," an improv quilt made with blocks from nine other quilters. (See "Smile" below.) By standing between them, I thought some of their talent might shed onto me!

Lower right: Kansas City MQG president Chris @auntlou21Q

Best in Show: "Smile"

Smile is quilted with intense matchstick quilting, and has a facing finish.

Here's my friend, Paige @quiltedblooms with her first place winning quilt, in the two-color challenge: "Double Crossed."

To really appreciate Paige's "Double Crossed," see how she fussy-cut these little plus signs from another print, and inserted them in each intersection? Wow.

Here's Paige with her second place winning quilt in the Michael Miller Hashdot Fabric Challenge. I love that she created a beautiful transparency effect in the aqua circle, and with parts of chartreuse and orange. So nicely done!

Heather @quiltachusetts designed and made this quilt, "Keyhole Kaleidoscope" that was raffled.

Christine's @ccpquilt longarm skills on it are fabulous!

How do I tell you about the fun of volunteering? Though I worked only a two-hour shift, I was at the admission ($12) counter where I accepted money and printed wristbands... and met the neatest people!

How do I describe the aura that is QC?! So much energy! And vibrancy! In spite of pretty-much non-stop rain during the entire event.

Loving statistics as I do, here are QuiltCon factoids obtained at the Sunday morning General Session, where we could all hear about the accomplishments of the MQG. Worldwide membership tops 15,000 now.

Rhode Island is the only state that didn't have a QC presence. 

By the way, I'm one of 18 members of Central Florida MQG who attended! I am proud of our turn-out, as we have about 50 members in our chapter.  

I learned that during the first three days of QC - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday - more than 10,000 people were admitted to the show! That smashes the 2018 QuiltCon record for attendance in Pasadena, where the four-day total was 7,700. I'd venture to say that more and more quilters are interested in modern quilts. It's exciting to be part of it.

In case you'd like to know about future QuiltCons, the next one is in Austin, Texas. QuiltCon 2021 will be in Atlanta!

My next post will be quilt pictures! Linda

Giveaway!

This giveaway is closed.

It's always an honor and treat for me to participate in a giveaway, so when my friend Geraldine Wilkins @livingwaterquilter (I can't wait to meet her IRL someday) invited me to test a pattern for her, and participate in a blog hop, I "hopped" at the chance.
😜
In fact, I made Geraldine's "Dena's" Heading Home quilt design in April 2018! Didn't I do a good job of keeping it a secret like she asked? I may have shared a few photos, but nothing that would give away her cute design.

Trimmings from blocks, while on a May quilt retreat with Central Florida Modern Quilt Guild.

This is Heading Home. It finished at 55" X 55".

I like this design, mostly because it's foundation paper pieced, a technique I thoroughly enjoy. Don't ya love that precision when stitching on paper?

Being a little contrary, I chose to use different fabrics than the Island Batik Fabrics suggested by Dena. Since 2018 was my self-imposed "year of no fabric-buying," I worked entirely from my stash.

I didn't have any trouble coming up with colorful prints for the Y blocks, or solids for the Wild Goose Chase blocks.

I had a whole bolt of Painter's Palette solid white for the background of the Y-blocks, so those weren't a problem either. I was a little more challenged when it came to Wild Goose Chase background fabric.

I took a risk by using a black and white graphic print for Wild Goose Chase blocks... and failed, falling short of having enough fabric to complete two rows. No amount of searching online uncovered more.

So, two rows of goose blocks have different backgrounds. You probably wouldn't have noticed if I didn't point it out.

I managed to come up with stashed fabric for a quilt back, using an Amy Butler print and an inserted strip of Blueberry Park.

As always for me, domestic machine quilting was lots of fun. I used these 50-weight Aurifil colors. 

For the flying geese designs I straight-line quilted with a ruler. I also quilted straight lines on both sides of the Y-block design, and then free motion quilted swirls between the lines.

Giveaway
For this giveaway, Dena is offering my US ONLY blog-readers (so sorry international friends!) a chance to win this stack of 10"-square "Blossom" prints from Island Batik.

I'll choose a winner Friday, February 22.

Comment, and make SURE I have a way to reach you to tell you if you've won. For my last giveaway, I had to try three times before coming with a comment that I could reply to! A couple of you missed winning!

If you'd like more chances to win one of these...

Island Batik "Blossom" jelly roll

Island Batik "Blossom" scraps

... go to these places to enter: 

For a chance to win the jelly roll

For a chance to win scraps, and Dena's Heading Home pattern

Linda