Wednesday Emails

For those of us who enter quilts into QuiltCon, the annual modern quilt show hosted in February by The Modern Quilt Guild (MQG), early December means a little anxiousness about receiving an email for each entry. Did three jurors accept my entry? Or was it "rejected"? - a term that isn't used in the email, but one that quilters have adopted as a hashtag for Instagram posts: #quiltconreject a fabulous online quilt show.

The reason #quiltconreject is a great quilt show is that 1,571 entered quilts were not accepted! Only 470 of the 2,041 quilts entered made it into the show. 

I received four emails Wednesday. Two of my quilts were not accepted; two quilts were accepted. I'm delighted and honored. 

QuiltCon "Rejects"

Party Time! was not accepted. No reason is ever given, so I can only begin to guess what jurors didn't like about this one. 

I made it during two different improv workshops with Cindy Grisdela @cindygrisdelaquilts. The first workshop was in-person, through Quilting Guild of The Villages. The second workshop was online through Central Florida MQG. 

My quilt reflects aspects of both workshops.

In fact, Cindy saw my Instagram posts about this quilt last year. When we were at QuiltCon (Phoenix) last February, Cindy asked if she could include pictures of my quilt in her book!

You'll see Party Time! in FreeHand Curve Quilts: Improv Techniques for Creative Play & Bold Expression.

Alternate Route, also an improv quilt, was not accepted... for the second time. I entered it into QuiltCon previously without success. 

I made Alternate Route during a virtual improv workshop with Irene Roderick @hixonir. It's one of my favorite improv quilts, and earned two ribbons - Honorable Mention and Judges Choice - at the local quilt show in January. 

It's both domestic machine and big stitch hand quilted.

QuiltCon Acceptances

Turnabout is the result of a paint chip challenge organized by my local chapter, Big Cypress Quilters. Mauve and purple were my two blindly-selected paint chips. I could add one more color. While at QuiltCon, my friend Candi pulled out a Painter's Palette color card and pointed at Lemon Ice as my third color. Lemon Ice wasn't even on my radar, but when I found it being sold by the yard at the String & Story vendor booth, I bought it. The color combo has panache, doesn't it?

Besides being machine appliquéd - it will be displayed in the Appliqué category - I thoroughly enjoyed big stitch quilting with perle cotton. 

Infrastructure is a RE-entry that was accepted in the second go-'round. It was a QuiltCon 2025 reject, and means that this is my first time having a reentry accepted. 

I began making this quilt in a minimalism workshop with Ashlyn Downs at QuiltCon 2024. It doesn't look minimal, does it?

It's funny that I could not master minimalism.... instead, adding bits of color (orange), and texture (with linens and denim), and a combo of machine and hand quilting. I couldn't help myself, and kept messing with it!

Infrastructure will be displayed in the Modern Traditionalism category. 

QuiltCon 2026 is in Raleigh, North Carolina starting Thursday, February 19, for four days, ending Sunday, February 22. It's my favorite quilt show. Ever. And I've attended many national shows.

Turnabout and Infrastructure are quilts #18 and #19 of mine that have appeared in nine QuiltCons that I've attended. Where does the time go?!

Since yesterday, I've realized two secrets to achieving QuiltCon acceptance: 

1. Have your friends name your quilts. Turnabout was named by Karen E. @sunrayatplay and Infrastructure was named by Amy Friend @duringquiettime
2. Make sure your friends give your quilt a name that's one word. 

😀  Linda