They Liked Me...

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 Before I start a new week, I want to show you the ribbons I earned

at our 2014 Disconnected Piecers Quilt Guild Show. I was truly grateful

for the recognition for quilts I created over the past two years. Only one

was actually created to be a competition piece, and I was thrilled to have

it awarded for my efforts. So without further ado, let's get to it, shall we?

 "Over The River - My Way" earned a First Place ribbon in the

Collaborative - Bed Quilt - Small - Mixed Technique category.

You'll notice two blue ribbons. One is for me and the other will

go to Pat Alderman for her stellar longarm work. She made my

handwork and piecing look even better! (Thanks, Pat!) 

The third ribbon (in the first photograph), was awarded to the quilt

for "Viewers Choice".  After people viewed the show, they chose 

their favorite quilt and left their vote in a ballot box on their way

out. They liked me! I'm honored and humbled to have received this

ribbon, because it was given by a vote of my peers. (squeeeeeee!)

"Princeton Plates" received a Second Place ribbon in the Collaborative - 

Bed Quilt - Large - Mixed Technique category.  Pat Alderman

also did the longarm work on this quilt, so the second red ribbon is hers,

too. The large ribbon on this quilt is for "Best Track-Mounted Machine

Quilting". That ribbon will also make its way to Pat, as it was specifically

awarded for the work she did to enhance this quilt. She really deserved it!

 You can just imagine how pleased Handsome was to hear that "his"

quilt received this recognition. The quilt now resides on the guest room

bed, and it's perfect and soft for afternoon naps. He's got braggin' rights!

 "Martinique Plates" competed against "Princeton Plates" in the same category. 

It earned a Third Place ribbon. The judge later told me the difference between 

Second and Third was her assesment of the quality of fabrics used in one over 

the other. ("Moda™ Martinique vs Northcott™ Princeton.) Northcott™ won.

Susan Slaton did the machine quilting on this quilt and we stood next to 

each other during the judging. She was disappointed that her work didn't win 

the category, but I assured her that I adore this quilt and will cherish it always. 

 "Princeton Plates" earned a Third Place ribbon so Susan and I will each have a

ribbon to place on our wall for this quilt. (Thanks, Susan for your fine work!)

 I'm so glad that I was able to take photos of these quilts as they hung in the 

Exhibition Hall. The lighting really helped to show off all the beautiful 

longarm work, and we can see the entire quilt to its best advantage. It's back

 home in our master bedroom now, and I'm glad it's where it belongs again.

 You may remember that I made this small quilt as a model for a 

hand-applique' class  at Crazy Quilters last fall. When I finished

the quilt top, I asked Pam Wyka (who works there) to do the longarm

work. She did such a nice job. This quilt also earned a Second Place

ribbon for me, but this time in the Collaborative - Wall Quilt category.

One ribbon is mine and the other will go to Pam. (Thanks, Pammy!)

 This quilt now sits on our dining room table and looks right at

home against the same soft, muted colors in our area rug in the room.

 Last, but not least, is an Honorable Mention ribbon for The Pink Panther.

It competed in the Wall Quilt - Small - Applique' category.

 This quilt was a fun exercise in generating a realistic reproduction of 

an image - a well-known image at that! - in fabric and fiber. I had a 

great time creating it, and appreciate the recognition for my effort.

This show proved to be so much more than I ever dreamed or expected. 

By the time we got to returning quilts to our members, I was so tired.

Susan Slaton's "Dots & Jots" received a First Place ribbon.

 I had just received the Viewers' Choice Award and Susan and I were

folding and stacking our own quilts to take home with us. She said 

that she could have sold this quilt about 18 times over the weekend,

and I told her, "19. I love that quilt! It's so darn happy looking!"

l-r: me, Susan Slaton

As we continued to talk, Susan folded, placed it on my pile and gave it to

me as a gift. I asked her if she was serious and she assured me that she was.

I started to cry as I thanked her. She hugged me, told me to stop bawling 

and I whispered in her ear, "I think I need a nap."

Childhood Memories In A Quilt...

 I got to see Pat Alderman again last weekend when I went to pick up

my "Over The River" quilt. I went to her home on Saturday morning,

and I could have squealed with joy when I saw my quilt again.

She greeted me at her front door and we immediately went into her

studio. The first thing I saw was my quilt spread out on her table. I can

say, without hesitation or exaggeration, "Pat is a Quilting Goddess".

I don't expect you to take my word for it. All you have to do is look

at the images I've posted for you today. I'm sure you'll agree.

 Exhibit One: There is a lot of snow stitched into the first panel.

Pat highlighted the snow on the trees, rooftops and in big, billowy

piles on the ground. She also contoured the road that passes over

the bridge, gave the horse and carriage added dimension, and 

added swirls to the sky to show movement in the background.

Still need convincing? Keep reading...

 Exhibit Two: My large border is a repeating acorn and leaf pattern, 

and then she added a leafy pattern in each of the flying geese blocks. 

So sweet! Well, don't stop here. There's still more!

 Exhibit Three: There are two different blocks between the stitcheries. One 

is a square in a square block, and the other is a star. Pat did two completely 

different designs for these two blocks. The square in a square blocks have 

oak leaves in the center, as well as each corner block. ahhhhh. I'm in love!

Her choices for those blocks were perfect and so beautifully executed.

 Exhibit Four: Look how the trees look so dimensional, and I can

almost feel the chill of the snow on the barn. I'm so glad I decided

to stitch a corgi onto the weather vane, and our initials into the tree.

Exhibit Five: Looking at the quilted detail in my "Over The River" version reminds me
of a kid's game we used to play called "Eye Spy". The more I look at the details, the
more cool stitching I find. The are acorns worked into nearly every aspect of my quilt!

This quilt is a tribute to my grandparents from Wisconsin. Both of them have passed,
but this quilt incorporates so many elements that remind me of those childhood trips
to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Our drive used to take us past an old church in
Winchester, WI (which I called "Winchester Cathedral", like the then-popular song),
many farm fields and cow lots housing productive Holstein cows, a lot of oak trees

 bearing their acorn fruit, and deer that would graze in the cornfields or dart across
the road just as our car was getting close. Our visits were fun-filled and happy times.

 Pat immediately picked up on my vision, and executed it perfectly. While 

the images reflect the countryside and scenery along the way, there was so 

much more to our drives to see my grandparents. We were little kids who 

couldn't wait to see Gramma and Grampa and spend time with them. There 

was always great food, lots of cuddles and family to see. Childhood bliss. 

When I look at my finished quilt now, I'll stop to remember my grandparents 

and the time we spent together in Wisconsin. I'll remember...and smile. 

Thanks, Pat, for bringing your special talent to this project. This will be a 

treasured piece for me, and hopefully an heirloom for our family. I'm so

grateful. I look forward to getting to know you better, bringing more of

my quilts your way, and seeing more of your own fabulous creations.

For my friends: If you're within an hour of Sarasota and are looking for

an awesome long-arm quilter for your projects, please send me an email

and I'll put you in touch with Pat. Believe me. She's well worth the drive.

My Newest "Sweet Treats"...

I have the latest "Sweet Treats" kits for September and October.

There's a lot of orange in the quilty parts, so they're going to add

a lot of pop to my finished quilt (whenever I get to that stage!).

 "Boo" has a jack-o-lantern carrying a Halloween penant. Scary sweet!

 "Give Thanks" is a fruit-filled cornucopia, which will be a wonderful

addition to the quilt. It reflects just how I feel about my life. I'm ever 

grateful for my husband, family, friends - near and far - and all the

 blessings that fill my days. I'm especially going to enjoy stitching this one.

Another week comes to an end and I'm looking forward to a great weekend.

I'll be picking up my "Over The River" quilt, too! I'll get it bound and 

photographed so that I can share it with you by Monday. Talk about excited...

Rest, relax and enjoy, my friends. I'll be back tomorrow.

Meet Pat Alderman...

All my photos today were taken on my iPhone.

 Yesterday was a beautiful day, filled with beautiful quilts.

I drove to Parrish, FL to take two of my quilts to a long-arm quilter that

I've been hearing quite a bit about. My friend, Loreen was the first to sing

her praises, and then I heard more about her from friends, Lunetta and Andy.

I really couldn't wait to meet her, and I was so glad I made the drive!

She lives in a lovely community within Parrish and I was taken with her

home as soon as I saw it. Inside was a real treat for the senses. Not only

were her quilts stunning, but her home is as warm and inviting as she is.

 We started our visit when she invited me into her studio. Look at her

New York Beauty quilt!!! (Remember one of my goals for 2014 is to

create a quilt with circles, and a New York Beauty is #1 on the list.)

Now I have a color and design in my mind to aim for.

 Pat took me into her long-arm room to show me her award-winning

quilt. This stunning quilt was created by her and her daughter. It uses

multiple techniques and is a sampler of her many quilting techniques. My

jaw actually dropped when I first saw it. It's large and truly impressive.

 When I turned around in her long-arm room, Pat pointed out her Dresden 

plate quilt. Rather than stitch down all the points, Pat machine quilted about 

1/2" away from the points, leaving them free at the edge. It gave the plates

more dimension. It's such a pretty quilt - sweet color choices and layout.

 Pat has a large basket in the living room, filled with the most scrumptious 

quilts. This one is machine appliqued' and then machine quilted. It's Pat's 

own design! She used whole-cloth Minke fabric on the back for the softest 

girly quilt imaginable. I'd make this quilt in a heartbeat, but I'll have to wait

because Pat hasn't done a pattern yet. (She said she's thinking about it.)

 This was a kit from Keepsake Quilting. (I want one!)

Pat backed it with flannel, creating another cuddly masterpiece.

 This is the last quilt I photographed and it hangs in Pat's dining room. 

She said that it was designed for wools, but she appliqued' the design 

in cotton fabrics with embroidery. I don't know the name of the quilt,

but it could be "Smitten", because I surely was when I looked at it. 

I loved everything about it.

I am so excited to have Pat quilting my latest completed pieces.

"Over The River" and "Princeton Plates" are in good hands.

I know that she will leave her special artistry on them and they'll

be better than they were. I'm so glad that she could take them in.

Thank you for making time for me, Pat.

I already feel like we're friends because of our mutual acquaintances.

I'm looking forward to forging our own friendship, and sharing more

of our love of fabrics, fibers, patterns and all things quilting.

It was a beautiful day, indeed.