2011 Quilt Project Challenge

A small group of friends have gotten together to bust our stashes! Quilt stashes that is! 2011 is going to be the year of more sewing and less shopping. Well....that's the premise of the challenge. I might even be able to see the floor of my sewing room by years end. I sew in the formal living room and cut/iron in the dining room. The end of this year saw my projects/supplies moving into the family room and then I knew I had to do something about all the projects! Between teaching embroidery and sewing classes and quilting for myself, I've acquired quite a stack of fabrics. So I guess this is the New Year's Resolution: Finish those projects and also have handmade gifts ready!

Christmas is almost here and the projects aren't going to be finished!

I think we always try to squeeze in more than time allows! I have so many ideas for Christmas and all the supplies stacked up. My husband is even making the cookies this year. I just think that those projects will have to go on the back burner and saved for 2011. So this is goodbye to pajama bottoms and a pillowcase for my son and a purse and makeup brush holder for my daughter. Hopefully to be resurrected next year. LOL!

Houston was a Blast!

This show is like a textile art museum of the finest quality workmanship across the globe. I took over 3oo pictures! Only a few had people in them. LOL! Sharon Schamber won the Handi Quilter Best of Show for her quilt titled Mystique. It was an astounding quilt done in 9 separate pieces and connected with looped piping. It is hard to see that the piping is see-thru, but it was definitely a work of art. One of the women showing the quilt said that it took 4 years to complete and I could surely believe it. The background was white with black stitching. It had a tiny herringbone pattern that was unbelievable. The Viewers Choice went to Hollis Chatelain from Hillsborough, NC for her quilt named Innocence. It was the most awe inspiring and moving quilt that I have ever seen. I went back at least 5 times and still felt that I could have looked at it all day. The portrait of the young boy was wonderful in itself, but when I walked closer, I realized that it was quilted with pictures of children from across the globe. Some on trikes, washing laundry, holding a machine gun. From the best to the worst our humanity has wrought. If you get a chance, go to www.quilts.org/winners.html to see all the winners. These were my top two that I will never forget, but there was so much to choose from.

Ice Skate Stocking

My stocking turned out much better than I envisioned. A little differently too. I wanted fur on the top and embroidered that but was unhappy with the look. I then embroidered on the satin and was very happy with the shine at the top. I took a pattern online that was made for felt and reworked it to use the cotton. The felt was used flat with raw edges, so this took a little time. This stocking was donated at the Charlotte Quilt Guild and took first prize. The prize was a pair of Gingher scissors! We stuffed the stockings with dollars for your favorite and then the money was used to fill the stockings for the USO. I was wonderful to see all the beautiful stockings hung there. I am new to the guild and need to remember to put my camera in my purse! The embroidery design is from www.ArtisticThreadworks.com and the pattern was from the Family Fun website. (You will definitely need to rework this pattern, but it was worth it)