County Fair Time and Entries

Friday night was County Fair Time for me and my hubby, Grant.  We were expecting big crowds for the first weekend and went early.  Admission prices were unexpectedly lowered, which was nice, and after passing through the gate we immediately proceeded to the Home Arts building to look for my entries.   The first one I spotted was high on the side wall. 

I was pleased to see a 3rd place award for my professionally quilted twin size quilt--pattern is Judy of Patchwork Times' June Mystery Quilt in 2010. I was disappointed that this quilt was not displayed fully as I spent all that time sewing on a hanging sleeve at the last minute.

Next we looked in the display areas for more. 

The big chicken sculpture was really interesting.  I spied my little quilt on the wall.

A lucky Blue Ribbon!  How nice.  More hunting in the display booths.

Interesting quilt on the upper left, and I spy my Twilight Hopscotch block pillow.

Another lucky Blue Ribbon!  Very exciting. 

On the opposite wall, my Modern Row Robin quilt also had a lucky Blue Ribbon!  This quilt was entered as a group project, since four people worked on it.  I had also expected this quilt to be fully displayed since I attached a hanging sleeve on this quilt as well.  

More searching led us to a big display area with a very strange, huge quilt made of clothing on the back wall.  I was not sure what was going on with the tire tracks, but spied another entry of mine on the right.

Honorable Mention for my patriotic tablerunner!  Not sure why it was displayed vertically.  We took another turn around the building to locate the last entry, only to find we had walked right past it earlier without seeing it.

A lovely 2nd place ribbon on the modern Flying Geese Baby Quilt.  I received a ribbon on all 6 of my entries and feel very lucky.  Many other guild members entered items and had wins as well, so we had a good showing from our Modern Guild.

My sister Kathy had already gone to the Fair on Wednesday's opening night to see how her entries did, but was strictly forbidden to tell me how mine did!  I got these photos from her:

Her art quilt with a dark desert sky and dead tree got an Honorable Mention.

Her modern whole cloth quilt received a lucky Blue Ribbon!  Kathy is one of the good cooks we have in the family and I encouraged her to enter in that category too. 

Her Peach Bourbon Jam won an honorable mention.  It was entered under the Liquor category.

She also received Honorable Mention for her strawberry scones, which I love and can eat by the dozen! There was a lot to see and do at the County Fair, and I'll share some more finds on another post.

Design Wall Monday--V blocks and Flower blocks

This month is going by too quickly, though I did slow it down by getting a head cold that made me dizzy and required a lot of rest on Friday and Saturday.  Some stitching did get done, including finishing a cross-stitch (see last post) and making a bunch of Tri-Recs for the Humble Quilts Doll Quilt Swap project.

At the Road to California show I purchased a V-block Trimmer by Deb Tucker, which I used to construct these 2.5" finished triangle-rectangles all exactly alike by making them slightly oversized and then trimming down.  The same tool is used to cut the necessary pieces and then trim after sewing.  I love that!  In playing with the layout, the center row just wanted to be all light backgrounds. 

The center row also wanted to point the opposite direction--I didn't argue!  My intention was to use the red striped fabric in the center and the brown on the edges, but it didn't look great to me.  

I like this much better.  A dark binding of some sort will finish it off.  

Also under the sewing needle were some improv flower blocks for the guild's next Opportunity Quilt, based on a tutorial at Quiltingismytherapy.com  of her Impracticality quilt.

 They were supposed to be monochromatic but this one refused. 

The red one pretty much behaved itself.   Nothing like working on totally disparate projects!

See more design walls on Judy's Patchwork Times.

UFO Challenge 2017

Years ago I participated in Judy's UFO Challenge, whereby a list is made of 12 unfinished projects and she randomly picks a number each month to be worked on.  I have no shortage of UFOs of all types, some of which never made it off the list since the last challenge years ago!  So I have gathered my list and am looking forward to being intimate with fabric and thread and plans.  Here they are, in no particular order. 

1.  80s Star Medallion rescue: 

This star was pieced by my former boss's now former spouse, probably back in the late 80s; he gave it to me with a lot of other discarded sewing stuff some years ago. I cut off wide expanses of the blue print and added the pieced borders and haven't touched it since April 2015.  It needs backing, quilting, and binding.  However, I don't think I'll give it back to the former spouse--maybe I'll donate it to QOV.!

2.  Sue Goes to the Orient Wallhanging:

Poor Sue has been waiting for an outfit for the past two years, but these leftover HSTs have been around for about 10 years.  I need to select the fabrics for the applique and buttonhole stitch on, sew the borders on, choose a backing, then quilt and bind.  I last blogged about this project in May 2014.

3.  Improv Log Cabin:

I made the first row of blocks (on the left edge) in a class at QuiltCon 2016 with Heather Jones.  I passed off my row to my fellow Row Robin participants at our modern quilt guild and got back this very interesting finish.  I need to decide if I want to add another row of Improv Log Cabin blocks to lengthen the quilt (it is sideways in the pic); it will then need backing, quilting, and binding.  

4  Greenpiece Quilt Kit:

My dear husband bought me this block of the month in 2009, and there were four blocks per month--but that was the year I had 3 part time jobs so most of the kits were set aside.  I have all the pieced blocks done, the pieced inner border, and close to 1/2 of the wool applique blocks complete. My goal is to  finish all the wool applique blocks and the center medallion applique.  If massive progress is made, I'll trim all the applique blocks to size and frame the center tree.  Taking some stitches on my lunch break should help speed things up. Someday I want this beautiful quilt to hang in our bedroom.

5.  Quick Curve Metro Twist Quilt: 

One of our guild challenges last year was to use a neon color. I chose this orange and planned a small wallhanging using the Metro Twist pattern and the Quick Curve Ruler.  It was my UFO for guild this year but obviously never made it to the finish line. I have many pieces cut and need to finish the blocks, assemble the top, then the backing, quilting and binding.  

6. Pinwheel Garden Quilt: 

I cannot locate a picture of the finished quilt top, but it and an accompanying finished backing are hanging in the closet.  My plan is to quilt the center and then add some interest inspired by this quilt border seen at a local quilt show in 2013:

I liked the way it implied a stem without making one.  I have the greens set aside but need to play with size of leaf and layout and determine how many I need for the borders, cut, applique, then bind the finished quilt. 

7.  Send another quilt out for quilting, then bind.  I have several tops hanging in the closet that I plan to send out to be professionally quilted.  That means prepping the top, making a backing and binding, getting it delivered and selecting designs.  

8.  Houndstooth charity quilts:

I have two tops to complete for philanthropy for our guild.  One has all the blocks made and just needs assembly.  The other is cut and some blocks sewn.   I want to pass these on soon for someone to quilt and bind. 

9.  Flying Geese Baby Quilt:

Needs backing, quilting, and binding.  

10.  Round Robin Star wallhanging:

My quilt from guild Round Robin of 2015 needs to be finished.  Need to decide if it needs additional borders, then make a backing, quilt and bind. 

11.  Projects in Boxes: 

These four projects have languished far too long in boxes.  Two are from Kim Brackett's Scrap Basket Surprises book, one is a Moda Bake Shop pattern by Jo Kramer, and the last is a free pattern insert from a magazine that will use Aussie fabrics I purchased on my trip to Australia in 2009. They all have 2.5" strips in the design and my Accuquilt GO cutter will make quick work of that part of the job.  I love piecing!

12.  Cocoa Baskets: 

I finished this top in July 2016 but it too had languished in a box for years.  It needs backing, quilting, and binding.  I can't wait to hang this one up in the house too.

I'm going to enjoy concentrating on one project finish a month and will post my progress. Thanks, Judy!