Bye Bye January!

Let's not even talk about the fact that January just blew right on by!  You know how it is, you get so completely focused on something and it seems like everything else in your life just falls by the wayside.  I lost two months, all of November and December, without one stitch at my sewing machine, so there was no way I was coming up for air until I had something to show for it this month!

Originally I had great plans to make this quilt and have it completed for Christmas 2015.  Needless to say, that did not happen and the most I had accomplished before the holidays was pulling fabrics for this quilt. 

I dipped into my stash of gorgeous florals (that I never seem to want to cut).  I wanted something that could play a background role without adding a lot of competing color.  This floral is an older Moda print, Seaside Rose, and I love how it worked with the pinks and greens.  Due to its popularity, it has been re-released and I've seen it available on several sites again (shabbyfabrics.com currently has it in stock). 

This is my own design, inspired by an antique quilt.  I added the chevron inner border (note all those Y-seams!) which repeats the small diamond shape in the stars and a large outer floral border for some feather quilting I am planning.  The smaller dark pink stars in the floral squares are appliqued.  At this time, there is no pattern available.  I am still playing around with titles for this quilt.  It reminds me of peppermint candy for some reason, so I keep coming back to the title "Peppermint & Roses."

I am really happy with how this turned out and hopefully, I will have it quilted by Christmas 2016!

Earlier in January I attended the Florida World Quilt Show in Orlando.  This is the same show that has always been in West Palm Beach until being moved this year.  I was very excited to see the show promoters moved it to Orlando, since that is almost in my backyard.  I entered my quilt, "Grandmother's Cabin" and was honored to have received an award for Best Sewing Machine Workmanship.  It was so nice to be recognized for all those long hours of free-motion quilting hundreds and hundreds of straight little grid lines!    

Following are more photos from that show for inspiration, in no particular order or preference: 

 

Moonswept by Nikki Hill St. Augustine, FL  Third Place

Winter in the Garden by Olive Gobin, longarm quilting by Ruta Hardenbrook Fruitland Park, FL 
Best Longarm Machine Workmanship

Winter in the Garden (detail)

Gradation by Kathleen Burford New Zealand

Off the Floor #1 by Gael O'Donnell New Zealand

Off the Floor #1 (detail)

Nursing Home Quilt #2 by Marge Hurst New Zealand

Nursing Home Quilt #2 (detail)

They are Bees not Flies by Jenny Hall New Zealand

Persian Dream by Ansa Breytenbach New Zealand



Persian Dream (detail)

Affairs of the Heart by Lorraine Baker New Zealand

Affairs of the Heart (detail)

 Roses for Katrina by Gail H. Smith Barrington, IL  Honorable Mention

Roses for Katrina (detail)

Humming Bee by Judith Wilson United Kingdom  Honorable Mention



Humming Bee (detail) by Judith Wilson

The Never-Ending Fame of Gustav Klimt:  The "Kiss" Revisited by Lesley Jurgens South Africa

Happy as a Clam by Rachaeldaisy Australia

Happy as a Clam (detail)

Nordstern by Claudia Scheja Germany

Lone Star Among Friends by Margarita Schuh Germany

Lone Star Among Friends (detail)

Sunkissed by Theresa Olson Jupiter, FL

Flourish on the Vine by Donna Douglass Apollo Beach, FL  Best of Show

Flourish on the Vine (detail of hand quilting)

Hopefully that makes up for my absence!  Sorry if this post has bogged down your computers and iPads!  I wanted to cram everything in while I had the time to blog.  I will be attending another large AQS quilt show at the end of February which is being held right here in my backyard in Daytona Beach, FL!  This is a first for us and quite a big deal.  I am looking forward to going and will have my Grandmother's Cabin entered in that show as well.  Stay tuned, I hope to have lots of photos to share.  Until next time. . . .Happy Quilting!

Jacksonville Quilt Fest Part 2

Ok, so moving on to the rest of the Jacksonville Quilt Fest that was held a couple of weeks ago.  As I mentioned in my last post, the quilts I am showing are just some of what was of interest to me in one way or another, in no particular order.

Civil War Bride Quilt by Rose Luehrsen, The Villages, Florida; quilted by Linda Spence

Hourglass on Point by Carole Jackson, Jacksonville Beach, Florida; quilted by Cathy Peters (detail below)

Little Bowties by Linda Simons, Roswell, Georgia; quilted by Shawn Hooten (detail below)

Brilliant Beauties of Joyette by Elaine Stemetzki of St. John's Florida; pattern by Jacqueline De Jonge. (This is a miniature quilt, she had also made one in a larger size just like it).

Wanda's Garden by Wanda Hizer of Marietta, Georgia; quilted by Michelle Wyman; pattern by Lisa Debee Schiller (details below)

Sweet Georgia Brown by Wanda Hizer of Marietta, Georgia; pattern by Terry Clothier Thompson (details below)

Love Eternal by Jill Allen of McIntosh, Florida; design by her daughter, Rachel Kolar (details below)

Tied to the Past (made from neckties) by Linda Johnson of Orlando, Florida; quilted by Cathie Mozetta (detail below) 

And finally. . .

 Elisabeth's Garden:  A Tale of a Thousand Threads by Elisabeth Frolet of Dunwoody, Georgia.

 

I was really taken with this crazy quilt.  Her work was fabulous!  It was her original design and a tale of her favorite hobbies and activities.  Silhouettes in the border of her husband, children and herself have been painted with oil pastels.  This was one of those quilts you could just look at for hours.  It was absolutely beautiful!  I've included several close-ups, below.  Enjoy!

Hopefully some of the quilts from this show have inspired you.  I know there were several that inspired me.  Until next time. . . Happy Quilting!