International Quilt Festival

I had the most amazing time at International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas!!  I was so excited to be able to go!  I had entered my Bird of Paradise quilt in the "In the American Tradition" exhibit and it was accepted so I had to go see it!  Back in the spring I boxed up my quilt and shipped it away.

 So, the first thing I did on arrival was find it in the show.  It was displayed so nicely.  I was vibrating with excitement that first evening at the show, hardly knowing what to look at first.

 I was very much looking forward to meeting quilters that I know from their blogs.  Judith Ebbelaar from the Netherlands was the first one I met. I felt so welcomed with a big hug.  It was wonderful to get to know her and see her in person.  She was working very hard at the Dutch Heritage booth in the vendor area.  Such a beautiful booth and such gorgeous fabrics. 

 I have been gifted with Dutch chintz fabrics before but never able to shop for them myself.  It was difficult because I wanted it all  :0)  I know I will be starting a quilt with these fabrics soon.  I can't wait - they're so gorgeous!

 The next morning I got to meet Kyle and her husband Ed.  She was every bit as delightful as I thought she would be from her blog that I have enjoyed for so many years.  We visited and shopped and viewed quilts together.  I loved every minute it. 

 I also got to meet Lori of Humble Quilts.  I've followed her blog for ages and have made several of her doll quilt quiltalongs. What a fun supper we had!
I have been blogging for 10 years and had never met any of the friends made through blogs until this Houston trip.  It was so great!

Barb of the blog Fun with Barb had her Mother's garden quilt in the show.  Barb was the one who encouraged me to enter my quilt.  I'm so grateful to her for believing in me.  I wouldn't have been in Houston if my quilt hadn't been accepted.  Her quilt was marvellous.  I kept coming back to it to find new details to enjoy. 

 Wendy of The Constant Quilter had 2 quilts in the show.  This one was scrappy delightful.  I loved the little stars on cheddar reaching from the center block to the border. 

 Karen of Log Cabin Quilter blog had her beautiful Shenandoah Valley quilt there.  Loved the chocolate brown background. 

 This quilt Old Voices was by Cynthia Collier and Peggy Morton.  I got to meet Cynthia at the show and enjoyed talking about applique quilts with her.

 

Teresa of Fabric Therapy had her beautiful prize winning Contentment quilt in the show.  She also made a Civil War Bride Quilt years ago and I've enjoyed following her blog for several years. 

 

There is so much more to tell so I'm going to make another post to share about the antique quilts and others I enjoyed in the Show - hopefully later this week :0)

Layer Cake Custard Quilt

I had the opportunity to participate in another quiltalong with the Fat Quarter Shop.  This time I made the Layer cake custard quilt.  It was a fun and fast quilt to make and a really good pattern for showcasing large print fabrics. 

 I chose the Crystal Farm layer cake by Laundry Basket quilts because of the beautiful large floral prints in the line.  (Yes,that is snow on the ground.  It's all melted now but we had lots!)

 I cut the whole quilt out before I started sewing - something I've never done before.  I loved it because I could zip down to my sewing machine and stitch even if I only had a few minutes to sew. 

Very quickly the top was together and I basted it on the floor in my dining room.

I decided simple quilting was a good choice for a soft and cozy quilt.  I quilted diagonal straight lines with a few feathered vines interspersed. 

 It was completely finished in under a month.  I am astounded that this is even possible for me. Usually it takes years for me to get to a finish.

I decided to try another new thing while I was at it - machine binding.  I watched a YouTube video by Kimberly here and gave it a try.  The first side was not amazing, but the second side went a little better and the 3rd and 4th sides worked great. Just a few hand stitches on the back will fix up a few spots where I missed.  I was impressed at how quickly it went. 



 

So one final picture of the whole quilt laid out on the floor. 

If you want to see the rest of the Layer Cake Custard quilts made by others in the quiltalong check them out here on the Fat Quarter Shop blog.

Happy Quilting!!